Concerto for An Elephant: ‘Merciless’ Audience Would Not Let Soloist Go
The local newspaper ‘Westfalenpost’ raved at Sergei Babayan’s latest appearance with Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Hagen Philharmonic Orchestra. “The merciless audience,” the newspaper writes, “would not let the soloist go until he played an encore.”
"The 'Concerto for an Elephant,' as Rachmaninoff himself called his Third Concerto, is not only one of the ultimate challenges for any pianist, given its immense technical demands, but also demands a feat of strength like an Olympian for 40 nonstop minutes. A circus-like spectacle, for which the renowned pianist Sergei Babayan, experienced in Rachmaninoff, was engaged as the ideal interpreter. With his physical strength and pianistic perfection, he poured the mighty floods of sound, cascades, and runs over the audience like a restless pressure wave. This allowed him to mostly assert himself against the large orchestra, which, under the direction of General Music Director Joseph Trafton, remained collegial and still brought out the symphonically rich sound of the orchestral part.
“Babayan, with his physical strength and pianistic perfection, poured the mighty floods of sound, cascades, and runs over the audience like a restless pressure wave.”
Triumphant Ovations - The audience celebrated the soloist in particular, with triumphant ovations and relentlessly demanded an encore after the exhausting forced march. A request he fulfilled with a tiny, extremely simple, and delicate miniature."
Babayan at his earlier triumphant appearance in Gdansk