Mikhail Voskresensky – concert in Vancouver

Bogumil Pacak-Gamalski

Mikhail Voskrsensky played on May 30^th at the Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver. The venerable venue has seen many wonderful concerts and pianists over the years from all over the globe.

I have seen and listen myself to quite a few there. That was a particularly important one. Voskresensky is a pianist and musical pedagogue of particular pedigree – form the old and venerable shelf of top Russian musical tradition and school of playing. That school and tradition brought an amazing array of composers and performers that graced the world stages in the past two hundred years. The Tsars are gone, the Bolsheviks are gone – but the music survived, did not perished.

Voskresensky himself was a guardian of that tradition for many years, being not only a graduate of Moscow’s Conservatory but, at the end, a Chair of the Piano department there, himself being a student of no one other that Lev Oborin – Laureate of the very first International Piano Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland – undisputable top piano competition in the world. That school of playing is characterized by soft and very melodic flow of notes. Could I say: romantic, Slavic, like the blades of grass on Ukrainian steppes … . But don’t be surprised if you hear a thunder from the distance.

That past and a bit of history is important because of a very poignant present circumstances of the pianist. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Voskresensky decided to flee Russia, his homeland. To flee as form of protest against the brutality of this war and of Russia being the aggressor. Knowing that Putin’s Russia very much resembles Stalin’s way of strict control and protests against the government are met with harsh penalties.

And now he is here, playing in Vancouver. Vancouver Chopin Society, by the gracious actions of their main architects, Iko Bylicki and Patrick May gave me the privilege to enter the empty nave of the Cathedral and listen to Voskresenski’s rehearsal, take pictures as many as I want. Of course – thank you gentlemen.

The sounds and the bars, nothing else, not even using the pedals of the piano. Pure music dictated by the natural length of the sound and controlled by pressing another key. Right away I am taken by immense attachment to the musicality by stressing the melody of the phrases.

Naturally, it is only rehearsal, warming up. An attempt to get to know the particular instrument (and it is my personal favored – the beautiful Steinway). it’s acoustics, and finally the warming up and physical exercise of your fingers – they will do a lot of heavy lifting later. I am always admiring the physical strength of pianists and feel sorry for their swollen finger joints after a concert …

The moment comes that Voskresenski leaves the piano and disappears before the formal concert.. The main doors are opened and the seats are slowly filling up. But I already know that they are for a very pleasurable evening. Not a show, not only bravado and lot’s of musical delights and deserts. What awaits them is candlelight supper rejoicing in the love of music.. That love will hopefully conquer us all, who came to listen to it.

There was one change of program (I hate when it happens, but it is not that unusual, sadly) – originally there were two Poems of Scriabin, at the lat moment it changed to much better known Tchaikovsky.

I was looking very much so to Edward Grieg. When I think of musical Scandinavia it is always either Grieg or Finland’s sweet Sibelius.