Interview, Dmitry Masleev

The Russian pianist Dmitry Masleev (b.1988) certainly hasn't let the grass grow since taking first prize at the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition, with debuts at Carnegie Hall, the Paris Philharmonie and the Konzerthaus Berlin confirming him as a concerto-soloist, recitalist and chamber-musician of exceptional imagination. Released at the end of October on Melodiya, his debut solo recording (which juxtaposes Scarlatti with Shostakovich and Prokofiev) went straight onto our Recordings of the Year shortlist, thanks not only to the clarity and energy of Masleev's playing but also the intriguing parallels which he draws between two superficially very different sound-worlds.

In the lead-up to his hotly anticipated appearance St John's Smith Square as part of the new Blüthner Piano Series on Thursday evening (where he'll play a programme of Liszt and Tchaikovsky), I spoke to him about his inspirations and influences, the experience of making his first recording, and the connections which he sees between Scarlatti and twentieth-century Russian composers.

The booklet-notes emphasise the strong connections which you see between Scarlatti and the two later composers on the album – why do you think his music had such a profound influence on Shostakovich and Prokofiev?

Notwithstanding the ages between these composers, I feel this connection first of all in the piano texture, with lots of leaps, strong movement, and similar articulation. Furthermore there are similar moments of contrast between very lyrical moments and toccata-like moments.

With over 500 Scarlatti sonatas to choose from, what made you settle on these five works? Do you see a particular kinship between these sonatas and the other pieces on the album?

I chose these five particular sonatas very easily – they simply happen to be some of my favorites! But, of course, I chose sonatas with different styles, techniques, and moods.

Tell me a little about your own arrangement of the Shostakovich Elegy, which appears as a bonus track on the disc…

On the day of the recording I thought ‘why not add a bonus-track to the album?’ I don’t remember why, but that day I was listening to Shostakovich’s Ballet Suite No. 3 and decided to record the Elegy. So just before I went into the hall, I made the arrangement heard on the disc, and I think the melody suits the sound of the piano beautifully.

How was the experience of recording your first album, and did you find yourself making different choices than you perhaps would in a live performance?

This was a very new experience for me, but one I enjoyed immensely and found incredibly interesting. We recorded Shostakovich's concerto relatively quickly, in just three hours, with Maestro Sladkovsky and the Tatarstan Symphony Orchestra. We decided to do big takes, to preserve dramatic ideas, which I think is a great way to approach such a work.

The solo part of my album we recorded during the night at the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory. It was an amazing feeling to be absolutely alone on this legendary stage. I am really grateful to the whole Melodiya team who enabled this to happen.

It’s a relatively unusual decision to pair a concerto and sonatas on a recital-disc – what was the thinking behind this?

The recording of the Shostakovich concerto was part of another project – the complete Shostakovich instrumental concertos performed by the winners of the Tchaikovsky Competition with the Tatarstan Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Sladkovsky. Winning the Tchaikovsky competition and recording this concerto was a great moment for me, and so I wanted to include this performance as a part of my debut album.

Has Russian music always played a central role in your repertoire, and which pianists have been your main inspirations and influences here?

Russian music has always been special to me. First of all, I feel very much at home when I play it. It speaks directly to my heart, and I just love it. And, of course recordings of many great Russian pianists, which I have listened to hundreds of times, gave me a great deal of inspiration; they gave me the power and desire to play the piano, practice, and learn something new.