Virtuoso pianist Denis Matsuev gives concert in Minsk
MINSK, 14 March (BelTA) - Virtuoso pianist Denis Matsuev gave a concert “Classics and Jazz” at the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, BelTA has learned.
The concert was described as a musical dialogue, in which every note was addressed to the inner experience of the listener. The program featured the pieces by Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky and also jazz improvisations by Denis Matsuev.
The People's Artist of Russia himself noted, every time he sits down at the instrument, he does not know what will sound a second later. “Today's program is unusual for me: both classical and jazz. I call a large block of my solo performance ‘encores’. This is a separate genre and the main participant of today's concert. I myself provide introductions to each of these encores, because many significant things in my life are associated with them. It’s improvisation and unpredictability. My repertoire includes about 200 encores. I decide what to play at the very moment I sit down on the bench. There is, of course, some framework in my head, but it's always complete improvisation. Jazz musicians join me in the finale,” Denis Matsuev shared.
He also shared that he has had a long-standing love affair with Minsk. “Every time I come here, I receive a very warm welcome in every respect and I cherish every meeting with an audience that is very dear to me. I have many friends here, people I studied with. The stage is the greatest and best place on earth. A concert is therapy, a place where the audience can distract themselves, recharge, and discover some new emotions. I haven’t been to Minsk in ages - about five years, I think. Even though we know each other really well, that actually makes the responsibility of going on stage even greater,” the artist added.
According to Belarusian First Deputy Culture Minister Dmitry Shlyakhtin, cooperation in culture between Belarus and Russia is developing effectively. “There is always room for improvement. We see the opportunities to broaden this collaboration. The goal is to ensure that the people of both nations have access to the finest achievements of world culture, thus enabling a substantial elevation of society’s cultural standards. The cultivation of culture is the responsibility of every citizen, of all those who reside and work in this country. The impressions from tonight’s concert will stay with us for a long time,” he said.
