Review: Pianist plays with grace

Pianists need two qualities to play Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, the composer once reportedly said.

They should, of course, possess the grace of a gazelle. But they must also have the unremitting ferocity of a tiger.

Pianist Kirill Gerstein proved that he had all the right feral stuff during his appearance Friday night with the Omaha Symphony.

In town for the opening of the symphony’s 2009-10 season at the Holland Performing Arts Center, Gerstein gave a rendition of the “Rach Three” that was remarkable both for its fearlessness and tenderness.

He played the concerto’s expansive opening movement with sweep, power and great rhythmic vitality. He blazed through extended passages of double-fisted chords, creating veritable sonic earthquakes along the way. And he tossed off quicksilver notes with ease and elegance.

Rachmaninoff composed two optional solo cadenzas for the first movement. Pianists play one or the other.

The first is a short, mercurial solo full of ethereal fingerwork. The second is a long, thunderous and utterly ferocious grizzly bear of a cadenza, complete with giant chords and blistering passagework.

I’m happy to report that Gerstein played the bear. And though this beast roared for a good three minutes, Gerstein was finally able to tame it with a technique that apparently knows no fear or difficulty.

Rachmaninoff called his second movement an “Intermezzo.” I tend to think of it as the eye of a hurricane, a moment of lyrical tranquility before the onslaught of the finale.

Music director Thomas Wilkins milked the movement’s opening orchestral reverie for all it was worth, urging the strings to play with ravishing beauty. Gerstein joined in with playing that was lyrical, passionate and, in the best tradition of Russian romanticism, full of melodramatic angst.

In the finale, Gerstein threw caution to Rachmaninoff’s hurricane winds, playing knuckle-busting fortissimo passages at breakneck speeds. It was a breathtaking performance that won a deserved and enthusiastic ovation.

Friday’s concert was an all-Russian program. The Rach Three was played after intermission. The first half of the concert was a showcase of the orchestra’s virtuosity.

It opened with Borodin’s “Polovtsian Dances” from the opera “Prince Igor.” This piece is best known for its one unforgettably beautiful melody, which, as the Omaha Symphony’s program notes pointed out, was popularized in the Tony Bennett song “Stranger in Paradise.”

Wilkins used the Borodin to great effect, showcasing his orchestra’s wide sonic color palette. He was also showing off the technical skills of his players.

Mussorgsky’s “Introduction to Khovantchina,” which followed, was one of this concert’s revelations. The piece is rarely played. But it proved to be a gem, a sparkling, shimmering work full of fairy-tale charm.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio espagnol,” which closed the first half, was the test piece for the orchestra. A brilliant piece of orchestration, the “Capriccio” is actually like a disguised concerto, featuring lots of solo passages for the principal players.

In fact, the whole orchestra shined in this piece, with Wilkins and his players delivering a performance that was both passionate and polished to perfection. It was a welcome introduction to the new season.

Contact the writer:

444-1076, john.pitcher@owh.com

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