A Prokofiev Feast With Iván Fischer by Prokofiev, hAo 14 Feab 2025, Ó (2025/2025), Seoltóir Iván Fischer, Kölner Philharmonie, Cologne, Germany

Sergey Prokofiev’s tremendous versatility can be appreciated only when multiple works of his are heard side by side. This concert by the Concertgebouw Orchestra under the direction of honorary guest conductor Iván Fischer is the perfect opportunity. The Overture on Hebrew Themes is friendly, playful and folkloric. By contrast, the Piano Concerto No. 2 features all the shock effects that made Prokofiev famous. The music is like that of a wicked fairy tale, but can also be heard as the missing link between Rachmaninoff and the brutal ‘machine music’ of the 1920s. The work is rarely performed live owing to the extremely difficult piano part. Nelson Goerner is one of few to venture such a performance. Hearing the Argentine pianist in concert is invariably an unforgettable experience. With the ballet Cinderella (based on Perrault’s ‘Cendrillon’), Prokofiev proved himself a worthy successor to Tchaikovsky – and was even heralded as ‘the new waltz king’ by a Russian critic at the time. Performed less frequently than Prokofiev’s earlier ballet Romeo and Juliet, it nevertheless features the same compelling blend of elegance, whimsy and magical orchestral colour. Prokofiev himself claimed it contains some of the best passages he ever composed.