The Sydney Symphony Orchestra presents | INTERNATIONAL PIANISTS IN RECITAL
Sunday 30 March, 2025, City Recital Hall, Sydney
DANIIL TRIFONOV piano
MATTHIAS GOERNE baritone
Tchaikovsky – The Children’s Album
Schubert – Schwanengesang
To open the International Pianists in Recital the sensational Daniil Trifonov played a relative rarity in the concert pianist’s repertoire, Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album, Op.39. This music is Russian from start to finish. They evoke different dances from across Europe all with a musical inflection of Tchaikovsky’s homeland, songs from various countries and at times referencing religious music that has a hint of the Russian Orthodox Church as its inspiration. Trifonov played each of the 24 miniatures with exactly the right effect – gentle, then passionate, then dazzling. He made these seemingly simple pieces into a perfect arch of both composition and performance.
Following on from the performance of Schubert’s Winterreise a few days back baritone Matthias Goerne joined Daniil Trifonov in Schubert’s other great vocal collection written near the end of his ever so short life, Schwanengesang.
This was an interpretation of two great artists exploring the absolute limits of this music and all who heard it and went with them on this musical exploration were probably left wondering if they could go back to a simpler interpretation. I know that I would find it difficult to return to a more sanitised performance.
Often Liebesbotschaft (Message of love) is performed rather straight but not in this performance and the energy that brought it to life was a clear message of the power to come. Kriegers Ahnung (Soldier’s foreboding) was like a cry from the heart, full of power and deep grumbling, then lightened with singing that floated like a zephyr. When the most recognisable song Ständchen (Serenade) began there was a murmur of happiness that went across the audience. Impeccably controlled Trifonov held back to let Goerne float his long melodic phrases of Schubert’s sweet music to a text in search of love.
All the other 10 songs had so much one could comment on. Der Doppelgänger (The ghostly double) was the perfect culmination of the anguish in this cycle – its energetic delivery left the audience stunned, exhausted.
Matthias Goerne and Daniil Trifonov mined the extremities of Schubert’s music and at times it was nearly operatic. It was always amazing and thrilling!
