János Balázs & Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra

Rachmaninov’s third piano concerto only gradually took its rightful place among the most important works ever written for the piano. He composed this piece, outstanding in every area, prior to his emigration to America and at the peak of his creative career, in which he succeeds in further enhancing all the merits of his earlier concertos (structural refinement, lyricism and virtuosity). The work looks not only to the past but the future as well: the use of chromatic harmony and percussive piano scoring brought new dimensions to the composer’s oeuvre. The complete exploitation of creative opportunities diverted Rachmaninov onto new pathways when it came to writing his next concerto. Although the fourth piano concerto lacks the emotional intensity that characterized its predecessors, there is no doubting its superiority. ▪ There is little need to introduce János Balázs to domestic audiences; in him, we have a true master of the piano.