Piano recital

recital, chamber — Grigory Sokolov, an outstanding personality, will once again perform in the Concert Hall.

Grigory Sokolov, photo by Mary Slepkova/DG

Grigory Sokolov is undoubtedly one of the greatest individualists of contemporary piano music. Concerts are for him not only a meeting place with the audience, but also an almost exclusive medium of musical expression. He avoids interviews, bypasses recording studios, reluctantly reveals the backstage of his work. He arranges the recital programs himself, often keeping them secret until the last minute — as if he wanted the listening to remain an act of pure, unprejudiced contemplation.
Critics, resorting to the boldest metaphors, point to the uniqueness of his interpretations, distinguished by extraordinary focus, spontaneity and poetic depth. In his repertoire — alongside works of classics — you can find works created long before the birth of the piano: from transcriptions of medieval music, through Johann Sebastian Bach, Fryderyk Chopin, Franz Schubert, to Igor Stravinsky.
Sokolov's recitals take place in twilight, which enhances the focus and intimacy of the reception. This is not a coincidence, but an element of carefully planned dramaturgy. Faithful listeners, who have been flocking to his Warsaw performances for years, know that the real concert does not end with the last song of the program. This is followed by a separate ritual — a series of basses, constituting a separate act of musical drama. It was then that Sokolov, silent off-stage, as it were, invites his listeners to an unusual dialogue.

Bartłomiej Gembicki