The Russian Festival’s incomparable pianist and dynamic conductor

‘Tis often said that an orchestra is only as good as its conductor. This seemed especially true when the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra performed splendidly at the CCP theater under the baton of the young Russian Felix Korobov.

Glinka’s Overture to the opera Russlan and Ludmilla, under Korobov’s expansive, dynamic, authoritative baton opened with a fiery tutti that led to the main theme, this enunciated with clarity by violins, viola and flute. Spirited, unwaveringly firm woodwinds against pizzicatos in the strings were then heard, with a folklike theme surfacing from the violins, cellos and bassoon, the latter remarkably firm and articulate.

The orchestra engaged again in a sweeping fortissimo, ending after a rousing coda. Under Korobov’s incisive direction, the SMPO sounded seasoned and thoroughly rehearsed, the woodwinds and brasses assured, the strings taut, intense and lush, particularly in the fortissimos.

Denis Matsuev sat before the piano like a calm warrior ready for battle, betraying no signs of fatigue from the burning fever he had when he mesmerized the audience in Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1 was the very same composition for which both Van Cliburn and Matsuev won first prize at the International Competition in Moscow, which piece Cliburn rendered at the CCP in 1974.

Van Bulow observes that the Concerto is "lofty, strong and original, its form perfect, mature and full of style – in the same sense that effort and craftsmanship are everywhere concealed."

There was no obscurity, no inadequacy whatsoever in Matsuev’s interpretation. It was romantic, as it should have been; although giving the impression of spontaneity, it was disciplined and integrated, while eloquently delineating the distinction between the compellingly dramatic outer movements and the exquisitely languid andante of the second. Matsuev’s fortissimos were devastating but in the legatos, he turned into a poet of the piano, his lyricism expressed in utterly filigree pianissimos – the melody underlined – his finger and arm weight extremely controlled. Such indeed were his arresting differentiations in dynamics!

Korobov’s baton-wielding matched Matsuev’s playing with intense vigor and fury – or gentle passivity.

Next came Rachmaninoff’s Concerto made popular by the song "Full Moon and Empty Arms." Introduced in the first movement, the enchanting melody recurs in the third. Riesmann admires the Concerto’s "striving for strict thematic unity, reaching a standard unsurpassed by Rachmaninoff’s own previous works. Its themes hold us by their intense expressive power, and the mastery of its structure, in general and in detail, is unequalled." Riesmann adds: "Rachmaninoff’s muse rises to another of those pinnacles which form the landmarks of his career."

Matsuev combined, in his characteristic manner, instinct, intelligence, musicianship and consummate sensitivity, enriching his interpretation with the widest range of tonal colors. Cascades of deafening sound alternated with soft limpid passages, thus exhibiting phenomenal finger dexterity and velocity. In sum, I dare say Matsuev’s mastery and bravura were evocative of Rachmaninoff’s own, the composer himself having been an awesome pianist who shaped his concertos to his fantastic ability.

Devoid of mannerisms, Korobov drew from the orchestra incisive, vigorous tuttis as well as gentle legatos, the ensemble sensitive to the gamut of expression demanded by the score.

The magnificent rapport between soloist and conductor inspired a silence so absolute from the listeners that, as the saying goes, you could hear a pin drop. Reaching incomparable heights of grandeur, Matsuev was never overpowered by the orchestra even in the tumultuous close.

With clamor and cries filling the air, Matsuev gave an encore and would have generously played another but, having ascended the stage, scores of women, led by the Russian Ambassador’s wife Valentina Nebogotova, sang "Happy Birthday" to the pianist. Conchita Bautista, president of the Friendship Society RP-Russia and Annette Ablan, VP, presented him with gifts. Mme Nebogotova, who bore the organizational burden, thanked everyone involved in the wholly gratifying festival which marked Russia’s National Day and 30 years of RP-Russian diplomatic relations.

Joey Soriano, marvelous emcee, enunciated with utmost clarity even the tongue-twisting names of the Russian performers.