Once more a superb pianist to be discovered : Elena Sadchikova

Last January 20, I was invited to listen to a recital by the pianist Elena Sadchikova at « France-Amériques », in a series of concerts managed by the « Ecole Normale Supérieure de musique Alfred Cortot », on behalf of the French piano teacher, Véronique Bonnecaze.

Program: R. Schumann/ F. Liszt : Widmung – R. Schumann : Carnaval op.9 – F. Liszt : Bagatelle sans tonalité – A. Scriabine : Sonate n°5

I thought this could be interesting considering the program, but it was much more than that: a first-class artist was playing! How could this tiny person give with such insight, pianism, colors and sonorities all these works? Every piece was done by heart and it is rather rare to see so much concentration and so much insight during a piano recital.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0_B_BsMh90

Mesmerized by such a talent, I proposed her immediately to meet each other, which we finally did today, a brief encounter for lunch.

She is a very reserved person, speaking some English and learning – quickly apparently – French, her reserve vanishing when speaking about musical matters. She was born in Russia 32 years ago. Her mother was a Russian folksongs singer and when she found her 6 years old daughter was playing her tunes by heart on her flute back home, she decided she would help her to become a professional musician. She spent 10 years at the Novosibirsk State Conservatory and then was a piano teacher there for four years.

She has an extended repertory from Bach to Scriabin, played all majors piano concertos (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hRvf5585NI) and even composed one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li5hRZRmgWw

When I asked her how she could play so well all this difficult pieces with even smaller hands than mine, she answered: “It doesn’t matter, it’s all in the head”… I asked her about her preferred musicians, she wouldn’t speak of living ones, but cited willingly Emil Guilels and Evgeny Svetlanov … to my own delight!  (it changes from S. Richter and C. Kleiber…).

Just a disappointment: she doesn’t know and doesn’t stand much contemporary music… That apart one can wish her all the successes her tremendous talent deserves!

A ‘little’ encore there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uyPlVT0RDE