Munich Philharmonic: Prokofiev / Schnittke / MozartMaxim Emelyanychev (conductor), Alexander Melnikov (piano)
Sergei Prokofiev’s concerto in G minor, the second of his five piano concertos, is both classicist and experimental. Prokofiev pairs the virtuoso, almost athletic air, which culminates in a showy solo cadenza, with a pronounced melodic component. With outstanding virtuosity and profound melodic play, the Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov does justice to both.
Sergei Prokofiev’s concerto in G minor, the second of his five piano concertos, is both classicist and experimental. Prokofiev pairs the virtuoso, almost athletic air, which culminates in a showy solo cadenza, with a pronounced melodic component. With outstanding virtuosity and profound melodic play, the Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov does justice to both.
Alfred Schnittke’s Gogol Suite reveals the composer’s inexhaustible sense of musical humour. Except for the final, somewhat darker movement, there is barely a straight-faced moment in the incidental music to Gogol’s comedy The Government Inspector.
Admired for his gripping theatrical interpretations, the Russian conductor Maxim Emelyanychev is regarded as one of the most promising conductors of his generation. He is also a specialist for Mozart’s works. The latter’s Haffner Symphony was commissioned by the Salzburg merchant Siegmund Haffner to celebrate his elevation to nobility. The effervescent symphonic fireworks belies the fact that Mozart penned this work under extreme time pressure.
Programme
- Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No 2 in G minor, Op 16
- Alfred Schnittke: Gogol Suite, based on the music for the play The Government Inspector (compiled by Gennady Roshdestvensky)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony in D major, K 385 Haffner
