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When sparks fly between two musicians, a profound human and artistic complicity can result—and magic happens on stage. Supported by Orchestre philharmonique du Québec (OPQ), pianist Olga Kern and Conductor Alexandre Da Costa aim to achieve this alchemy in The Summit of Rachmaninoff at Montreal’s Maison symphonique on March 16.
“Playing with an orchestra is as intimate as making chamber music,” says Kern, winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn competition in 2001. “As a soloist, I listen to all the instruments and try to match the sound of the piano to that of the oboe, flute or violin. I’ve known Alexandre for a long time and I’ve often collaborated with him. When we make music together, we’re somewhere else!”
Kern and Da Costa share a deep love of the music of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky, whose Fourth Symphony OPQ will perform on March 16. Da Costa has wanted to conduct the latter’s symphonies since he was 20 years old. His passion for Tchaikovsky stems from the Violin Concerto Op. 35: “Between the ages of 19 and 40, it was my warhorse; I played it all over the world and recorded it twice,” explains the virtuoso violinist and Quebec conductor.
Da Costa possesses remarkable versatility: holding two diplomas in performance, he has played Tchaikovsky’s piano and violin concertos and conducted his fourth, fifth and sixth symphonies. “I feel a deep connection with the very romantic, generous, heroic and sometimes very melancholy feeling of his work,” he says. Curiously, Kern’s great-great-grandmother was a pianist and a good friend of Tchaikovsky. “We kept her correspondence with him, as well as photos he had dedicated to her. Some of these documents now remain in the Tchaikovsky Museum (in Russia),” she says.
Kern’s international reputation is primarily associated with her interpretations of works by Rachmaninoff, whose Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini she will perform with the OPQ. “This work reflects the composer’s mature style. It is not only beautiful, but expresses all human emotions. For me (these variations) depict a person’s life from birth to death,” she says.
The March 16 concert will be Kern’s first collaboration with the OPQ. The orchestra has been established in the Montérégie region for almost 40 years. “Our name,” says Da Costa, “is a way of unifying—of saying that we’re going to be at the service of Quebecers and that we want to share our artistic vision across Quebec.”
Translation: Madeline Boldt
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
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