“This impressive double CD of Liszt concertos, plus his Orpheus and Heroide, is an all-Russian effort. Matsuev’s pianism has heroic force and highly calibrated control; Pletnev, who is a magnificent pianist in his own right, shows off the excellence of his orchestra he founded an 1990” – wrote the newspaper.

February, 21, at 19 30 (London time) BBC 3 radio will be broadcasting from Barbican Hall. Denis Matsuev and the London Symphony Orchestra headed by Valery Gergiev will perform Tchaikovsky, Overture 'Romeo and Juliet', Prokofiev: Piano Concerto no.3 and Shostakovich, Symphony no.5.

The Tchaikovsky symphony orchestra headed by Vladimir Fedoseev performed for the first time in Astrakhan. The concert was held at the new Astrakhan opera and ballet theatre, whose long-expected opening took place last year. Denis Matsuev was the first musician to touch the new piano given to the theatre as a sponsor gift. That evening Denis played Pachmaninov, Piano concerto no.2. The video coverage is available on the “1st channel” official site.

Denis regularly comes to play in Perm, but the event of such a scale happened in the Perm Philharmonic for the second time only. During the festival Denis appeared in diverse roles: he gave a recital, played together with orchestra and took part in a chamber music concert.

February, 9, the festival started with a concert in which Denis Matsuev and the State Symphony Orchestra “New Russia” headed by the Honourary Artist of Russia Alexandr Sladkovsky performed Rachmaninov, Piano concerto no.3. Denis played this concerto in Perm for the first time. He says that Rachmaninov’s concerto no.3 is a true work of genius and an indicator of the shape a pianist is in.

The next day, February, 10, Denis gave a recital which consisted of Schubert, Sonata a minor, op. 143, Beethoven, Sonata #23 “Appassionata”, Grieg, Sonata e minor and Stravinsky, Three movements from “Petrouchka”. This programme was previously unfamiliar to the Russian audience, but it was the exact programme of Denis’ USA tour in January 2012, including his recital in Carnegie Hall.

February, 11, the young musicians of Perm, the grant holders of the “New names” foundation gave a charity concert in the Philharmonic. The activities of the foundation headed by Denis Matsuev are aimed at finding and supporting young gifted musicians from all around Russia. Some time ago Denis was in the “New names” care himself. Now under his guidance the teachers from Moscow hold auditions of the talented children from Russian regions and name the new grant holders. The new “sparkles” (Denis does not like the word “stars” – he thinks it grates upon the ears) receive the material support like music instruments as well as the educational: a chance to go to the creative school in Suzdal, an invitation to Moscow.

February, 12, there was a chamber music concert with Denis Matsuev, in which also took part Sergey Krylov, violin (Italy), Boris Brovtsyn, violin (UK), Julia Deyneka, viola (Germany) and Alexandr Buzlov, cello (Russia). The programme of the concert consisted of Rachmaninov, Elegiac trio no.1 g minor, Shostakovich, Trio no.2 and Bartok, Quartet for piano and strings. This concert acknowledged the international importance of the festival, because it gathered on the stage world famous musicians who came to Russia especially for the event.

Denis believes that the Perm audience is very receptive and sensitive, but also fastidious. The musician is planning to come back to Perm many times: next year will see his jazz concert in Perm. And the prepartions for the music festival in 2013 have already started.

You can watch the piece of news from the “Rifey Perm” TV channel here.

A new video has been added to Denis Matsuev's YouTube channel: Denis and the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia perform Tchaikovsky, Piano concerto no.1.



In the other newly added video Denis plays Shumann, "Carnaval".

Denis Matsuev's II International Music Festival in Perm has begun. From February, 9 till February, 12 in Perm and Berezniki there are concerts, showcases, selection of the new grandholders for the "New names" foundation. You can watch the video by "Culture" TV channel here.

Denis Matsuev’s solo American tour, which lasted from January, 22 till January, 27 is over. The musician tours the USA every year, which is a privilege only of the most asked-for musicians. Matsuev performs in the best concert halls of the country, invariably with a sold-out. Both the admirers and the professional music community are looking forward to his arrival.

Anticipating the Hill Auditorium recital in Ann Arbor on January, 23 the local press described Matsuev’s playing as “jaw dropping” and his technique as “titanic”. Their expectations were fully met: “The concert showcased an artist who can put the depth and plushness of his sound to as good use in crystalline, intimate moments as in bravura ones” – such was the praise of the critics.  “Los Angeles Times” after the concert in Royce Hall expressed its opinion in set terms, calling Matsuev “a virtuoso in the tradition of Gilels, Richter and Horowitz”.

The programme of the tour consisted of Schubert, Sonata a minor, op. 143, Beethoven, Sonata #23, Appassionata, Grieg, Sonata e minor and Stravinsky, Three movements from “Petrouchka”. In the encores the musician played jazz for a change.

The finale of the tour was the recital in Carnegie Hall – the hall to perform in which is the dream of probably every pianist. The photos from Carnegie Hall will appear on this site soon.

[…] Das Konzert wurde mit den zwölf Charakterstücken eröffnet, die Peter Tschaikowsky unter dem Titel 'Die Jahreszeiten' zusammengefasst hat (eigentlich sind es keine Stücke über die Jahreszeiten, sondern über die zwölf Monate eines Jahres)...Wo andere Pianisten bei 'Am Kamin' eher einen schlichten, erzählenden und charaktervollen Ton anschlagen, geriet bei Matsuev manche musikalische Phrase mit starkem Rubato und viel Pedal beinahe an den Rand des Sentimentalen, dem dadurch auch der innere Spannungsbogen des Stücks abhanden zu kommen drohte. Ähnliches ließe sich von anderen, stilleren Stücken des Zyklus, wie beispielsweise dem Oktoberstück 'Herbstlied' sagen.

Ganz anders dann der ‚Karneval‘, ein Stück, das einen starken Zugriff erfordert: Matsuev zeigte sofort, dass er nicht nur technisch brillieren, sondern vor allem auch musikalisch gestalten kann. Selbst dann, wenn er, wie in 'Die Ernte' oder 'Die Jagd', ausgesprochen kraftvoll und energiereich spielte, blieb er musikalisch nie an der Oberfläche, sondern gestaltete und phrasierte intelligent das musikalische Material.

Entsprechend seiner Stärken wählte Matsuev das Programm nach der Pause, denn der erste 'Mephisto-Walzer' von Franz Liszt ist ein ausgesprochen kraftvolles und virtuoses Stück, das Matsuev entgegenkommt. Dem Pianisten gelang es ausgesprochen gut, den verschiedenen Ebenen des Werkes gerecht zu werden und sie miteinander in Beziehung zu setzen: Mephisto, der mit seiner Geige einen Walzer anführt, Faust, der mit einer Frau eine leidenschaftliche Nacht verbringt. Als wahnwitzig schwieriger Höhepunkt des Programms, den Matsuev geradezu spielerisch zu meistern schien, spielte er Igor Strawinskys 'Drei Sätze aus Petrouchka'. Man hat die Sätze vielleicht schon einmal farben- und facettenreicher gehört, aber der enorme Elan, die Kraft, die Präzision des Rhythmus rissen die Zuschauer mit.

Sechs kleine, aber feine Zugaben, bei denen Matsuev sich auch einen Ausflug in den Jazz erlaubte, beschlossen das Programm. Das Publikum, zu einem ausgesprochen großen Teil Russen, bedankten sich stürmisch.




[...] The concert opened with the twelve character pieces gathered together by Peter Tchaikovsky under the title 'Les Saisons' (the seasons - though actually the pieces depict the twelve months of the year)...Where other pianists strike a modest, narrative and characterful tone in 'At the fireside', Matsuev applied strong rubato and generous pedal that brought many a musical phrase almost to the verge of the sentimental, at the risk of losing the piece's inner arc of tension. Much the same could be said for other, quieter pieces in the cycle, such as the October piece 'Autumn song'.

The mood is completely different in 'Carnival', a piece that calls for firm handling: Matsuev showed at once that he is not just technically brilliant but above all can  lend shape to the music. Even when he played with pronounced vigour and energy, as in 'The harvest' or 'The hunt', he never remained at the surface of the music, instead intelligently planning and phrasing the musical material.

Matsuev further exploited his strengths after the interval, finding Franz Liszt's first Mephisto Waltz - a highly powerful and virtuosic piece - very much to his liking . The pianist succeeded remarkably well in bringing out the various levels of the work and relating them to one another: Mephisto, who strikes up a waltz on his fiddle, Faust, who spends a passionate night with a woman. The evening's fiendishly difficult climax, which Matsuev seemed to treat as child's play, was Igor Stravinsky's 'Three movements from Petrushka'. The pieces may sometimes have sounded more colourful and many-faceted, but the enormous elan, the power, the precision of the rhythm carried his audience with it all the way.

Six small but perfectly formed encores, in which Matsuev even allowed himself an excursion into jazz, closed the evening's programme. The audience, a remarkably large part of which were Russians, rewarded him with exuberant applause.