Piano Concertos
Piano Concerto in G Major by Ravel (1875-1937) and Piano Concerto no. 5 op. 55 by Prokofiev (1891-1953) clearly belong to two different piano worlds, were it only for the nationality of the two composers – one from France, the other from Russia – or for the formal structure adopted, Prokofiev innovating with his five movements while Ravel preferred to adopt a more traditional tripartite structure. Nevertheless, in spite of these divergent characteristics, a number of points in common, such as historical and aesthetic similarities, seem to bring these two works together.

In effect, these two piano concertos in G major share a great deal more than a same key, as both were created in 1932 – one in Paris and the other in Berlin – and since they mark the end of a genre for the two composers. Ravel was to compose only two piano concertos while Prokofiev composed five. Another interesting similarity is that the composition of these two concertos, both Ravel’s and Prokofiev’s, took place after a concerto was written for the left hand dedicated to the one-armed pianist, Wittgenstein. We all know Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand, but too often forget Prokofiev’s Fourth Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. The reason for this is simple: the work was never played by Wittgenstein, who acknowledged receipt of the order by the following note: “I thank you for the Concerto, but I don’t understand a note of it and will not play it.” Another point in common between the two works is the titre. As we know them today, the titles of these two concertos were not the first choices by the composers, since Ravel initially contemplated Divertissement, while Prokofiev was rather inclined towards Music for Piano and Orchestra.

These titles, which were later abandoned, are quite significant of both Ravel’s and Prokofiev’s state of mind at the time the concertos were composed, reflecting a general mood the composers sought to convey. By seeking to abandon the title of concerto in order to distance himself from the dramatic image with which the concerto has too often been associated, Ravel evoked the joyful and lively spirit of Mozart’s and Saint-Saens’ concertos, declaring “that the music of a concerto can be gay and brilliant and need not aspire to profundity or aim for dramatic effects….” Whence the final choice of the title. Also trying to distance himself from the ponderous harmonies and the rhythmic complexities of his first concertos, Prokofiev attempted to find what he called a “new simplicity” in writing this work.

The simplicity sought, just as the gay and festive side, reflect the Parisian Zeitgeist of the 1930s. These years between the two World Wars, influenced by the aesthetic theories of Jean Cocteau in his Cock and Harlequin as well as by the music of the members of the Group of Six and that of Stravinsky, had the following motto: simplicity, clarity and pleasure. It is thus not surprising that the music of Ravel and of Prokofiev was influenced by this “spirit of the times,” since both composers were very close to this artistic universe. Ravel was French and Prokofiev was staying in Paris at the time he wrote his concerto, not to mention his friendship with Francis Poulenc and his admiration for the works of Darius Milhaud.

Performed on 14 January 1932 in Paris by Marguerite Long and the Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux under the direction of Ravel, Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major includes three movements. The first, Allegremente, imposes its energy and festive inspiration right from the first bars. The gaiety desired by Ravel is fully present in this movement, which causes rhythmic passages and melodic lines with jazz-like contours to succeed one another at a sustained pace. The listener will sometimes recognise passages directly influenced by Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, but without ever forgetting the poetry and touch of the French master. The second movement, Adagio assai, is the most meditative of the three and also the barest harmonically speaking. Only the piano can be heard for the first thirty-three bars, before being discretely joined by the orchestra. The simplicity of the melodic line provides this movement with all its beauty and creates a true contrast with the previous one and the one to follow. The third and last movement of the concerto, Presto, is quick to make us forget the climate of melancholy of the previous movement and brings us once again back to a frantic rhythm. Lively, concise and not lacking in humour, this finale, under the rumbling of drums and trumpets, immerses the listener in the burlesque and light spirit so much sought by Ravel.

The premiere of Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 5 op. 55 in G Major took place on 31 October 1932, only a few months after that of his French colleague. It was in Berlin under the direction of Wilhelm Furtwängler and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra that Prokofiev himself performed his last concerto. Built on an unusual structure despite an aesthetics that is on the whole rather classical, Concerto No. 5 includes five movements, beginning with an Allegro con brio. With an abrupt and simultaneous departure of the orchestra and the piano, it gives way to a more melodic passage conducted successively by soli and tutti, maintaining a certain overall homogeneousness. Poulenc said of the concerto that “the piano fit in closely with the orchestra and, so to speak, never played alone.” This simultaneous dialogue between the piano and the orchestra continues in the Moderate ben accentuato from which, however, there emanates a certain clarity thanks to pianistic virtuosity. The third movement, Allegro con fuoco, lays down an impassioned rhythm right from the beginning. In the form of a toccata, this central movement glitters with its dissonances that fuse all the parts together. Short and incisive, this movement soon gives way to a lull when the Larghetto, calm and meditative, appears. This fourth movement, characterised by orchestral simplicity, contains even so a dramatic tension that will be abandoned only with the first notes of the fifth and last movement. Lively, dancing and with popular rhythms, this finale, with its harsh accents, restores a luminous and limpid humour to the work.

The two piano concertos, which flow from clarity, simplicity and simple pleasure, immerse us cheerfully in the febrile effervescence of Paris between the two World Wars.

Three Improvisations
Ever since I started playing the piano, I have been playing this « other » music, the music that finds its own way out of the writings and the scores, this so-called « improvised » music. Whether or not based on a theme, I have always felt the need to play whatever is going through my mind, what is directly emanating from my imagination, from my fingers.

The three improvisations on this disc, Reveal, Progression and Return, are naturally based on the concertos by Ravel and Prokofiev. Thus one will perceive the melody from Ravel’s second movement in Reveal, and certain harmonies from the fourth movement of Prokofiev’s concerto in Progression and Return. Could these perhaps be classified as some sort of rereading, of Harold Bloom-like « misinterpretations » of these two concertos ?

After Mikhail Pletnev asked me to complete the disc with improvisations, the Grand Hall at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow was reserved for a recording session. This magnificent hall was empty all but the piano, the microphones, and some friends spread out throughout the auditorium: this was the unusual, nocturnal ambience of these few hours, during which I was able to explore my imagination, to escape from myself… in short, to play.

Improvised music is probably the most « contemporary » music, in the sense that only the microphone and the tape can retain it, can conserve it… The power and intensity of this music are linked to its ephemeral nature. Without microphones, it would exist only until the final harmonics, the moment at which the final resonance fades away, and it would then disappear for ever.

Francesco Tristano Schlimé, February 2006

Mikhail Pletnev is an artist whose genius as pianist, conductor and composer enchants and amazes audiences around the globe. His musicianship encompasses a dazzling technical power and provocative emotional range, and a searching interpretation that fuses instinct with intellect. At the keyboard and podium alike, Pletnev is recognized as one of the finest artists of our time.

Pletnev was Gold Medal and First Prize winner of the 1978 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition when he was only 21, a prize that earned him early recognition worldwide. An invitation to perform at the 1988 superpower summit in Washington led to a friendship with Mikhail Gorbachev and the historic opportunity to make music in artistic freedom.
In 1990 Pletnev formed the first independent orchestra in Russia’s history. The risks of this step, even with Gorbachev’s endorsement, were enormous and it was Pletnev’s reputation and commitment that made his long-held dream a reality. Sharing his vision for a new model for the performing arts, many of the country’s finest musicians joined Pletnev in launching the Russian National Orchestra. Under his leadership, the RNO achieved in a few short years a towering stature among the world’s orchestras. Pletnev describes the RNO as his greatest joy and today serves as its Artistic Director and head of the Conductor Collegium.

As a solo pianist and recitalist, Pletnev appears regularly in the world’s music capitals. His recordings and live performances have proved him to be an outstanding interpreter of an extensive repertoire. Of a 2001 concert the London Telegraph remarked, “from Pletnev’s fingers and brain come ideas that vitalise the music and make it teem with freshness and wit. [He] made the music positively leap for joy.” The Times describes his playing as “born of a prodigious virtuosity of imagination outrageous in its beauty.”
Pletnev’s recordings have earned numerous prizes, most recently a 2005 Grammy Award for the CD of his own arrangement, for two pianos, of Prokofiev’s Cinderella, recorded with Martha Argerich and Pletnev at the keyboards. He received Grammy nominations for a CD of Schumann Symphonic Etudes (2004) and for his recording of Rachmaninov and Prokofiev Piano Concerti No. 3 with the RNO and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich (2003). His album of Scarlatti’s Keyboard Sonatas received a Gramophone Award in 1996. BBC Music Magazine called the recording “piano playing at its greatest...this performance alone would be enough to secure Pletnev a place among the greatest pianists ever known.”

As a composer, Pletnev’s works include Classical Symphony, Triptych for Symphony Orchestra, Fantasy on Kazakh Themes and Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra. His unrivalled transcriptions for piano of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Sleeping Beauty were selected, along with his performance of Tchaikovsky’s Second Piano Concerto and The Seasons, for the 1998 anthology “Great Pianists of the 20th Century”

The son of musician parents, Pletnev was conducting and learning multiple instruments as a small child and entered the Moscow Conservatory as a teenager. For Mikhail Pletnev, the artistic persona of pianist-conductor-composer is indivisible. He considers himself, simply, a musician.

“The fidelity, clarity and impact of Schlimé's SACD version makes the standard CD sound dull and opaque in comparison. Not to mention the added spatial impression of actually being in the Grand Hall of Moscow's Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where the recording was made. He also puts a knowing twist on the jazzier passages of the Ravel.
---John Sunier, Audiophile Audition

“GRAMOPHONE: “EDITOR’S CHOICE”
A shining new talent forces you to listen to these concertos anew… Here is music making to wonder at. Rarely can the two concertos have been performed with such meticulous care and affection….PentaTone’s sound and balance are exemplary and I can scarcely wait to hear such a sensitive, personal and meticulous young pianist in the widest possible repertoire.”
---Bryce Morrison, Gramophone

 Classical CD of the week – Telegraph.co.uk
“Schlimé brings flair, care and imagination, matched by the crisp, translucent playing of the Russian National Orchestra conducted by one of his mentors, Mikhail Pletnev.”
---Geoffrey Norris, Telegraph.co.uk

“Prokofiev’s Fifth Piano Concerto would challenge the greatest virtuosi, but Schlime is a star in the making and is more than equal to the work.”
---Rick Jones, The Times

“Young pianist Francesco Tristano Schlimé understands all the different facets of this music, and plays with a facile technique and a cool, clear lyricism that are just what these works seem to need. Conductor Mikhail Pletnev, himself a virtuoso pianist, accompanies with uncanny perception and precision, and the Russian National Orchestra responds with excellent playing….The sound is typical for PentaTone: bright and clear, with exemplary balances and superb dynamic range. The two-channel tracks are crisp; the multichannel ones have greater warmth and presence.”
---Rad Bennet,ultraaudio.com

“Francesco Tristano Schlimé is a 25-year-old pianist whose work has been praised for its extraordinary depth and maturity. He was born in Luxembourg in 1981 and attended conservatories in Brussels, Paris and Luxembourg before entering Juilliard. He is a protégé of Mikhail Pletnev with whom he continues to study. Schlimé has been composing since childhood and has written jazz works for solo piano and jazz ensembles. He also explores his interest in improvisation. The imaginative programme on this SACD has been well chosen to showcase all these aspects of his undoubted talent….The DSD recording is up to Pentatone’s usual high standard and captures the acoustic of the Grand Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire admirably, particularly in the surround sound layer.”
--Graham Williams, SA-CD.net

“Refreshingly, the performances are unforced and poetic rather than brilliant, and the exceptionally fine-grained recording underlines atmospheric delicacy.”
--Alan G. Artner, Chicago Tribune

Russian National Orchestra
The Russian National Orchestra has been in demand throughout the music world since its 1990 Moscow début. The first Russian orchestra to perform at the Vatican and in Israel, the RNO maintains an active schedule of touring and is a frequent guest at major festivals. Of the orchestra’s 1996 début at the BBC Proms in London, the Evening Standard wrote: “They played with such captivating beauty that the audience gave an involuntary sigh of pleasure.” By the time of the RNO’s 10th anniversary, the orchestra had been reviewed as a “major miracle” (Time Out New York) and classical music’s “story of the decade” (International Arts Manager). In 2004, the RNO was described as “a living symbol of the best in Russian art” (Miami Herald) and “as close to perfect as one could hope for” (Trinity Mirror).

Gramophone magazine listed the first RNO CD (1991) as the best recording of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique in history, and reviewed it as follows: “An awe-inspiring experience; should human beings be able to play like this?”. Since then, the RNO has made more than 30 recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and PentaTone Classics, with conductors such as Mikhail Pletnev, Mstislav Rostropovich, Kent Nagano and Alexander Vedernikov.

In 2003, the orchestra signed a new multi-disc agreement with PentaTone Classics. One of the first results of this collaboration – a recording of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Beintus’ Wolf Tracks, conducted by Kent Nagano – won a 2004 Grammy Award, which made the RNO the first Russian orchestra ever to win the recording industry’s highest honour.

Unique among the principal Russian ensembles, the RNO is independent of the government and has developed its own path-breaking structure. It is perhaps the only orchestra to have established a Conductor Collegium, a group of internationally renowned conductors who share the podium leadership.
Another innovation is Cultural Allies, which was created in 2001. Cultural Allies encompasses exchanges between artists in Russia and the West, and also commissions new works. Prominent RNO partners in Cultural Allies include Dave and Chris Brubeck, Hélène Grimaud, Sophia Loren, Wynton Marsalis, John Corigliano and Michael Tilson Thomas.

The Russian National Orchestra is supported by private funding and is governed by a distinguished multinational board of trustees. Affiliated organizations include the Russian National Orchestra Trust (UK), the Russian Arts Foundation and the American Council of the RNO.

Francesco Tristano Schlimé
is the winner of the first prize of the 2004 “Concours International de piano XXe siècle d’Orléans” (France).

He has participated in numerous festivals, and performed as soloist in many concerts in Europe, Asia and South America. He made his United States debut as a soloist in 2000 with conductor Mikhail Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra. He has since performed with the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Lille, the Chamber Orchestra of Wroclaw, the Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, and the New Juilliard Ensemble in New York, under the batons of Claus-Peter Flor, Pierre-Michel Durand, Georges Octors, Janos Fürst and Joel Sachs.
He founded the New Bach Players in 2001 and performs with the chamber ensemble as both soloist and conductor. In 2004 he presented and conducted, at the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg and the Beaux-Arts in Brussels, an original transcription/adaptation for piano and strings of Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Francesco T. Schlimé has been composing since childhood. “E pur si muove” and his “Sonnet” for viola and cello are examples of compositions in the classical style. Inspired as well by contemporary genres, he has written jazz works for solo piano and jazz ensembles. He also explores his interest in improvisation together with pianist Rami Khalifé or with soloists of the Russian National Orchestra.

He has recorded the Goldberg Variations and the complete cycle of Bach’s keyboard concertos with the New Bach Players, available from CD Accord, in Warsaw. His recording of Luciano Berio’s complete piano works has recently been released under the label of Abeille Musique in France.

Born in 1981 in Luxembourg, Francesco T. Schlimé attended conservatories in Luxembourg, Brussels, Riga and Paris before entering Juilliard School, from where he graduated, earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music. The professors from whom he has received piano training include Béatrice Rauchs, Emile Naoumoff, Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden, Jerome Lowental, Jacob Lateiner, Rosalyn Tureck, Bruce Brubaker and Mikhail Pletnev.

The depth and maturity of Francesco T. Schlimé’s musical culture enable him to combine, with unusual ease, his love for classical music, jazz, contemporary music, improvisation and composition.
Francesco T. Schlimé currently lives in Barcelona.