Toradze Piano Studio debuts Russian Accents By Naomi Keeler // Photography Dean Cates 34
Martin Endowed Professor of Piano Alexander Toradze and senior members of the Toradze Piano Studio recently recorded the radio documentary series Russian Accents: Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and the Piano. Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the documentary was premiered nationwide by WFMT Chicago, the number one American classical music station. The eight-hour broadcast series examines the work of two famous Russian composers: Sergei Commentary from Toradze, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Conductor Valery Gergiev, and author Joseph Horowitz guide audiences through the featured recordings. Writer and producer Horowitz has worked closely with the Toradze Piano Studio since its establishment in 1991, and wrote the Russian Accents script. The goals of the piano series were to “highlight the Toradze Piano Studio and to explore some fresh dimensions of the two composers,” says Horowitz, “An unusual feature of these shows is that all the performances are ‘live’ and unedited; Horowitz. “I don’t think there’s ever been anything quite like that on the radio before.” “Lexo [Toradze] is a towering presence on the world scene; his Toradze Studio is one of the greatest teaching organizations of its kind,” says WFMT Chicago Executive Vice President Steve Robinson, who first met Toradze through Horowitz in 2009. “Horowitz is one of the greatest writers, producers and thinkers about classical music. The results have proven what a dynamic team this turned out to be.” “you don’t hear more galvanizing performances than these.” Rachmaninoff, distinguished representative of Romanticism in Russian classical music, and Igor Stravinsky, acknowledged as one of the most significant composers of the 20th century. Both composers were exiled from Russia as a result of the revolution in 1917. Burdened by memories of conflict and rebellion of their homeland, the impact and repercussions of these experiences had complex consequences on their music and performance styles. “Suffering is part of the Russian experience. It is part of my experience as a musician. Composers express what they need to through music … you don’t need to get out of your system pure happiness and joy. No, because it’s comfortable,” Toradze says. “So you need an element of discomfort, of irritation. That’s where our real difference lies – in pain.” The marathon concert series attempts to explain a fundamental area of 20th century music, crediting the original artists’ abilities while encouraging further insight and engagement of the music. you don’t hear more galvanizing performances than these.” Performing alongside Toradze were Toradze Piano Studio senior members Ketevan Badridze, lecturer in music; Sean Botkin, Vakhtang Kodanashvili, Alexander Korsantia; Edisher Savitzki, associate faculty in music; George Vatchnadze, and Genadi Zagor. The documentary adopted the marathon style of the Toradze Piano Studio, where multiple members of the piano studio perform the complete piano works of a composer. “If all these pieces had been performed by the same pianist, or by the same two or three pianists, the shows would lose a lot of their momentum.” explains Horowitz. “Ketevan Badridze’s Rachmaninoff is a lot different from Vakhtang Kodanashvili’s … the sound, the conception. And yet they are both supreme exponents of his solo pieces.” The recordings highlight the interplay between the composer’s music and the pianist’s interpretation. “Some novel features are Genadi Zagor improvising Stravinsky and a lecture demonstration by George Vatchnadze, challenging Stravinsky’s notion that his Piano Sonata shouldn’t be ‘interpreted,’” says For audiences, the broadcast series “presents new insights into the music of these great composers,” says Robinson. “Listeners will gain a new and deeper appreciation of their music.” WFMT Chicago was a logical choice for distribution, specializing in the production and distribution of classical music concerts and documentaries around the world. The documentary was broadcast by 133 public radio stations throughout the United States, Europe and other parts of the world, and to Sirius XM Satellite Radio. The Russian Accents series enjoyed the international connections and support of the Toradze Piano Studio. In addition to the NEA grant, funding for the Russian Accents series was provided by the Geraldine Martin Foundation, the Rachmaninoff Foundation, and the IUSB Carmichael Foundation. Naomi Keeler, BA’12, is pursuing a career in public relations. 33
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