Interview with Vijay Venkatesh
Roger: What are some of the musical and technical challenges in Beethoven's Emperor Concerto?
Vijay: This concerto requires extreme virtuosity from the soloist. There’s still something about the orchestration of that first chord which is so pleasing and satisfying. Opening with a grand and expansive cascade of arpeggios, the pianist is immediately entrusted with the task to command with utmost confidence. The texture and sound is incredibly robust. I find it pianistically challenging enough to have to take it very seriously every time. The melodies within it are so vivid – this is a piece that we feel good listening to. We are greeted in the second movement with such ethereal tenderness and warmth in a special Goldilocks tempo that’s very personal to me – not too fast, not too slow. There is nothing in the piece that isn’t touched by a vast sense of scope. In the rapturous and hypnotic tunes, there is always something going on that causes the audience’s heartbeat to quicken.
Roger: How do you prepare for a concerto such as this one?
Vijay: Every music lover has heard of Beethoven, and amongst his most profound, famous, and beloved works is this Emperor Concerto. With such a famous piece, there is always the fear of playing the piece we all “know.” As such, the enemy of great art is playing something matter of factly – like you know it well and you’ve practiced it a lot and you present it. I don’t mean to turn the music into something it isn’t, but instead revisiting the essence of how it moves and excites us and making it palpable to those have never heard the piece. Why do we continue to listen to pieces that we already know? Because the intensity and beauty of the moment causes us to forget the fact that we know how the piece goes. It’s so glorious, incandescent, and so radiant. That’s what I’m going for each and every time.
Roger: You’ve performed all over the world as a chamber musician and orchestral soloist. What are the unique challenges and opportunities between the two?
Vijay: Both types of ensemble demand a sense of engagement, mutual respect, and flexibility. Playing a concerto with orchestra is essentially chamber music on a large scale. Working with a conductor inspires connection and trust. It’s like an exchange of life forces. Even before we meet in front of the orchestra, we can work out subtle interpretive decisions. In a smaller ensemble, we may have more rehearsals and I can communicate directly with the musicians. However a full orchestra is unmatched in breadth of sound, and a great orchestra is the dream collaboration of any pianist.
Roger: This will be your first time working with OSM. What are you looking forward to about this concert?
Vijay: I heard OSM live in their season finale at the Broad Stage last season and it was spectacular. This will be my first time with OSM, but my second time with you, Roger, and you have become a dear friend over the years. As a conductor, you are someone I trust very much in your music making and your inspired sense of direction brings out the best in me.
To learn more about Vijay, please visit his website.
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