Sands of Time is an evening of classical music with an avant-garde twist - wunderkind musician, pianist, and composer, Kirill Richter brings his music to the stage via the Richter Trio, later joined by the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan conducted by Alibek Kabdurakhmanov. Accompanied by video projections and interspersed with poetic musings, we are taken on a journey through the many varied aspects of what it means to live and feel as humans.
It is no question that Richter is an incredible talent, and wonderfully likeable when connecting more directly with the audience. Though the underlying motifs are occasionally a little simplistic, and a tad repetitive throughout the evening, overall the compositions are evocative, innovative, and a gorgeous blend of the classical and the contemporary. Some of the most thrilling moments arise in the opening number, the Mechanisms piece, and a heart-pumping orchestral climax overlayed by a virtual meteor shower! Kabdurakhmanov's conducting of the orchestra is wonderfully enthusiastic and energised, bringing life to these interesting pieces of music.
The Richter Trio themselves must be commended for their talent. Richter himself is clearly both amazingly technically proficient and emotionally connected to his work; Avgust Krepak demonstrates utter mastery of his instrument as 'cellist and percussionist in one - he pushes the uses of a 'cello to its very limits to great effect; and Alena Zinovieva gives a rousing performance on the violin, with a particularly captivating solo that has the audience enthralled. The three are so intricately in sync with one another (practically and emotionally) that their music comes to life as an entity unto itself.
Where this production could really be elevated is in its promises of immersion. Billed as a "unique, dazzling and deeply immersive" event, the reality of talented musicians backdropped by looping video doesn't quite live up to the description. Generic but beautiful, the projections do serve firmly as background art, enhancing the music being played but hardly bringing us that much deeper into it. The occasional interjections of poetic words spoken by a disembodied voice are a lovely addition, though a little lacking in consistency and purpose - could more of this help guide us through the musical journey and connect us more personally with its potency?
Though a one-night-only performance, if Sands of Time has plans for the future, it might be one to keep an eye out for!
Review: Penny Lane Photos: Elliott Franks