Prokofiev’s 2nd Piano Concerto

The chandeliers of the Большой зал филармонии in St. Petersburg.

I must say that this is one of my very favorite pieces of all time — Prokofiev’s 2nd Piano Concerto — played in my favorite music venue, the “Big Hall” (Большой зал) of the Petersburg Philharmonic. I’ve been going to concerts there for around twenty years now, and many have been extremely memorable. Just being in this gorgeous hall is a delight — if you are ever in Petersburg, go to a concert there, even if you’re not a huge fan of classical music — you may become one after seeing it performed live like this. Ideally, of course, you’d catch a big Russian piece, like a symphony or piano concerto. During intermission you can check out some exhibits about the history of the venue — especially about Shostakovich and his “Leningrad” Symphony (about which more later!). At some point I’ll post a few photos of the Большой зал.

The concerto is performed here by Russian pianist Denis Matsuev (Денис Мацуев), conducted by the venerable Yuri Temirkanov (Юрий Темирканов).