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On March 29 this year, as part of the 150th anniversary of Rachmaninoff's birth, DG released a piano duo album of Sergei Babayan (who studied with Babayan at the Cleveland Institute of Music) with Trifonov and his mentor and close friend.
The album includes Rachmaninoff's two "Two Piano Suites" and "Symphonic Dances" for two pianos, as well as Trifonov's own arrangement of the composer's "Second Symphony" "Adagio" movement, which pays homage to the great figure of the pianist and composer, and highlights the superb performance strength of the two pianists, and the deep understanding and high degree of relatability of the core of the work.
The Guardian once hailed Trifonov as "the unrivalled interpreter of Rachmaninoff's piano works today".
This latest Rachmaninov two-piano album has also reaffirmed the attention of Rachmaninoff's Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme and four Piano Concertos, which were recorded in 2015-2019 with the strong assistance of the Serguin and Philadelphia Orchestra, an orchestra known for its close historical ties to Rachmaninoff's music.
At the end of March this year, DG compiled these works into a set of "Beginning and Destination: Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto & Paganini's Rhapsody on a Theme", as well as an adaptation of Trifonov's popular Vocalise, which was rearranged and released at 3CD+1BA.
This allows fans to compare the overall high-quality sound performance. The album coincides with Rachmaninoff's birthday on April 1, 2024, to commemorate the occasion.
The whole recording is like a journey, providing fans with a chronicle of 20th-century musical culture. Trifonov presents Rachmaninov's masterpieces with great virtuosity and poetry, full of passion and spirituality.
When a great pianist meets an imaginative and leading conductor, paired with one of the nation's finest orchestras, Rachmaninov fled Russia, performed all over the world, and settled in the United States.
The noble, romantic, and colorful Piano Concerto No. 2 and the more complex but brilliantly completed Piano Concerto No. 4 were performed, which Trifonov played in a beautiful and carefree style. The virtuoso himself defines the album as "departure".
Trifonov, who won the BBC Music Magazine's annual Award for Best Concerto Recording, commented: "The response between the soloists, the orchestra and the conductor is very responsive. ”
The album was also named the best of the week by the Sunday Times in London and was hailed by The Guardian as "one of the releases of the year". Music critic Zeit Online wrote: "Few Rachmaninoff's recordings shine with so much energy and tension like this. ”
This is the second album in a series of Trifonov performances of Rachmaninoff's piano concertos, and it is even better than the wonderful first.
Just like the title of the previous album, "Departure", this album symbolizes "reaching the end", and the end of the whole project is called the most difficult "La Three" in the piano concerto.
Trifonov's Piano Concerto No. 3 is a display of virtuosity, energy, passion and at the same time a unique character.
The lesser-performed Piano Concerto No. 1 was also brilliantly completed, and the performers themselves were clearly fascinated by its lesser-known charms, so those who listen to this album will also be able to appreciate it.
Under the bold baton of Yannick Neje-Sergon, the Philadelphia Orchestra also graces this remarkable masterpiece – they are Rachmaninoff's near-perfect interpreters.
It is worth noting that Trifonov's solo piano recitals are equally wonderful, and his extraordinary creative prowess is evident in Rachmaninoff's "Vocal Practice", which is an arrangement by Trifonov himself.
As a young man, Trifonov drew inspiration for Rachmaninoff's own recordings.
Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is based on Paganini's Caprice No. 24, and unfolds 24 variations on a musical theme to evolve into a magnificent piano "showmanship" divine comedy.
Among them, the 18th variation is the most impressive, the tempo suddenly slows down, a tender piece is played slowly, and the piano is played with this simple and pure, even more beautiful and moving, in a gradual way to push the enthusiasm to a climax, becoming another "masterpiece" of popular romantic music.
In 2015, at the age of 24, Trifonov brought this to life in a convincing manner, showcasing his effortless, incredible playing skills and musical maturity beyond his years.
His handling is quite intellectual, with a near-perfect balance between the ornate, plump, and realistic piano and orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra's silky strings and characterful woodwinds delight, and the percussion instruments that are just the right amount of power without being over-exaggerated.
Time Magazine (London edition) commented at the time: "Rachmaninoff's work is difficult to convey the stormy character of the work itself, except for the composer himself, and the 24-year-old pianist has done it!" ”
Daniil Trifonov, named after winning the gold medal at the Tchaikovsky Music Competition, is a very charismatic pianist in the piano world today, born in a musical family, and perfectly inherited the mantle of the Russian piano school.
The Washington Post once put it: "Listening to Trifonov's music is like a deep massage: you always want to break free from the tension of his music, only to find that your real world seems to have changed." His recitals leave an indelible impression. ”
Trifonov's choice of individual free tempos and his dedication to minor phrases sometimes lead to disagreement, but it is acknowledged that no matter what kind of music is played, he will put his musical talent and technical excellence entirely at the service of the music itself.