REVIEW: KIRILL RICHTER: THE SANDS OF TIME at London Coliseum 11 September 2024

‘a visual and aural treat’ ★★★★★

It is a privilege to witness a pianist and composer of such high calibre. Kirill Richter’s debut at the London Coliseum with the premiere of his work THE SANDS OF TIME is an event which goes beyond the dazzling music into a multi-media experience.  It is a visual and aural treat.

Although educated in England, Richter’s roots are in Central Asia. There is a crossing over of cultures which never loses its sense of a common humanity.   The guests of honour for the evening, presumably Uzbeks, arrived to a round of applause. This cultural event is so well supported, it is possible to forget that the show is in Charing Cross in London, rather than Central Asia.

In the first part Richter is joined by two musicians, lead cellist, August Krepak, and violinist, Alena Zinovieva. These virtuoso performances are so well-balanced allowing each of them to bring their own accomplishments to bear. The compositions are often romantic, at other times they appear to be mimicking machinery, with the cellist using his hand, and even a drum stick to create percussive sounds on his instrument.  There are also those moments when troubled times are summoned up in the dramatic and darker layers of some of the pieces.   There is an emotional wealth to the compositions which include highlights from Richter’s debut album Chronos, and the specially commissioned World Cup and Olympic anthems.

The trio look good too, all dressed in sophisticated blacks, the violinist wearing a jersey gown with its graceful folds sweeping the ground. Then the cellist with his wild hair and Richter himself being so languid and pleasant, gazing across to his audience including them in his gaze.

As if all this were not enough, the show is complimented by projection on seven full height screens and is interspersed with voice overs, featuring the poetry of  Omar Khayyam, Alisher Navoi, Babur, and Mahlarayim Nadira. Very mystical in flavour and complimenting the evocative music. 

The show is deeply immersive, the various art forms giving an holistic experience. However, audiences might be pleased to know that it is only the musicians who are bathed in the magnificent atmospherics of the projected imagery. If the constant stream and flow of these pictures become too much, there’s always the option of closing the eyes and soaking up the music. 

After the interval the curtains opened on the sight of the full orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan, with a large number of violins and cellos, being led by conductor Alibek Kabdurakhmanov. The conductor is also a terrific performer, high energy, graceful and almost dancing up on his toes at some points.

The massed strings dominate, and actually drown out the piano, which is a loss, but nevertheless the whole is extremely powerful. The final pieces bring more surprises, with percussion pounding out exciting rhythms and the introduction of a vocalist, Nodira Pirmatova. The strains of her voice are a melodious chant and flow across the rhythms of the music with a curious pleading note, not unpleasant to the ears. This lends a wonderfully original  artistic expression which reaches deep down into the soul.  This show is world class and offers an experience like no other.

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