December 7th, 2017
Denis Kozhukhin was the soloist, giving a performance of crystalline clarity that downplayed the sentimentality in favour of understated lyricism, but with plenty of bravura power where it was needed.
Brahms: Fantasies No. 1 in D minor
[…] In performing Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto, it was the Russian Denis Kozhukhin who replaced Khatia Buniatishvili as soloist. Kozhukhin’s reputation may not be as lofty as what some of the audience tonight might have desired, but this was a concern fated to be futile. At times sensitive, at times visceral, and at times both in an entirely convincing way, Kozhukhin’s pianism demonstrated an immersive musical narrative, complemented with his impeccably crystal-clear technique. Although his audible murmuring was initially worrisome, these vocal intrusions were only proof of Kozhukhin’s musical confidence, as he cadenced through the variegated moods and shapes of Rachmaninov’s maze with natural fervour; musically, any indication of self-consciousness was largely kept at bay. Järvi’s empathic accompaniment proved invaluable, as even the minutest of Kozhukhin’s expressions were attended. Yet this is not to suggest the wanting of orchestral beef. In the soaring coda of the Finale, neither Kozhukhin nor the orchestra compromised any sort of their presence, as the work concluded triumphantly. […]
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