On Thursday he came to stay at the house where I lodge in Utrecht. He is shorter than I expected, very quiet and reserved, and looking not unlike a young Baryshnikov.
The first thing he wanted to do was to check out the piano (a beautiful mid 20th century Steinway). He rattled off a scale in thirds with his right hand - at about twice the speed I can manage with single notes, pronounced it good, then checked out his room, the internet, and went for an exploratory walk and a smoke. (I think smoking is obligatory in Russia).
When he returned he began to practice in earnest. The signs were not good. My landlady - herself a professional pianist - said "He's trying to kill my piano". At least I think that is what she said - the noise from the piano was so huge I had trouble hearing her.
Next evening he gave a concert at a small old Lutheran Church in the museum quarter.
I have been attending recitals and listening to pianists for 40 years and have heard some great playing. But nothing prepared me for this. It was ... by a long, long way, the finest recital I have ever heard. There were only about a hundred people in the hall. We may never have the privilege of hearing anything like it again.
His technique was dazzling. The rapid octaves, trills, vibrato, runs, and leaps were like a speeded up old movie and almost alien in their precision. But there was nothing machine-like about the sound, the timing or the dynamic control. Whereas most performers churn out Liszt standards as virtuoso display pieces Vitaly revealed, or created, beauty that I had never suspected to be there. The Fazioli provided by the Utrecht Casino may have helped, but I think he would still have sounded sublime on a clapped-out upright.
Here was the program:
Liszt Polonaise No 2
Sain-Saens/Liszt Danse Macabre
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No 2
Liszt Vallee D'Oberman
Liszt Waltz from Gounod's Faust
Stravinsky Petrouchka
Most pianists might try just one or maybe two of these pieces in a programme, and pray that they came off. He made them look easy. Half the audience was pianists - some pretty good ones. We just gawped at each other, mouths open. I could not decide whether to give up now, or start working twice as hard.
After the second standing ovation, we got our encore. Vitaly proved that he can do simple and beautiful too. Mulberry Girl will like this. ... Scarlatti's sonata in F, K466.
It was all so wonderful I nearly cried. (If not for the friends in the crowd I would have done).
He has another concert tonight. Same program, different venue. Sunday he is going to play for us after dinner.
There is more about him Here Watch him if the chance arises. And if a chance doesn't arise, make it happen, and watch him anyway.
