SSO on form helping Lukáš Vondráček to scale the mountain that is “The Rach 3”.

Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

May 9, 2014

This imaginative program contrasted two masterworks by major 20th-century Russian composers. The concerto has been known popularly as “The Rach 3” ever since the David Helfgott bio-pic, Shine. That movie suggested that the strain of conquering the work’s difficulties could undermine a pianist’s mental health. In fact, the Third is not necessarily more difficult to play than Rachmaninov’s other concertos (none of which are easy), but it is longer, thereby requiring greater stamina, and contains taxing cadenzas in the first and third movements. The work is less tightly organised than others by this composer, the third movement being notably wayward in form.

The young Czech virtuoso Lukáš Vondráček had all the strength and fortitude necessary to master the pyrotechnics, but also brought out another side to the composer: Rachmaninov the dreamer. There are several moments of respite in the piece, and here we got to sample Vondráček’s pearly-toned singing line, so immaculately done that it hearkened back to a bygone age of piano poets like Arrau and Gilels. Conductor Alexander Lazarev was with his young soloist all the way, and the orchestra (especially the strings) provided sonorous support.

Shostakovich’s final symphony could not be less emotive. This oblique but compelling work, full of personal significance for its ailing composer, casts a spotlight on many of the individual orchestral players. Never having heard the work live, I realised what a fragmentary score it is. The full orchestra hardly ever plays together, but is all the more powerful when it does. Each section gets a chance to shine, but in this performance it was the sonorous brass who excelled. Principal cellist Umberto Clerici also impressed in his heartfelt second movement solo.

It takes an understanding conductor to keep Shostakovich’s kaleidoscopic orchestration from seeming piecemeal, but Lazarev’s clear focus brought coherence to the work. On top form, the orchestra conveyed with insight the basic Russian melancholy of both composers.

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