Concert Review: NZSO with Simon Trpceski

Simon Trpceski. Photo / Supplied

When Simon Trpceski made his debut with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra three years ago, he gave us Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the impetuosity and zeal of a youthful athlete.

Next week, Prokofiev's Third is the allotted concerto and, although the Macedonian pianist jests that "it has a lot of notes which make my life very difficult", I suspect we can expect a seamless blend of art and athletics.

When we chat, Trpceski has yet to meet Pinchas Steinberg, but he hopes the Israeli conductor will agree that, above all, Prokofiev needs a light touch.

"People so often point out the steel-like energy of Prokofiev's music and his aggressive style," Trpceski explains.

"However, this concerto is also full of joy and humour - after all, it was written during a more or less happy period of his life.

"And people forget that melody was so important to Prokofiev, especially in the second theme of the final movement."

I am talking to a man who feels that tune is what music is all about, an attitude Trpceski can trace back to his Macedonian childhood.

"My first love was the accordion," he recalls. "I used to spend every other night gathering together with family and friends, dancing and singing and playing. This helped me so much to appreciate the natural power of the lyrical.

"Now when I'm practising classical music, I find it an enormous help to sing through the themes; it's the most authentic way of feeling their shape."

Visit Trpceski's website and you will find it headed by the Latin proverb, "Per Aspera Ad Astra".

"This means 'to the stars through difficulties or struggle'," the pianist explains.

"It's something my father taught me as it was very much his life story, working his way from a small rural village to the capital, Skopje, where he went to law school and eventually became a judge.

"It was also a struggle for me in the beginning. Our country was in a state of transition with limited resources. I'm very aware of the success I've achieved, coming from such modest beginnings."

Trpceski's first taste of success came in the 2000 London International Competition. He was given second prize, but the general consensus was that the young Macedonian deserved to have won. A succession of fine recordings on EMI followed, featuring the music of Rachmaninov, Chopin, Scriabin and Debussy.

These days, Trpceski is more keen to talk about his most recent CDs on the smaller Avie label, where he is in the illustrious company of musicians such as Trevor Pinnock and Imogen Cooper.

Last year's coupling of Rachmaninov's Second and Third Piano Concertos was awarded gold by the French Diapason magazine and a superb second disc of the First and Fourth Concertos, with the Paganini Rhapsody, has just appeared.

Trpceski has enjoyed the partnership with conductor Vassily Petrenko, who is also touring with the NZSO in a few weeks.

"I'm so sorry we're missing one another," he says. "And the Rachmaninov Fourth is going to be played by a New Zealand pianist.

"Vassily is just amazing. We both come from the Russian school. I had Russian teachers who had moved to Skopje; he's from St Petersburg.

"We don't like to mess around with the score," he laughs.

"The important thing is just to bring out what the composer is saying in the music."

I press Trpceski for his favourite of the Rachmaninov Concertos and it turns out to be the First.

"The melodies are breathtaking. I adore it," is his immediate response.

"Rachmaninov wrote it when he was 19 and, even though he revised it later, this music comes straight from the heart of a young composer."

Performance

What: NZ Symphony Orchestra with Simon Trpceski

Where and when: Founders Theatre, Hamilton, Thursday at 7.30pm; Auckland Town Hall, Auckland, Friday at 7pm

On disc: Rachmaninov, Piano Concertos 1 & 4 (Avie, through Ode Records)