Hommage a Alexei Sultanov (7.8.1969-30.6.2005)
Only a few years ago the name of Alexei Sultanov remained for many professionals and music lovers connected chiefly with romantic legends about an extraordinary pianist whose talent did not blend in any way with the acknowledged frameworks of the Russian musical milieu. And now, finally, we are gradually coming to realize that indubitable fact that at the end of June 2005 we have lost one of the most ingenious pianist of the end of the twentieth century. The caliber of his talent became perceptible long before his death, most possibly, since the time of his participation in the 11th International P.I. Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998, when his phenomenal performance of Prokofiev's Seventh Sonata literally electrified and detonated the atmosphere in the concert hall and has since then remained an exemplary performance for many. As we can see, not so much time has lapsed since then, and that fact that he did not pass on to the third tour of this competition has already ceased to become in any way significant either for him or for us. Today the recording of the pianist's performances on the first and second tours of this competition provides an indubitable interest, particularly since many of the compositions presented on this compact disc have never been released before in his performance.

Alexei Sultanov studied in Tashkent with Tamara Popovich and then in Moscow with Lev Naumov. However, as it seems, the determining factor in the formation of his mature manner of performance turned out to be in his conscious orientation toward the outstanding virtuoso pianists of Rachmaninoff's generation, first of all on Sergei Rachmaninoff himself, but also on such masters of the past as Joseph Hoffmann, Joseph Friedmann and Arthur Rubinstein. This explains in part his turning to Vladimir Horowitz's transcriptions: it presented a challenge to himself, an aspiration to approach the limit of his own capabilities and, possibly, even to exceed this limit. The masterful technique, brilliant temperament and extraordinary musical approach, all necessary factors for a first-class pianist, became perceivable already at the time of his performance at the 8th Van Cliburn Competition in 1989. he passed through the formative stage of apprenticeship rather quickly, as well as through the stage of experimenting, and already in the beginning of the 1990 became a mature pianist. What brings Sultanov in one category with the great pianists of the first half of the twentieth century is a spirit of nobleness and a mysteriously brought in sense of aristocratic refinement. It appears that at the core of these qualities lies a sincere, uncompromising approach to oneself and to the musical text. Listen to his rendition of Chopin and Liszt: one may disagree as much as one wishes with his interpretation of the dynamics, his unexpected accents, his agogics, which some may perceive as "out of place" and "inappropriate", but his overall interpretation of the music sounds so convincing that one cannot but acknowledge his right to perform it in such a way. The force of Sultanov's performance, the power of the psychological and volitional impulse, makes his rendition so convincing. Here, similarly to performances on the piano of Hoffmann or Rachmaninoff, there is a breath-taking freedom of interpretation present, one could sense a musical torrent, permeated with life. Such juvenile questions, as whether the performance corresponds to the composer's musical text, become entirely irrelevant by themselves. It is not this which becomes important but the opportunity itself to "immerse oneself" into this torrent, to reach its ultimate depth. At the same time there is not the least sense of "musical exhibitionism" which may arise in this performance, a feature that is not uncommon in concert performances of certain contemporary pianists. Sultanov's performance at the piano is distinct for the volitional force with which he forms his musical conceptions: there is nothing arbitrary in it, everything is fully under control, there is no emotional overflow or hysterics, but at the same time everything that he does is definitely on the fringe. Sultanov is not afraid of taking risks, of making a "wrong turn", of losing his sway. To a certain degree his performance is always an extreme experience, similarly to that of ascending mountains: yes, it is dangerous, yes, there is an extreme risk for one's life, - but if there is a confidence present in one's self, in one's own strength, then the perspective from the height becomes totally different. This is why, when listening to his rendition of Chopin, Liszt, of Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Scriabin, one becomes filled with a sense of joy at that moment when he raises us to such a level where the perspective changes drastically, - and we acquire a feeling of life brimming over in musical compositions, which have long been overplayed, and, finally, we come to perceive that this music is his, to the same degree that it has become part of our lives.

Roman Meleshin