Review | Pianist Alexander Ullman’s Rach 3 with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta skilfully brings out the concerto’s emotional depth
- Young British soloist shows technical mastery of the difficult concerto and conveys well its emotional range, but Hong Kong Sinfonietta lets him down somewhat
- They excelled in Arvo Pärt’s tribute to Benjamin Britten, but their rendition of Brahms’ Symphony No 4 under guest conductor Ola Rudner lacked sophistication
In Scott Hick’s 1996 film Shine, the late Sir John Gielgud’s character posits that “no one’s ever been mad enough to attempt the Rach 3”, to which Noah Taylor, as the pianist David Helfgott, replies: “Am I mad enough professor? Am I?”
The film popularised anew Sergei Rachmaninoff’s third piano concerto while highlighting the work’s profound technical challenges and overwhelming emotional drive.
The 30-year-old British pianist Alexander Ullman is among the latest to be “mad enough” to take it on. Performing the “Rach 3” in Hong Kong on November 20, he rose above its technical insanity and produced a nuanced performance that was confidently executed.
Ullman’s interpretation measures up well against Rachmaninoff’s own performance of the work recorded in 1940. His first movement was less hurried, and the British pianist is a master technician who produced rhythmic crispness in the intricate passages and bold plunges for the powerful surges elsewhere.
Beyond his technical acumen, Ullman truly brought the piano to life – imitating the sounds of a human voice at times, and delivering a colourful spectrum of the most profound emotions.
It was a grave pity that the orchestra was not alert to these sensitivities. They did not seem to fully respond to the directions from guest conductor Ola Rudner either, resulting in a limited dynamic range, some lacklustre rhythmic execution and substandard blending.
