On the 30th of October, at L’Almudí, València
Imagined in Massarrojos (València) and finished in Madrid (January 2021), Imatges is a collection of three pieces which were inspired by famous landmarks in the city of València and its surroundings, and by the sensuous poetry of Vicent Andrés Estellés (Burjassot, 1924 – València, 1993). Each of the pieces pays homage to a 20th century composer: Henri Dutilleux, Xavier Montsalvatge and György Ligeti.
The piece received its premiere in the Semifinal round of the Iturbi Competition, where the full triptych was performed by the ten semifinalists.the order in which the pictures are to be played.
Imatges
I. Cant i Espai, Pedra i Llum (Song and Space, Stone and Light)
This piece is inspired by the city’s Cathedral and its neighbouring Plaça de la Verge (the Virgin’s Square). Echoing the Cathedral’s amalgam of various styles, Cant i Espai grows and develops in parallel to the evolution of Western polyphony. It starts with an intervallically modified version of the Gregorian chant Ave Maris Stella (Hail, Star of the Sea), which serves as a basis for polyphonic transformations. After reinterpreting Romanesque and Gothic techniques, the music portrays the impression of entering the Cathedral, the immensity of the empty space and the light created by the huge Gothic lantern (the Cimborri, with its thin marble-leaves in its glass windows, which bath with a distinctive, milky light the whole space). At the end, as the listener is standing in the middle of this imagined musical space, the sound of a small, distant bell is heard, coming from outside the building.
II. Platja i Nit. Albà. (Beach and Night. Albà.)
This second piece is inspired by the Malvarrosa Beach, the city’s iconic urban beach (famously portrayed by Sorolla in numerous of his paintings) and by L’Horta (the historical farming area around the city of València). The music takes the main melodic material from the Albà, a traditional vocal form developed in L’Horta to accompany religious festivities, and which is sung all night until dawn (Alba) arrives.
III. Aigua i Alabastre (Water and Alabaster)
The final piece of the set is based on the Marble Gate of the Palace of the Marquise of Dos Aguas (Portada del Palau del Marqués de Dos Aigües). The structure of this alabaster sculpted portico comprises a bottom part with two twin sides framing the entrance (representing World elements: harvests, water, etc) and an upper, unified part which represents the heavens and which converges into an urn where the image of the Virgin is displayed as a central piece. The gestures and structure of the musical piece follow these structural elements: earthy and violent ascending canons open the piece and are strictly mirrored in the second section, but shaped into a descending, watery cascade of sounds. An airy, immaterial and silvery sounding contrasting section, finishes with all lines converging and focusing into a single, central point.
Alexey Sychev
Has established himself one of the leading pianists of his generation. He has become a laureate of more than 30 international music competitions across five continents and was the only pianist in the world who won the First Prizes at three international Liszt competitions, including 8th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition Weimar-Bayreuth, 11th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Parma, and International Piano Competition “Premio Franz Liszt” in Grottammare under the chairmanship of Martha Argerich.
In 2021, Alexey has been awarded top prize and the audience prize at the 21st Jose Iturbi International Piano Competition, Valencia.
Alexey Sychev became a laureate of Dublin International Piano Competition and Maria Canals International Music Competition in 2018. He received First prizes at the International Piano Competition Tucumán in Argentina, International Musical Competition “Dr. Luis Sigall” in Chile, World Online Piano Competition in the USA, International Piano Competition of Princess Lalla Meryem in Morocco, International Piano Competition Massarosa in Italy, International Radio Competition “Concertino Praga” in Czech Republic.
Other top prizes included Jaén International Piano Competition, G.B. Viotti International Music Competition and San Marino International Piano Competition.
Alexey was named the winner of the Pro Musicis International Award in Paris, France and became a Pro Musicis artist. He was awarded the German Academic Exchange scholarship (DAAD) and the Richard Wagner Society scholarship, as well as the scholarships from the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation and the Constantine Orbelian Foundation.
Alexey Sychev has given solo and chamber music recitals in Austria, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Israel, Morocco, Russia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Japan, Canada and the USA. Performance venues include Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Sala de Concerts of Palau de la Música in Barcelona, the National Concert Hall of Ireland, the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, Salle Cortot in Paris, Rudolfinum Hall in Prague, Musikverein in Vienna, Centro Cultural Kirchner in Buenos Aires and the National Congress of Chile.
As a soloist, he has performed with numerous orchestras throughout Europe and America, including RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, St.Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian National Sympnony, Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Chilean National Symphony Orchestra, Gulbenkian Symphony Orchestra, The Orchestra of Valencia, Granada Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Arturo Toscanini, Staatskapelle Weimar and Staatskapelle Schwerin.
Alexey has been invited to perform in various international festivals, including Salzburger Festspiele, Beethovenfest in Bonn, Gina Bachauer in the USA, Semanas Musicales in Chile, Verdi Festival in Italy and Les Sommets du Classique in Switzerland.
He released CDs at Czech Radio and OnClassical label in collaboration with Naxos of America.
Alexey Sychev graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow with the Diploma with Honors. He received further musical education at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the University of Münster, where he was awarded Konzertexamen – highest German degree in musical performance.
He is regularly invited to give masterclasses at conservatoires all over the world and as a jury member at international music competitions. His students have already received several international prizes.
