Nikita Lukinov ……..”If music be the food of love play on ….and on” A Master on a voyage of discovery and sharing in Scotland
Some superb playing from Nikita Lukinov …what a great cook can do with an old ‘casserole’ was demonstrated yesterday in the magnificence of the Armourers ‘ Hall for the City Music Foundation. A sign of great artistry when a bauble is turned into a gem.
Debussy’s ‘Images’ book one was played with superb rhythmic assurance with fingers like limpets that could delve into the depths of this well worn instrument and find it’s soul and be able to communicate the very essence of the music to a very discerning audience.’Reflets dans l’eau’ was played with dynamic drive and scintillating washes of sound, a climax that resounded around this armoured hall before dying away to the whisper of a faded postcard full of atmosphere and nostalgia.’Homage a Rameau’ had a nobility to the sound and a purity of aristocratic bearing as it reached for the climax with scintillating streams of notes over the entire keyboard.Played with mastery and a sense of improvisation as the magic of Debussy held us in awe of such aristocratic nobility.’Movements’ was a tour de force of scintillating piano playing with a drive and technical mastery that held us spellbound for its fearless abandon.
Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ suited this hall and the piano well when played with the authority and commanding mastery of this young Russian Prince of the Keyboard. Entering with strident steps into the gallery of the Exhibition of the paintings of an unexpectedly deceased friend. Nikita playing with pointed fingers as ‘Gnomus ‘ was seen with it’s sudden changes of character of devilish intent.An astonishing final flourish was played by Nikita with extraordinary precision and commanding authority.There followed a gentle stroll to the next picture where the ‘Old Castle’ was seen from afar in all its mystery. Played with a sense of balance where the continual heartbeat in the bass was ever present as the beauty of the castle opened up with a vision of refined antiquity. A very strident walk took us to the ‘Tuileries’ with its continuous rumbustious outpouring which Nikita imbued with contrasting character with sudden moments of charm in this busy stream of sounds. ‘Bydlo’ was heard with its lumbering awkwardness and Nikita even managed to find sumptuous rich sounds hidden deep in this piano as it gradually ground to a halt. A walk on tip- toe now to the ‘Ballet of Unhatched Chicks’ that Nikita played with lightweight precision and quixotic charm.The ‘trilling’ chicks played with masterly control and architectural shape.The authoritarian voce of ‘Samuel Goldenberg’ entered without any preamble and the beseeching cry of ‘Schmuyle’ was heard with sounds of subtle refinement by Nikita until a whole orchestra opened up with imperious discussions to follow.
‘The Market Place in Limoges ‘ followed a gentle promenade before this ‘tour de force’ took off with a perpetuum mobile of extraordinary insistence and technical difficulty. Nikita not only was master of the notes but more importantly of the very character that Mussorgsky is able to depict in sound. Enormous volumes of sound and a frenzy of notes was suddenly interrupted by the austerity of the vision of the ‘Catacombs ‘as chords resonated around this magnificent hall with timeless authority, Nikita fearlessly allowing this noble instrument its voice of supreme authority. In the distance a vision is seen ‘con mortis in lingua mortua’ where Nikita with chameleonic sensitivity barely touched the keys as we listened with baited breath to this vision of supreme beauty. A final cadence spread with calm over the entire keyboard was a moment of peace soon dispelled by the appearance of Baba-Yaga.
Nikita attacking the instrument in a frenzy of passionate conviction that I doubt this instrument has ever experienced before! Gradually calming itself to orchestral murmurings and comments from deep in the bass before the final eruption of Baba Yaga again who lead us by force to the vision of the ‘Great Gate of Kiev’. ‘Maestoso con grandezza’, could Mussorgsky have known what we know now as this imaginary vision was depicted in sound with extraordinary nobility and a kaleidoscope of sounds? Bells ringing all around the instrument as the final timeless vision was set before our incredulous eyes.
A remarkable performance and a real ‘tour de force’ for Nikita to dominate this instrument and allow it one last time to ring out as it obviously had done many a year ago.
An ovation from a very enthusiastic audience allowed Nikita to play a scintillating bon bon by Tchaikovsky :’Little red riding hood’ from the Sleeping Beauty suite, in the genial transcription of Mikhail Pletnev.
Clare Taylor of the City Music Foundation presenting the concert
Nikita being congratulated by Axel Trolese all guests at the Kew Academy for their appearances in London https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2024/11/27/axel-trolese-at-bechstein-hall-mastery-and-intelligence-of-a-remarkable-artist/
Nikita Lukinov’s triumphant tour for the Keyboard Trust of Italy in Venice,Padua,Abano Terme ,Vicenza
Nikita Lukinov at the National Liberal Club ‘A supreme stylist astonishes and seduces’
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 