LDV92

25 JEAN-PHILIPPE COLLARD ∙ BILKENT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, EMIL TABAKOV What are the toughest points in the performance of this concerto? The hardest of the three movements is the Allegro moderato finale, on account of the balance of forces between piano and orchestra, and the pianistic virtuosity it calls for – the big arpeggios are tricky to play. Rimsky-Korsakov’s appealingly artless Concerto (1882-83) is even more neglected than Scriabin’s. Sviatoslav Richter was one of the very few great pianists to have included it in his repertory. It’s a Lisztian work, both in its form – a single movement played without a break, but in several sections – and in certain pianistic respects; and it’s notable for its recurring theme, taken from an anthology of folk tunes published by Balakirev. I remember being particularly moved by that theme when I sightread it. It was a tremendous experience to discover this charming work, which is not very demanding pianistically, with those musicians.