Daniil Trifonov plays Chopin, Debussy, and Stravinsky at the 2012 Verbier festival in this video (not mine, just found it out there in the wild). I added a track list below. (The SoundHound app is great for digging up information on pieces you know but can’t recall the name of).
0:00 Chopin. Étude, Op. 10 No. 11 in E-Flat Major
2:52 Chopin. Étude, Op. 10 No. 6 in E-Flat Minor
7:05 Chopin. 12 Études, Op. 25 No. 1 in A-Flat Major “Harp Study”
9:17 Chopin. 12 Études, Op. 25 No. 5 in E Minor
12:24 Chopin. Étude, Op. 10 No. 5 in G-Flat Major “Black Keys”
14:07 Chopin. 12 Études, Op. 25 No. 6 in G-Sharp Minor
16:05 Chopin. 12 Études, Op. 25 No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor
21:22 Chopin. 12 Études, Op. 25 No. 11 in A Minor “Winter Wind”
24:54 Debussy. Images II. Hommage à Rameau
31:04 Stravinsky. Firebird Suite – Infernal Dance of King Kashchei
Trifonov’s playing is beyond amazing. I got the chance to see him perform his own Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Kansas City Symphony last November, at the Kauffman Center. Then as an encore he played a piano transcription of Prokoviev’s Op. 87 No. 2 Gavotte from Cinderella (I think, it wasn’t in the program). I hope to find a recording of that piece one of these days, so I can hear it again.
Anyway, the show really was wonderful and I hope to be able to hear Trifonov play live again sometime. Particularly because this time I stupidly bought seats in a balcony section where it turned out I could see the keyboard very well, and could hear the orchestra well, but was behind where the piano lid opened toward the audience, so at times I couldn’t hear the piano very well at all. I know, if that’s the worst thing that happens to me this year I can count myself extremely lucky. But I’m still kicking myself. Twenty feet further down and I would have been golden. Lesson learned: yes, I like to avoid talking on the phone whenever possible, but next time I’ll call and ask questions and not just assume that the seating chart is an accurate diagram of where everything on stage will be….
My recommendation: if you’re a music person and you ever get a chance to hear Trifonov play live, do it! He gets a range and particular quality of sound out of the piano that I’ve never heard from anyone else before.
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