[Annotated] Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 30 (Yunchan Lim)

Unannotated score video here:    • Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 30...   Two things come to mind regarding Lim's Rach 3: first, that his understanding of the classic is complete, and he has the skill and the wit to convey as much; and second, he embraces risk as a breath of fresh air, to elevate an arguably overplayed repertoire to a breathtaking performance. His rendition is not perfect (and this video, having excluded the equally important visual element of the performance, doesn't do it justice) -- but if this recordbreaker is the starting point of an 18-year-old pianist from South Korea, then who knows how far he'll go? Annotations (some excluded due to length; especially interesting ones marked * ): 0:00 I. ALLEGRO MA NON TANTO 0:10 straightforward, no-nonsense opening. excess rubato for well-known concerto opening risks cliche 1:02 begin faster section. note how Lim weaves in and out of orchestra texture to highlight string melody; a deliberate choice sacrificing clarity at parts (which he is more than capable of) for larger structural purposes. 1:25 brings out soprano voice, pushes slightly ahead of beat to encourage orchestra to accel. 1:58 adding playful emphasis to offbeats to subtly break up longer phrases 2:46 showing off range in dynamics in the space of three bars. explosive but still connected 1st phrase (ignoring p dynamic) to soft piano last phrase 3:41 these solo piano entrances probably the most intense rubatos of the entire performance. + careful attention to shape these 1-bar phrases, some may even call it exaggeration 3:50 Lim isn't afraid to make confident, ringing entrances even in these quieter sections 4:16 dissonances are especially savored in these solo sections 5:28 * STRONG bass. a prominent feature in this performance, as will become evident later 7:11 note the LH voicing!! results in incredibly dark texture. emphasizing lower notes is pretty common, but Lim takes it to nth degree (RH almost inaudible) 8:35 * powerful, challenging climax. these block chords are difficult to play consistently with such ferocity; Lim more than manages while also pushing orchestra forward and adding appropriate velocity contrast 9:10 switches between RH and LH emphasis, again weaving in and out of orch. texture 13:16 * this is where Lim starts differentiating himself from the rest, showing off stylistic choices to complement the solo section. note the HEAVY rubato right from the start 17:05 II. INTERMEZZO: ADAGIO 19:26 note dynamic contrast between RH (soprano) and LH (tenor) 20:51 speeds right through octaves, no buildup // strong bass 23:25 ** Lim plays 8vb. strong bass++ 23:29 * this section largely foreshadows the mvt 3 climax, where primary sense of motion/urgency comes from piano 3:2 polyrhythm; while his playing is intense, Lim avoids reaching a maximum. 23:39 RH 8th notes esp. push and pull against the tempo, dragging orchestra through the crescendo 23:46 strong bass, again (not included in video but: note shaping of tenor voicing at 24:54 onward) 25:11 incredible note clarity in this section. clear foreground + background, but all notes can be heard 27:6 * again, Lim's signature zero-buildup nosedive octave runs. even most well-seasoned pianists have to ease into this section 27:48 * we start seeing hints of what Lim is truly capable of, from rapid repeated chords to breathtaking gliss-like runs 27:59 III. FINALE: ALLA BREVE - one of the faster renditions of the 3rd mvt (half = 108, peaks at 124). not the fastest (see: Argerich); but Lim's accuracy and attention to detail despite the speed is invariably impressive. 28:25 note the speed (and accuracy!) of repeated notes played in this section 29:19 * arguably one of the most difficult sections to execute (repeated block chords + almost instant bass note jumps in LH). even horowitz was visibly uncomfortable during his rendition of this section, never mind at this speed. 30:09 Lim is meticulous with his pedal choices, lifting as needed to let inner voices ring 30:19 3:2 polyrhythm again introduced as a primary motivating force 35:59 note how anticipation/suspension is esp. savored 36:56 * Lim forces complete 180 with sudden tempo change 37:48 impressive accuracy in these fast register jumps 38:02 Lim practically ignores the smaller written dynamics here, in favor of larger contrast between the first appearance of this theme 39:18 tempo peaks here, half = 160. 39:39 ** Lim rearranges these 4 bars, plays LH octave lower each bar (8vb, 15vb, etc.). last chord reaches A0. 40:01 ** the biggest moment of the performance. 40:44 Lim is practically hammering the keys at this point, but somehow his sound refuses to be harsh. 41:13 one last climax: Eb maj. block emphasized as bII of D maj, significant shift in sonority 41:27 maintains impressive clarity and speed until the end ========== Audio courtesy of The Cliburn:    • Yunchan Lim 임윤찬 – RACHMANINOV Piano Concer...   #Cliburn #Rachmaninoff #YunchanLim