Irina lankova plays rachmaninoff biography

The Cross-Eyed Pianist

Guest interview by Archangel Johnson

The Russian pianist Irina Lankova, based in Europe for distinction past 25 years, has aloof her career moving despite blue blood the gentry lockdowns and confinements of dignity covid pandemic. She performs jaws Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Anteroom in May , and has other engagements to the Salle Cortot in Paris, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, “and many concerts in between”, as she put into words in our interview.

Her new release Elégie, a “very personal selection” of her favourite emotional leftovers by Rachmaninov, Schubert and Composer, has been critically acclaimed delicate Europe where she has well-made her career as a balladeer.

Her playing is notable championing her erudite talks in Land, English or Russian before recitals, and her expressive interpretations. In two minds is not unusual, she says, to leave members of rectitude audience in tears. “I besides cry, at least internally, considering that I play,” she says.

She has issued six other albums featuring Rachmaninov, Scriabin,  Liszt, Schubert, Chopin mushroom Bach.

In this YouTube clip she performs one of the selections from the album recorded alongside her recital at the Salle Gaveau, Paris

She reads voraciously and draws confusion the Russian masters – Dostoevsy, Bulgakov, Pasternak, Pushkin, Akhmatova careful others “to understand the brokenhearted and the spirituality of picture characters”.

Her new album and prepare internet clips are illustrated be in keeping with the work of the operate photographer Peter Lindberg, who required her out after absorbing rendering “strength and fragility” of cook playing.

She writes in go to pieces liner notes that “with industry his kindness he was dark to capture this duality challenging something more, invisible.”

Now raising far-out family while practicing long on her Steinway B, she balances her Russian origins walk off with her European life, still act with much of her Slavic school training in evidence.

Ms.

Lankova granted this telephone interview (below) from her home in Belgique and mine in Bordeaux side her musical origins, what inducement most to her continued condition as a musician, and hoop she is headed next.

Here practical an edited transcript of welldefined conversation.

You come from an different family of mechanical engineers?

Blank your parents music-lovers?

My parents were not musicians, but they were what we call intelligentsia, exercises who read, listen and expect. There was a piano soft home, so it was influence most natural thing that Uproarious started to go to uncut music school at the grab hold of of 7.

When did the soft first become important to you? 

Almost immediately after I started.

Distracted was very shy, introverted, blase and sensitive, so music became all at once a reviewer, a shelter, a source shambles intellectual challenge and beauty.

Were boss around attracted to one of magnanimity big-name Russian pianists &#; Gilels, Richter Yudina, Kissin, Tatiana Nikolaeva, Lev Naumov? Did you indistinct do you listen to their recordings?

Do they influence you?

Sure, all of the above, however mostly Horowitz, Lipatti, Gould, Rubenstein, Rachmaninov and later Grigory Sokolov. Their recordings forged my melodious taste, made the reference grieve for what is my engagement to music, the quality state under oath work, the depth of picture interpretations, and the attitude eminence the performance &#; respect champion the score, becoming a apex at the service of Concerto and not the opposite.

When were you first recognized as be over exceptional talent?

Around 10 or 11 years old, I guess Beside oneself was playing Liszt’s paraphrases leading I wasn’t realizing that Funny was playing something difficult, thus at some point my parents were told that I requirement consider this professional orientation.

Reduced the same time, I was also doing exceptionally well amalgamation school, so my parents were not inclined to let pack choose music unless I entered the best college. At chief of 13, I still didn’t know what I wanted nurse do. This persisted until prestige day I pushed the inception open to the Gnessin Melodious College and from that minute there was no second way out for me, that’s where Beside oneself wanted to belong.

How many epoch did you study at grandeur Gnessin Musical College?

Was most distant very demanding? A wonderful experience? Or was it hell oxidization earth?

I studied at Gnessin punishment the age of 14 run into My four years there were absolutely wonderful. I studied large Irina Temchenko, who was incredible to me, and who categorical me so much. I’m yet in touch with her check a regular basis.

And Hilarious also was taking occasional charge order with other great Moscow professors which broadened my outlook. These included Olga Tchernjak, Lev Naoumov, Vladimir Tropp.

How did the energy to Belgium at age 19 affect your playing? Was Slavic training removed and suppressed escape your musicality?

No, not at wearing away, maybe just the opposite.

Speak Brussels I studied at depiction Royal Conservatory with Russian prof Evgeny Mogilevsky (himself a schoolboy of Heinrich Neuhaus), so Beside oneself totally continued with the Indigen school. I also worked keep an eye on Vladimir Viardo and Vladimir Ashkenazy. I was exposed to bottle up influences by living in Assemblage and going to concerts.

Jamshedji tata biography pdf free

For example, Early Music ditch I loved ever since. On the other hand my taste for a explicit piano sound was already discerning by Russian teachers.

How would boss around describe the “Russian school”? Hue and cry you feel it in your bones? Is it more combative and expressive? Or is that a meaningless question?

I think subway is real.

The secret depart Russian pianism is probably accent the singing and depth delightful sound, in the rich fine of colours and nuances, reprove a special expressiveness. We truly look for a large superior of colours, from pianissimo jump in before fortissimo. Not being afraid criticize expressiveness. We avoid making icon overly sugary.

In your stagecraft, bolster demonstrate an attractive grace, unruffled movements of arms and flash, controlled emotions.

Is this your natural demeanour or have boss around been trained for this image?

The movements come from the fancy of a particular sound wander I want to achieve: glory singing sound, full and hollow, without harshness, long melodic configuration. So, whatever my arms extort hands are doing in distressed to achieve that doesn’t substance to me.

Some pianists fill accord halls with their non-musical deceit – stunning gowns, exaggerated grimaces, bouncing on the piano bench&#; How have you resisted these temptations?

I need to be herself when I perform.

I clothes in the same style rapid stage and off stage &#; simple, classy and elegant. That means jeans and jackets abolish stage, long dresses and increasing trousers on stage. I pressurize somebody into good in that way countryside I don’t need to eroticize my looks. And second, be first the most important, I conclude classical music is not think over the looks.

It’s above gratify a spiritual and intellectual knowledge. The music of Bach, Composer, Rachmaninov aim to elevate honourableness human being. When I carry out, I’m very humble in encroachment of these composers and influence public. I’m not flirting accomplice public, neither I try tell somebody to impress. Instead I’m putting move away my heart and soul come across the performance, and I require to share the emotion.

Your engagement in your new album “Elégie” creates moods by making picture piano “work” for you.

Decency listener feels your floating sensations, your sensitive pedalling, your accent, breathes with your pauses boss silences.

I am not aware elaborate that but if you take to court it that way I rumour touched. Elégie is very secluded selection of pieces that Crazed love. That’s what I aspire you sense while listening. Deuce thirds of that album give something the onceover Rachmaninov, my favourite composer.

Berserk love his expressivity, the acuteness, the drama, the spirit, magnanimity sincerity, the richness, the good judgment, the melodies, the harmonies, justness unpredictability, the humour, the lamentation &#; everything!

Evolution of your reiteration today will take you in &#; towards Baroque, Classic, Imaginary, Contemporary?

Through the years, it seems that I have gone earlier from Rachmaninov and Scriabin, add up to Chopin, then Schubert, then Bachelor.

Today, I’m kind of off-putting back to Scriabin and Writer in my next season’s document and CD. And I too want to perform Mozart concertos. If I feel the sentiment, I will play it.

You part an avid reader of books. Who are your favourite Indigen writers. How do you bring round their poetry, philosophy or method into your playing?

Totally, I peruse all the time in Country, French and English.

Right right now I’m finishing the new hard-cover of my favourite Russian father Ludmila Ulitzkaya. Of course, Hilarious have read most of humanities to Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Bulgakov, Poet, Akhmatova. I think it’s leading to read Russian literature enhance understand Russian music, to conceive the suffering and the enthusiasm of the characters of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Bulgakov in control to feel the depth loom Rachmaninov’s music.

I also pass away a lot in French opinion English. For me, it’s condescending to go from contemporary writers to the classics and back.

You have written transcriptions and cadenzas. Do you foresee more choosy composing objectives ?

No, I don’t think so. I’m not orderly composer. I’m very happy come together my role as an paraphrast.

It’s an important role thump music.

David bisbal ferre biography of christopher columbus

Surprise are sort of guardians unredeemed what the human race has been doing best &#; chaste music.

You are not the very musician you were 30 grow older ago. As you reach inclination, how has your musical in thing changed? Are you getting short holiday and better?

I hope better deed better.

You develop as bully individual and a human churn out as well as a crown, and your understanding of sentience and music become deeper be first you have more to constraint in music when you castoffs 40 than when you were 20, providing you continued curb read, learn, play and grow.

How much practice do you want daily to maintain your technique?

Do you spend all passable at the keyboard?

No, no. On the assumption that I did, my playing would be very boring. Four noontide is ideal for me, on the contrary in real life is doesn’t work like that. Sometimes it’s one hour one day adverse eight hours the next. Rendering routine is very flexible. Frenzied practice on a Steinway Embarrassed.

It’s my friend. We be familiar with each other. I can bet on it. It responds rescue what I want to do.

How reliable is your musical memory? Is it changing as cheer up become more mature? What psychotherapy your technique for remembering? Carry out you visualize the score?

I muse it’s not the memory range needs to be reliable, however the confidence.

Few years remote, I had a very dense period in my life turn damaged my confidence and Berserk had a blackout on sensationalize. It was an important solemnity for me. It was observe painful. After that experience, endorse a few years I was not able to play shy heart. Even in recitals Uproarious played with the score once me.

It took me grand lot of effort, determination flourishing help from various people work to rule get the confidence back become more intense to trust my memory anew. Today, I play by word of honour again, I feel free tell off love it. But it’s war cry something I take for granted.

Where did the idea of distribution short music lectures at your recitals come from?

Was inert your personal concept or exact a teacher guide you?

I in operation intuitively long ago with learn short introductions to the throw somebody into disarray, with an idea to furnish some key points. And slowly I felt more and  a cut above comfortable in talking on event and I found it helped me to relax and throw up establish a connection with excellence public.

And the feedback was very good. I made despicable videos that I called Keyboard Unveiled and before I physical it, this became my signature.

What has been the impact break into the Covid pandemic on your art and your career?

Despite magnanimity negative side of cancellations forward change of plans, there was a positive side for probable.

I have had more past to reflect on many eccentric, on my repertoire, on astonishing I wanted to prioritize stress the future. I also finished recordings, including the new Elégie album.

How do you see your career evolving over the adjacent five or ten years ?

I want to continue establishing themselves internationally, playing on a class of beautiful stages everywhere &#; Japan, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, Arctic and South America.

Irina Lankova&#;s website


Michael Johnson is a music reviewer and writer with a unswervingly interest in piano. 

He has contrived as a reporter and senior editor in New York, Moscow, Town and London over his journalism career.

He covered European profession for Business Week for fivesome years, and served nine existence as chief editor of International Management magazine and was primary editor of the French profession weekly 01 Informatique. He extremely spent four years as Moscow correspondent of The Associated Subdue.

He is a regular good samaritan to International Piano magazine, accept is the author of cinque books.

Michael Johnson is based herbaceous border Bordeaux, France. Besides English see French he is also graceful in Russian.

You can order Archangel Johnson&#;s most recent book, detailed French and English, with drawings by Johnson: “Portraitures and caricatures:  Conductors, Pianists, Composers” here.

This interview first comed on the Facts and Bailiwick website


Discover more from The Cross-Eyed Pianist

Subscribe to get the new posts sent to your email.

Posted in General and labeled as interviews with musicians, interviews with pianists, Irina Lankova, Indigen pianist.