Rachmaninoff Petrenko

Many piano careers stumble in failed attempts, but if you get past the technical obstacles and you’re still breathing, you’ll have the world at your fingertips. The young Lukáš Vondráček has succeded in this, and comes to Oslo to conquer and delight.

But don’t be fooled. The hypnotically simple melody in the opening of Sergei Rachmaninov’s (1873-1943) Piano Concerto No. 3 (1909) is the beginning of a concerto which contains some of the most challenging passages and complex configurations in the entire piano repertoire. Fortunately, fates such as that of David Helfgott, the piano prodigy who was driven insane by his obsession in learning “Rach 3” are rare, as sensitively portrayed in the film Shine (1996). Piano Concerto No. 3 is still much more than a parade piece for ambitious pianists. It swells with Rachmaninov’s rich melodies, sparkles with a colourful Russian sound palate and reveals the composer at his very finest when it comes to expression, character and form.

(Text: Thomas Erma Møller; Translation (from Norwegian): Sarah Osa; In photo: Lukáš Vondráček; Photo: Irene Kim)