Great Pianists in de Kleine zaal: Roman Borisov with Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and more

Roman Borisov

As the youngest participant, pianist Roman Borisov won first prize at the Kissinger KlavierOlymp in October 2022. The jury spoke of a very musical, intuitive and structure-conscious interpretation of Beethoven and Rachmaninoff, among others. At the conservatory in his native Russia, Borisov was taught that you should primarily absorb art and books, go to the theater, and be inspired. Good technique alone is not enough to be able to make music. Borisov has taken this wisdom to heart.

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff

The Czech composer Paul Wranitzky conducted the premiere of Beethoven's First Symphony . The twelve variations that the twenty-six-year-old Beethoven wrote on a theme by Wranitzky carry the promises that were fulfilled in the later Diabelli Variations . Beethoven had a more positive outlook on life than Rachmaninoff, who wrote about his First Piano Sonata : 'No one will ever play this composition. The piece is too difficult and too long...' Fortunately, things did not go so badly with this sonata based on Goethe's Faust .