Wonderful moments of refinement
Well-known French musician Alain Planes performs in Kyiv for the first time
On February 25, the capital’s music lovers will have an opportunity to feel in the National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine (the cycle “Art of Piano Playing”)” the “wonderful moments of reserved refinement” – this is how French critics describe the manner of virtuoso pianist Alain Planes. Currently this master is one of the most outstanding pianists of Europe. The soloist, who received applause in the world’s most famous venues, has in his repertoire the most versatile and bright works, which he has performed jointly with other famous musicians, from Pierre Boulez and Janos Starker to Michel Portal and Peter Brook. The soiree will take place with the assistance of the French Institute in Ukraine, and the program presented by Monsieur Planes in Kyiv includes the works by Chopin and Debussy. “Enchanted, we plunge into Chopin’s dreamy atmosphere. Planes plunges into music in awe, by no means repudiating his own personality. Chopin’s music, performed by this passionate admirer of Debussy differs from all other interpretations. Listening carefully to Chopin’s music, Planes fully gives himself up to it,” the reviewer of Diapason d’Or Arte said. “Performing preludes, nocturnes, and mazurkas, Planes seems to give to the composer his whole demanding and tender soul, his manliness and poetic imagination. The stylistic perfection and purity of the tone are just impressive. It seems that Frederic Chopin himself is here, among us, he is living and plays his own music,” Le Nouvel Observateur writes.
On the eve of Planes’s Ukraine tour, with the assistance of the employees of the French Institute in Ukraine, The Day interviewed the outstanding pianists via the Internet.
For your debut in Kyiv you have chosen works of romantic Chopin and impressionist Debussy. Why does the creative work of these classical composers attract you?
“They discovered an absolutely new and very original technique of playing the piano.”
How do you perceive the new music?
“With great interest. I have an opportunity to work with such outstanding composers as Berio, Boulez, Stockhausen, Ligeti, Rihm, Dusapin, Manoury, et al.”
Which of the modern composers attract you the most?
“Rihm, Dusapin, Manoury, Ades, Widmann and the ones I mentioned previously.”
They say one pianist’s instrument may sing, the other’s – whines and rattles. In your opinion, what’s the talent of a pianist?
“The thing is that you should forget about the instrument’s hammers and play horizontally as if you are playing on strings, whereas the process of playing the piano is vertical.”
Is time in music some special feeling for you?
“When I a play, the impression is the time passes very fast.”
What can you advise to young musicians: when working on a composition, should they use the author’s original or take a good interpretation?
“You should beware of the editions that are not close to the originals of the composer as much as possible. The original works of the composers are often perverted by ‘great performers’ who often think they are better than the composers.”
Have you ever been to Ukraine? Will you have an opportunity to walk across the capital? What would you like to see in Kyiv? Do you consider an opportunity to give a workshop for students of the National Music Academy, meet musicologists, composers, and Ukrainian pianists?
“This will be my first visit to Ukraine. It will be interesting to look at the city, historical places. Hopefully, I will give a workshop for Ukrainian students.”
