Photo: Kirill Bachkirov |
Nikolai Demidenko, piano
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'Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto demands high-voltage virtuosity, which it got from the Russian-born Nikolai Demidenko. From the haunting opening bars – darkly poised and pulsating – Demidenko put the Concerto's range of tone ahead of any superficial pianistic fireworks. Yet, though he was elusive and elegiac in the slow movement, he hurtled into the finale with bravura and a fearless pace as the Hallé flaunted its own fire and fury. It was electrifying but also poetic.' The Independent |
'There was more to this performance than barnstorming bravura. He made this vast, hour-long piece a study in musical contrasts, and revealed the astonishing fecundity of Beethoven's imagination... Ever alert to the volatile surface of the music, Demidenko also created a mysterious structural momentum that traversed the whole piece, and his performance illuminated the infinite possibilities contained within a single, simple tune.' The Guardian - Diabelli Variations
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