6 Moments Musicaux

Description

For every pianist, interpreting Pictures at an Exhibition represents a double challenge. The first is certainly technical in nature, but it is not the most important. The second lies in the delicate recreation of the different atmospheres. Are these the various scenes of a "wordless" opera? The slightest deviation in breathing between the movements, any illogicality in the construction can annihilate the dramatic progression of the whole. Jean-Philippe Collard's version stands out for its fluidity and wonderful naturalness. He constantly renews his touch, thinking of Pictures at an Exhibition... in its orchestral nature. The artist never seeks to overdo it, painting each movement with imagination but sobriety, always mindful of balance. Thanks to this sense of narration, Baba Yaga and The Great Gate of Kiev hit the mark. This overflowing energy recalls a certain Horowitz, with whom Jean-Philippe Collard forged a beautiful friendship during those crucial years when artistic maturity is formed. Composed in 1896, the Six Moments Musicaux testify to Rachmaninoff's melodic genius. In these pages, he pays tribute to several Romantic composers, foremost among them Franz Schubert, the author of a series of Moments Musicaux. Slavic melodies, wild rhythms, meditations, or memories of the power of the orchestra merge in these pieces by the Russian composer, which evoke more impressions than places or characters.