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I can assure you that this season, as usual, you will only listen to high quality recordings of musicians who are at the peak of their careers, those musicians that can only be heard in Romania during the 'Enescu' Festival. So, I reveal to you, that in the next several weeks you will listen on Music Box to the new Ravel album signed by Yuja Wang, Chopin`s Preludes with the Chinese pianist Yundi and the Seiji Ozawa 80 anniversary album, which also includes works signed by Ravel.

Today we are talking about an album that appeared on 28^th August, 2015, and it was signed by the pianist Daniil Trifonov, whom we will listen to for the first time at the 'Enescu' Festival in Bucharest, in 2017, when he will perform a concert with the Munchen Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev. Daniil Trifonov, a young man who is barely 24 years old, is considered to be the main successor that belongs to the young generation of the Russian piano school. Surely, he is an exceptional pianist who has already published two albums for Deutsche Grammophon; but the one that we listened to today was his first studio album. A very ambitious project that reunites themes with variations written by Serghei Rachmaninoff (the famous Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini op.43 for piano and orchestra, Variations on a Theme by Chopin op.22 and Variations on a theme by Corelli, op.42), plus a work belonging to Daniil Trifonov himself, suggestively entitled Rachmaniana.

You will notice that this is an exquisite album that is also included in the Vote the best classical album of 2015 campaign , where I invite you to rate the albums in the competition, because only your vote will establish this year's best classical album.

Daniil Trifonov, a pianist who is barely 24 years old...

It may sound unbelieveable, but it is true that Daniil Trifonov`s recordings undoubtedly sound like the ones of a piano master, and he is only 24 years old. He started studying the piano when he was five years old. At the age of eight, he held his first concert with an orchestra ̶ he even lost one of his milk teeth during that concert. In 2010, at the age of 19, he won the 3rd prize at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, and then, in 2011, he won the 1st prize at the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv, and the most important distinction was the 1st prize and a Gold medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Let us not forget that the same prizes were won by the Romanian cellist Andrei Ioniţă, in 2015 during the same competition. I strongly believe that neither Valery Gergiev, the very soul of the competition has not forgot it, because Valery Gergiev will perform two concerts with the Munchen Philharmonic Orchestra at 'Enescu' Festival in 2017. The soloist of the first evening will be Daniil Trifonov ,while on the second evening, it will be the cellist Andrei Ioniţă.

In 2013, Daniil Trifonov made his first appearance at the Carnegie Hall and signed a contract with Deutsche Grammophon, which edited the recording of his first recital on the album we heard on Radio Romania Music, too.

It has been rightfully said about Daniil Trifonov that he is the revelation of his generation. His extraordinary technique and the coexistence of demonic and angelic aspects in his performance has been discussed, because he has the capacity to move on from the most tense forte moments to an airy piano sound, almost instantly. He is considered to be the one who continues the great Russian piano school. Trifonov himself mentioned that he had been inspired mostly by the recordings of the piano legends from the beginning of the 20^th century: Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Cortot. Among the contemporary pianists that inspired him are Martha Argerich, Grigory Sokolov and… Radu Lupu.

Rachmaninoff and An American Tradition

The main interest of this album, which includes Rachmaninoff's Variations, is the famous Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Op.43.

In the video you can see the protagonists of this audio recording: the pianist Daniil Trifonov and the conductor Yannick Nezet Seguin, who leads the Philadelphia Orchestra. Yes, he chose Rachmaninoff for a reason: the Philadelphia Orchestra collaborated with Serghei Rachmaninoff a lot after his emigration to the United States. Rachmaninoff's influence upon this orchestra is still noticeable. Trifonov and Rachmaninoff are very alike, as Yannick Nezet Seguin noticed, as they are both Russian pianists who moved to America. Moreover, Trifonov is a pianist who understands Rachmaninoff`s music perfectly.

This is entirely true. I believe that this audio recording of the Rhapsody Op.43 by Rachmaninoff is a memorable contemporary performance signed by Daniil Trifonov and the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nezet Seguin. You can listen to the famous 18^th Variation, which is based on the theme of the movie Somewhere in Time: such melancholy and emotion can rarely be found these days.

Trifonov, the Composer

For Daniil Trifonov, this 24-year-old exceptional pianist, to be a performer is not enough. He has been writing his own works, too, since he was a teenager. In 2014, he presented a first audition and his first concerto for piano and orchestra. His composing is not only a collateral part of his life: between his numerous obligations as a soloist, Daniil Trifonov also makes sure he spends time taking Music Composition courses at the Cleveland Institute of Music, but also creating music.

That`s why I believe it was compulsory for Daniil Trifonov to include a score composed by himself on his first studio record. It is a homage brought to Rachmaninoff, called Rachmaniana, and it also has an impressionistic language.

The Rachmaninoff album signed by Daniil Trifonov can be listened to on Monday, 28^th September at 19.00. The rerun of this programme will be broadcast on Sunday, 4^th October, at 13.05.