[On Stage] Pletnev: "Rachmaninoff Is Music Itself"

Complete Performance of 4 Piano Concertos
At Seoul Arts Center for Two Days Starting Tomorrow

"Rachmaninoff was a great genius as a pianist. But describing him merely as a great pianist is not enough. To me, Rachmaninoff is music itself."

Mikhail Pletnev, a world-renowned pianist from Russia, will perform all four of Rachmaninoff's piano concertos at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on the 27th and 28th. On the 27th, he will perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concertos No. 1 and No. 2, as well as the "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini," and on the 28th, he will perform No. 3 and No. 4. The concerts will be conducted by Ken Takaseki, with the Korean Chamber Orchestra, the longest-standing chamber orchestra in Korea, accompanying him.

In a written interview, Pletnev expressed his boundless affection and respect for Rachmaninoff. "Rachmaninoff plays better than anyone else. Every note he plays is excellent. I believe there is no musician more genius than him."

Mikhail Pletnev [Photo by Mastmedia]

Rachmaninoff is always mentioned when discussing the greatest pianists in history. His large hands, matching his height of 198 cm, gave him physical advantages for piano playing. Rachmaninoff was also an outstanding composer and conductor.

Pletnev himself is active as a performer, composer, and conductor. In June last year, he conducted the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's regular concert at Lotte Concert Hall. At that time, the Seoul Philharmonic performed Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 arranged by Pletnev and Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" suite. Pletnev humbly described himself as a music enthusiast who can both play piano and conduct, saying, "I strive to present my music with my own ideas and vision."

He said, "Sometimes as a listener, sometimes as a composer, sometimes as a conductor, and as a performer, I enjoy all forms of music," adding, "Many historically respected musicians like Liszt and Rachmaninoff also combined the roles of composer, pianist, and conductor, and I feel that all these roles are ultimately one."

Pletnev also founded an orchestra bearing Rachmaninoff's name. He established the Russian National Orchestra (RNO) in 1990 and served as its principal conductor and artistic director until 2022. After stepping down from the RNO, he immediately founded the Rachmaninoff International Orchestra (RIO).

"The RNO remains a happy experience. Many principal players who worked with me at the RNO joined the RIO. I hope the RIO can carry on the traditions of the RNO. As an orchestra named after Rachmaninoff, we will focus on the highest level of performance and artistic expression, just like the name suggests."

Before performing Rachmaninoff's works, Pletnev said that imitating Rachmaninoff is meaningless and that he will accept and perform Rachmaninoff's music as it is.

"When I recorded Rachmaninoff's albums in the past, it felt like a great challenge. But now I realize that while it is possible to superficially imitate the performance, imitation has no meaning. Because you cannot imitate the musical background unique to Rachmaninoff within that performance. So I simply accept and perform Rachmaninoff's music as it is."

He said he plans to continue his activities as both a pianist and conductor in the future.

"I will continue conducting and playing piano as much as I can and as it comes. I have no particular goals or plans. I will just continue music as life flows."