Scriabin, Suk

My attitude towards this amazing concert programme with music by two enchanting composer – Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin and Josef Suk – is one of admiration and deep devotion on several fronts. In the case of the Piano Concerto in F sharp minor, I am above all looking forward to musical collaboration with the pianist Daniil Trifonov. There are soloists who cannot be categorised with others or be typecast in any way. They are fascinating for their absolute uniqueness. To mention another one from the past – Sviatoslav Richter was such an artist, at least for me. Today I am similarly carried away by Daniil Trifonov. I recall the amazing experience we shared performing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, and also how with the Bamberg Symphony we discovered the qualities of Daniil Trifonov’s own Piano Concerto.

In the context of my life as a musician, one might say that Suk’s Asrael is one of my “cult” compositions. Since my youth, when I was still at secondary school in my native city Brno, I have been captivated by its power and beauty, and that captivation is no less strong today – quite the contrary, it grows constantly stronger. It is perhaps above all through this work that my admiration for Suk is deepening. One hears perhaps too often about the external, personal aspects of this unique symphony, but it seems to me that one must emphasise over and over the “simpler”, but more fundamental reason why the Asrael Symphony remains so thrilling to this day: it is the masterfulness, I would even say, the genius of its music. I am firmly convinced that however demanding Suk’s serious music is, it is also exceptionally emotional, very sincere and personal, and above all, always totally comprehensible.

Jakub Hrůša