Review of Kirill Richter’s ‘The Sand of Time’: “The gripping charm of innocence”

The internationally acclaimed pianist and composer landed on the London stage last night, in an unique event featuring some major highlights of his career and performed along the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekinstan. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this contemporary classic rendition is however in need of jazzing up.

Music is the food of the soul, and the eyes of the heart. It’s a concept that perhaps not too many of us stop to reflect upon. But no doubt, we all understand. No matter the complexities of any piece, there’s a natural, almost primal instinct that every composition applies to. Those dormant emotions that suddenly return through the strike of the right chord. And that flaming fire that swiftly relives within ourselves, as we’re once again taken by that rare rush of energy, which only emerges through the mystical touch of art’s clout.

Yesterday’s performance at the London Coliseum was surely able to capture a glimpse of that phenomenon – which kept echoing, with unjaded strength, all through the course of the evening. Marking the debut of internationally renowned Russian composer and pianist Kirill Richter’s epic symphonic concert, The Sands of Time, the venue was submerged into the feisty enchantment of his visceral melodies – regaling his viewers with a night driven by passion, intuition and utmost sensitivity.

Preluded by his three-hander suite Chronos, played along fellow virtuoso cellist August Krepak and violinist Alena Zinovieva, the whole concert put Richter’s ear-seductive skills to the front – presenting us with a repertoire filled with uncomplicated, pleasant themes developed through a minimalist approach, where sentiment and impulse replace reason and experimentation, for the sake of a sound which, though perhaps not too daring, is always capable of enthralling while also bringing some punch all along.

Performed with absolute deftness and vehement determination, Richter’s music brings out a timeless cinematic flavour, which vigorously reverberates the style of some film legends such as Michael Nyman or Alexander Desplat – effortlessly expanding every motif through beautifully paced variations, which evenly set up a journey that grasps its listeners from the very start, and plunges them into an ocean of tuneful zealousness. Often effectively progressed, and concocting a well-structured evolution, the only issue comes through the conclusion of some of its movements – which, either intentionally or not, leaves us with a sense of irresolution through endings that, at some moments, feel as if the piece was abruptly cut rather than properly finished off.

Devised as a fully elemented theatrical jaunt, combining both storytelling and visual assets to create a consolidated stage experience, the montage manages to transport us into the poetic abstractions of its piece, but only to some extent. Though elegantly and seamlessly put altogether, there are still some quite noticeable possibilities that remain untouched for most part of the recount – generally, recurring to background animations which, though able to set up the to tone for every excerpt, do not feel completely integrated into their evolution, nor are they much able to enhance it.

Regardless of such flaws, The Sands of Time pours out enough musical allure and artistic pizzazz to be seconded as a work of distinction. Led by the temperamental zest of an imaginative ethos, Richter’s creations and interpretations, fairly complemented by Alibek Kabdurakhmanov’s fervent conducting, comprises both gentleness and exhilaration – resulting in a constantly moving puzzle which, though still in need of some honing at some bits, is anyway incredibly refreshing and fulfilling. It erects its own dawn and dusk – and in between, it glimmers by the minute.

All pictures credit to Elliott Franks.

By Guillermo Nazara