CSOradio
CSOradio
Pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk says Prokofiev captured "the beauty and pain of life, especially in times of war and revolution."
Marco Borggreve
Pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk believes that to understand specific works, "it helps to be familiar with the environment and personal stresses on a composer at the time of writing."
The Ukrainian-born pianist, who will perform Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in concerts Oct. 21-23, thinks this principle especially applies to two Soviet-era composers.
"The way music can bring people of different cultures together is truly remarkable, and I would like to believe it could have a positive role in politics," he said in an interview with author Ida Lichter. "Some composers who lived under Soviet oppression went along with the government but others, like Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev, were greatly affected by the crimes and brutality perpetrated by the Soviet regime. In their music, they managed to express political dissidence, as well as the beauty and pain of life, especially in times of war and revolution."
Other composers have influenced Gavrylyuk in different ways. "Mozart brought great harmony, child-like sincerity and otherworldly purity," he said. "Beethoven taught us about his personal qualities of heroism and stoicism, and how he managed to deal with tragedy in his own life. Throughout the different periods associated with his musical development, his compositions reveal increasingly profound hope and faith in the human spirit."
Gavrylyuk recently performed the Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the San Francisco Symphony, under conductor Karina Canellakis (who will make her CSO debut in May).
“I love this piece! I think it’s beautiful," said Canellakis in an interview published by Playbill. "The middle sections have this very ethereal and eerie atmosphere that Prokofiev was able to create. Shostakovich reaches in and grabs your heart, but listening to Prokofiev is like watching a ballet, or a very enchanting old movie. He really paints a picture. And Alexander Gavrylyuk is one of the best pianists alive. He plays with so much joy and love of music, and his virtuosity is flawless."
