Updated State Orchestra of Athens Continue in the same spirit. After the 80th anniversary concert, on February 15, the famous Russian pianist performed in the Christos D. Lambrakis Hall Mikhail Pletnev as soloist in his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Sergei Rachmaninov. Then, under the musical direction of Lukas Karitinos, the orchestra performed one of the most popular symphonic poems in the repertoire, The Life of a Hero by Richard Strauss.

The 24th Capriccio by Niccolò Paganini is one of the most popular works in the repertoire, but at the same time one of the most influential, as it has inspired many other works at different times. The indicative list includes no less than sixty works by composers, from Chopin to Turkish pianist and composer Fazil Sy and Briton Andrew Lloyd-Webber, inspired by this particular capriccio. Among the most famous is Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody, written in 1934. It is truly amazing how the Russian composer transforms the nervous and sparkling theme, so characteristic of Paganini’s style and aesthetics, into a theme correspondingly characteristic of his own work: the broad nostalgic theme and sweeping lyricism of the 18th of the 24 variations of Rhapsody were identified in the public consciousness with the musical identity of Rachmaninoff.

The Russian pianist was known for his virtuosity as well as his fine gradation of nuances.

Needless to say, this music is quite familiar to a Russian pianist of Pletnev’s caliber. The outstanding pianist performed with airy virtuosity as many Variations as required, but above all he distinguished himself by the fine gradation of nuances in the more lyrical Variations. And, of course, he had the size of the sound and, above all, the aesthetics that Rachmaninoff’s music requires in terms of phrasing.

The impressive orchestration of A Hero’s Life can highlight the merits of a symphonic ensemble, but it can also reveal its shortcomings. A Hero’s Life is no stranger to working at Kratiki, and this time, aside from the disturbingly awkward first few minutes, it was delivered successfully. Perhaps more astonishing were the strings, on which much of the music’s lyricism is based and its particular mood, creating a spiritual euphoria that only Strauss could achieve. A gift in the hands of Karitinos, who made the best use of the coordinated and full sound of the strings to plastically shape phrases and vast melodic arcs. Axios and the new conductor of the orchestra, Apollonas Grammatikopoulos, who performed the solo parts with a safe and expressive sound. Successful, as almost always, were individual performances of woodwinds, but this time also of a wind ensemble, including horns. The tonal orgy was completed with four harps, contributing to the transparency and airiness requested by the composer.