His Second is arguably more famous. You've probably heard themes from it, most notably Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" or, later, Muse's "Space Dementia". But his Third is, to me, on a different level entirely. Wikipedia states that it's "respected, even feared" among many pianists; the man to whom Rachmaninov dedicated the work never publicly performed it, stating it "wasn't for him" (which is how you said "WTF, man?!" in 1909).
It's one of the most challenging concertos in the piano repertoire, replete with both astonishingly intricate passagework and, in many places, the very definition of power chords...interspersed with heart-stopping melodies. Metalheads would really appreciate the first and third movements.
I own--had to check--four different recordings, plus Cory Band's stunning brass transcription of the Finale. I've heard probably ten others. And I've never seen it live...never thought I'd live to see it live.
Every year we get a pamphlet in the mail detailing the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony's season, and every year I salivate over it and wish that money was. If money was, I would probably have season's tickets.
This year, I looked at the pamphlet and the very first event of the season read, in part,
Natasha Paremski -- Rachmaninov Piano Concerto #3
...whereupon I shamelessly turned to Eva and begged. I hadn't heard of Paremski, but...well, you have to be pretty damned good to perform that piece and ohmygodohmygodohmygod do I want to see this.
And Eva said -- "October 1...that can be your anniversary present from me. I'll get tickets when they come available."
I was, shall we say, overcome.
I had to laugh at what else was on the program: Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. This was amusing because our last orchestral concert involved Tchaikovsky's Fifth performed by the world-famous Mariinsky Orchestra under the direction of Valery Gergiev...and Eva had said, beforehand, that she wasn't a huge fan of Tchaikovsky, but he had won her over a bit. (Incidentally, the program that night before we went to that concert at Roy Thomson Hall--the one I had wanted to attend, but couldn't--included, you guessed it, Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto.) More Tchaikovsky. And something by Mason Bates called "Mothership" that I YouTubed and immediately realized it was something I'd be better off going into blind.
It looked, for a while, like Eva wasn't going to be able to make it last night: she was scheduled to work until 8:00 p.m, which is when the concert started, and it was proving difficult to get that shift switched. This wouldn't have been the first time she gave up a ticket she'd bought and paid for--she gave my friend Jason a ticket to see George Carlin with me that had originally been meant for her, and did something similar with The Book of Mormon a couple of years ago. I didn't even want to think about seeing this with anyone else...this was supposed to be an anniversary present, after all.
One of her workmates let her know a week ago that she'd switch shifts. And then the countdown began in earnest.
Last night finally arrived, after a hellish day at work for me. Our seats were excellent...seventh row, even closer than I'd thought:
The lights dimmed, the director, Edwin Outwater, came out, and it was on with the show.
Mothership was written for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra--the first online collaborative orchestra, admission by audition and worldwide vote. Two members of the K-W Symphony have actually performed with it, which I found impressive. You tend to forget, or at least I tend to forget, that local symphony orchestras house some serious talent. My friend Craig has an enclyclopedic knowledge of anyone who is anyone with a trumpet, and he states that Larry Larson, the Principal Trumpet of the K-W Symphony, iis one of the best in Canada.
You really should hear this piece. Highly rhythmic and dramatic, it's only nine minutes long, and quite unique. It features improvised solos--no performance has the exact same instrumentation. Last night the soloists were kLox (modulated tabla and electronically processed violin) and, later in the song, Bob Egan, formerly of Blue Rodeo, on pedal steel guitar.This is the LSO's take: the improvisers are more traditional here. But even so...what a fun piece.
Once the final echoes died away, Eva turned to me and said, "I loved that."
A Steinway grand was rolled out and Natasha Paremski followed it.
Now, I want to make a point of what she was wearing. I hasten to tell you I'm not being sexist here. People normally are when they comment on a woman's choice of clothing, because you never see "the male pianist strode on stage, dressed in a charcoal grey business suit"....
It's just that female pianists always seem to have different versions of the same dress on. I don't know who wrote it into concert hall law that glittery sparkles must be worn, but it's evidently a law with a harsh penalty for noncompliance, because they all conform. It's odd.
Paremski has performed Rach 3 here before; she's described in the program as a favourite. She's got three albums to her credit and it quickly became apparent there will be many more.
My favourite recording of Rach 3 is Martha Argerich with the Berlin SO. Nobody I've heard quite matches the pure FURY Argerich brings to the piece.
Nobody I've heard, that is, until last night.
Paremski's first movement was just one metronome notch slower than Argerich's, and her articulation was simply breathtaking. She was able to bring out melodic fragments amongst all the speedy arpeggios that I'd never noticed. Her hands were an absolute blur, but she played with poise and precision.
And then she launched into the cadenza...the original cadenza, the more challenging of the two Rachmaninov wrote for the piece, and the less-often recorded. How Paremski was able to execute such leaps, at such speed, which such power, is a mystery. The Steinway grand rocked...not for the last time.
The second, slow movement was performed beautifully and flawlessly, with ripples of pianistic brilliance. My eyes fell shut and I drifted over the music...and then snapped to attention as she flew into the finale
That finale is attaca, meaning there's no pause before it begins, but in this case it also means just what it sounds like. Paremski attacked her piano, taking that movement as fast as I've ever heard it. Almost too fast...the orchestra kept up with her, but it was a bit of a strain. Again at the end, the piano rocked back and forth as she beat the almighty crap out of it. Paremski's website notes that explicit comparisons have been made between her and...Martha Argerich. So I'm not the first one.
Standing ovations used to be reserved for the best of the the best; now it seems as if every performer is entitled to one after every performance. Natasha earned hers.
There is, as yet, no recording of Paremski playing Rach 3. A pity, because I would have bought one and had it autographed. There is, however, a video of her playing Rach 3 with the Bergen Philharmonic. I don't expect any of my readers to actually spare the time to listen to this: I doubt any of you have my passion for this piece. But just in case you want to hear what I heard and see what I saw--she actually played parts of this faster last night...
Eva, meanwhile, has decided (sadly) that it's actually Rachmaninov she doesn't like. While acknowledging Paremski's prodigious abilities, she just didn't like the music that much. It's too scattered and chaotic for her taste: just when she was starting to really appreciate a melody, it up and pissed right off on her.
After intermission, we heard Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. I had heard the first and last movements of this work before, but never the whole thing.
I warned Eva that parts of this might be bitter and depressing; while nothing matches the pathos of Tchaikovsky's Sixth, he did write the Fourth after he separated from a disastrously short-lived marriage to a student of his. She refused to grant him a divorce, and he was afraid she would try to blackmail him because of his admitted homosexuality. The motif that starts the symphony and echoes throughout it represents 'Fate', and 'Fate' to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was 'the fatal power which prevents one from attaining the goal of happiness..."
(The depressive parts of my personality are perfectly in tune with many of the Russian Romantics.)
The musicianship of the K-W symphony was impeccable throughout. And I really the first, second, and fourth movements, especially the latter, marked Allegro con fuoco ("very fast and fiery"). The volume that came out of the orchestra at times was huge.
That said, the third movement was my turn to dislike some music while appreciating the talent with which it was performed. The entire thing is pizzicato strings and....yecch. I just detest that sound: schmaltzy and Lawrence Welk-ish; I almost expected a bubble machine to start up. But, hey, you can't like everything, and it sure wasn't the orchestra's fault I didn't like this.
Eva loved it. Of course.
I'm glad, very glad, that I wasn't afflicted with the gutrot I'd dealt with (somehow) last time around. The worst I had to contend with was a mild leg cramp at one point and a maddening urge to cough that seems to afflict everybody who attends a symphony...
All in all, it was a truly spectacular evening. I'm so thankful to Eva for getting those tickets...and for coming with me. Seeing Rach 3 performed, especially that well, is a bucket list item checked off.
Happy (early) anniversary, love. And now we know: you DO like Tchaikovsky.
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