Balance of lyricism and passion

By Do Je-hae

• Published Apr 6, 2014 3:42 PM KST
• Updated Apr 6, 2014 3:42 PM KST

Russian piano virtuoso Mikhail Pletnev to return with Schubert, Scriabin

By Do Je-hae

Russian pianist Mikhail Pletnev halted his solo career six years ago, complaining of the poor quality of modern instruments and shifting his focus toward conducting.

Last year he announced that he would restart his piano career and has since been seen in Moscow and Verbier, among other venues, easing himself back to the instrument that lifted him to international stardom in the 1980s. The New York Times has described him as "arguably the most distinctive and idiosyncratically remarkable of living pianists."

Pletnev will be appearing here as a pianist for the first time since 2004. He will be playing two sonatas by Schubert and preludes by Scriabin at Seoul Arts Center on June 1. Incidentally, another Russian virtuoso Evgeny Kissin just wrapped up a Schubert-Scriabin program at the same venue, giving local audiences a rare opportunity to compare how these two Russian greats approach works by the two composers.

“With everything he plays, he is unique. One may like or dislike his interpretations, but anyone who listens to him cannot help but be fascinated with his originality,” said Kim Jung-won, pianist and author of the book “Pianist Now.”

At 57, Pletnev has reached his prime age as a pianist, but he has placed conducting ahead of piano for a long time.

Pletnev enjoys a huge following in Korea, mainly for his unique pianistic achievements and also for his orchestral leadership -- Pletnev single-handedly created the Russian National Orchestra (RNO) in the early 1990s and within a decade, he had made it into one of the top ensembles in Moscow. He was invited to lead inaugural concert of the new KBS Symphony in November 2012 and has also brought the RNO several times to Seoul.

Schubert has been the focus of his piano renewed piano career. The centerpiece of his Asia tour program has been Schubert sonatas and he also released a Schubert recording last year.

He has had an extensive discography with Deutsche Grammophon (DG) and Virgin Classics. The last time Pletnev recorded a solo album was in 2006, with a program of Mozart sonatas for DG. Last year he released a new piano album, shortly after he announced his return to the piano. The new recording is his first with the British label Onyx.

Schubert is a composer who has rarely appeared in Pletnev’s discography, except for unofficial releases from Russian labels at the very beginning of his career. Beethoven has played a central role in his recording career. He recorded all of the composer’s symphonies and piano concertos with the Russian National Orchestra for DG.

The 1978 laureate of the International Tchaikovsky Competition has won many awards for his recordings, including the Echo Klassik award in 1999 and 2001.

A startlingly distinctive interpretation can be heard on the award-winning albums of Scriabin and Scarlatti sonatas that played a large role in cementing his fame.

His album of Scarlatti sonatas for Virgin/EMI received a Gramophone Award in 1996. BBC Music Magazine called the recording "piano playing at its greatest... this performance alone would be enough to secure Pletnev a place among the greatest pianists ever known."

Pletnev was Gold Medal and First Prize winner of the 1978 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition when he was only 21, a prize that earned him early recognition worldwide.

Pletnev is also active as a composer. His works include "Classical Symphony," "Fantasy on Kazakh Themes and Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra" and "Triptych for Symphony." He has also transcribed Russian music for piano, such as Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite and Prokofiev's "Cinderella."

Program

J. S. Bach

English Suite

Schubert

Piano Sonata No.4 Op.164

Piano Sonata No.13 D.664 Op.120

Intermission

Scriabin

24 Preludes