Most people, let alone pianists, will tell you that it takes a streak of madness to perform all four Rachmaninov piano concertos plus the Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini on two consecutive nights. Not so Olga Kern, who is assured about the objective she has set herself.
She is, after all, a descendant of a long line of celebrated Russian musicians, with a great-grandmother who sang with Rachmaninov. Now it’s the time for the great-granddaughter — all of 29 years — to continue the tradition, to discover the composer for herself.
“The first steps towards this project were performances over time of all five works in Russia. I became aware of how much they differ, showing us aspects of his life, but also his composing style from the beginning to the end. Now, for the first time, I could prepare myself — that means enough time for practising — to do all of them over two evenings. To do one concerto five times is something totally different, but playing them in a cycle is brave, I think. On the first night I perform the Piano Concertos Nos 1 and 3, followed by three works on the second: the Piano Concertos Nos 2 and 4 and the Rhapsody,” she explains with a sigh.
For Kern this is a life project, because performing them in such a concentrated way does reveal each work’s characteristics so much more strongly. She also believes that she’ll accumulate insights far more quickly than more widely spaced separate performances.
She tells of her reactions to the works during her preparations: “The First Concerto was a real discovery for me. Yes, it does carry some tradition of classical Russian concertos, but also others, like the Grieg, which Rachmaninov performed. Each concerto, however, reflects a lot from the composer himself, otherwise he wouldn’t be the genius he is. In the third movement, interesting enough, I find many elements I find in the Fourth Concerto. The language here is not easy, unusual harmonies, different keys and many chords that are almost jazz-inflected, preceding what Gershwin would have done later.”
Kern feels that the well-known Second Concerto stands separate from the others. “It is close to the soul, not only for the pianist, but for any kind of public.” She says it’s also a favourite among young piano students because they can inflect more individuality in their performances because of its melodic richness.
The Third? “Unique, because it’s so difficult. The Brahms concertos are very difficult too, but in Rachmaninov’s the technique must be expressive and totally transcend it from an etude-like exercise. Often, especially when I play it abroad, I can feel how the composer’s heart is full of tears. One can hear his love for Russia, especially its nature …”
Her opinion on the Fourth Concerto will surprise: “The greatest concerto of them all, I think. Everything has a place. The composer’s soul was ill. It’s also very difficult for the orchestra. There’s much darkness in the first movement. The second is a tragic funeral march, the third ridden with irony.”
The Rhapsody, in variation form, is also rather dark, but challenging owing to the fact that in Kern’s experience a rhapsody is a very difficult form. She feels that Paganini’s madness as reflected in the theme is well suited to Rachmaninov’s treatment. It pours out many kinds of emotions, right up to death itself owing to the use of the Dies Irae-theme and the pianissimo ending, which reminds Kern of a question mark. She also discovered how much this Rhapsody corresponds on many stylistic levels with the composer’s previous opus, the Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op 42.
Kern brought her brother, Vladimir, to conduct. For her it’s much more than an artistic safety net. It also reflects closeness in their interpretations. She’s adamant that there’s not a single Russian piano school, but many — like a tree with many branches. Its greatest element is that real musical personalities are created — among which Kern is already a pre-eminent representative.
The details
Olga Kern performs with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra on February 23 and 24 and March 2 and 3 at the Linder Auditorium in Johannesburg,
Tel: (011) 789 2733. For the solo recitals call Tel (012) 460 1472.