Huelva-born pianist Javier Perianes has embarked on a major project: recording Beethoven's five piano concertos for the Harmonia Mundi label. The initiative is taking place at the Palau de Les Arts in Valencia, coinciding with the approaching bicentenary of the Bonn composer's death. Perianes not only plays but also conducts the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana from the keyboard, a technique known as play-conducting.
The technical challenge of conducting and playing simultaneously 🎹
Play-conducting demands millimetric synchronization. Perianes must coordinate his own fingering with the entrances of each orchestral section, without the help of an external conductor. This requires a deep knowledge of the score and constant non-verbal communication with the musicians. For this recording, a specific arrangement of the orchestra on stage has been used, optimizing the hall's acoustics and allowing the piano to act as the central axis of sound direction.
The odyssey of being your own boss on stage 🎭
Imagine having to give directions to sixty musicians while trying not to mess up your fingers. That's play-conducting: multitasking in its purest form. Perianes becomes a conductor who, instead of a baton, uses the keys. If something goes wrong, he can only blame himself. Good thing there's no mirror on the music stand, or he'd end up scolding his own reflection for not coming in on time.