On the B'Rock stage, behind the piano Alexander Melnikov in the middle of the orchestra and that for Beethoven's first piano concerto. But also for something else. For a lesson in music history. And that begins with the first few notes of that concerto until Melnikov says we shouldn't worry, we'll hear the full concerto later. Because he wants to tell us first what the word "concerto" actually means.
The celebrated pianist Alexander Melnikov follows in the footsteps of the famous conductor Leonard Bernstein who wanted to inform his audience about what they were about to hear. And audience participation is also in the DNA of B'Rock. The project was given the title "The Listeners Academy" and that started with some explanation of the word concerto. There's "contest" in it according to Melnikov, who spoke about the competitive character between the virtuoso soloist and the other orchestra members. But also about "concerting", consulting and playing together. And by way of illustration, a piece from Bach's Brandenburg Concertos followed immediately. And he went on to tell how the concerto genre gradually grew and held its ground for a long time and how the most underestimated son of Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel, distilled the galante style from it, made the baroque forgotten and initiated the transition to the first classical composers Haydn and Mozart. About this Melnikov was able to tell how Mozart freed himself from the clutches of his patron, the Archbishop of Salzburg, to establish himself as a freelance composer in Vienna. Meanwhile, B'Rock kept playing short pieces to reinforce Melnikov's teaching argument. According to him, the concert organization then entered a new phase, that of entrepreneurship, including "marketing skills" and new "business models." In just under an hour, the audience was presented with Melnikov's vision of the development of music history.
Arriving at Beethoven, there was then of course the complete performance of that first piano concerto. B'Rock sounded brisk, as always, from the start and made its name good once again. What a beautiful orchestra with its own sound. Sometimes bone-dry and measured, energetic especially, young and dynamic. Just as fiery as when I first heard them at a sparkling performance of Händel's Fireworks at some Clara festival or other, then still with Frank Agsteribbe. A style that wonderfully suits the refined piano playing of Melnikov, who also conducted the three movements of the young Beethoven concerto, sometimes together with the inspired concert master Afanasy Chupin. There was an extended cadenza in that first movement and in the rondo the orchestra almost burst out of its seams in an impressive gallop. The pianist sometimes told his own story tenderly softly, then again prominently virtuosic, playful and syncopated, swirling in any case. And what a sound came from that brand new pianoforte, not yet three weeks old! A modern replica of a 19th-century Conrad Graf piano, a favorite instrument of the great master, the American builder Paul McNulty told me.
It's such a pity that there were far too few people in that large Henry Le Boeuf hall for that fine "performance". Perhaps that's why Melnikov didn't get into his story as smoothly as, for example, Bernstein. But his pianoforte playing was grandiose without comparison. A delightful instructive Sunday afternoon full of musical pleasure and a joy to watch him at work.
WHAT: Ludwig Van Beethoven, Piano Concerto no. 1 in C, op. 15
WHO: B'Rock Orchestra with Alexander Melnikov [fortepiano, concept & artistic direction] and Afanasy Chupin [concert master].
WHERE: BOZAR, Brussel
WHEN: Sunday 26 November 2023