From Debut to Return: Alexander Gadjiev at the 87th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
On Thursday, May 15th at 8 pm, Alexander Gadjiev returned to the Maggio Festival stage, performing Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor with the Maggio Orchestra. He had previously made a remarkable debut at the festival during the 86th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in June 2024, conducted by Zubin Mehta, where he performed Chopin’s Concerto No. 2. The concert also featured the debut of maestro Timur Zangiev as conductor of the Maggio Orchestra in the Sala Mehta, with a program rounded out by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B minor, op. 74, “Pathetique.”
Below is the review by Fabio Bardelli from OperaClick:
"The “steel hands” required for this fascinating Concerto No. 2 are, in this case, those of Alexander Gadjiev, a pianist with solid technique already known to the Florentine audience. The soloist, grappling with such a complex and difficult composition, seems intent on highlighting its softer side, which is indeed present: he seizes every opportunity the score offers to delve into its hidden lyricism, seeking refined accents, phrasing, and colors. Naturally, drawing on his technical prowess, he does not hesitate to display the virtuosity necessary to master such dense and particularly challenging writing — even if at times Zangiev’s vehement (though little short of sensational) accompaniment seems to overpower him."