The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and Nemanja Radulović, under the direction of Daniel Raiskin, gave two sold-out concerts titled “Pre-Moscow Nights” at Kolarac on Friday and Saturday. The Belgrade audience thus had the opportunity to preview the repertoire to be performed tomorrow at the guest appearance in Moscow, in the renowned Tchaikovsky Concert Hall.

At the very beginning of the concert, we found the world-famous violinist behind the stage, watching the orchestra calmly behind the glass and waiting for his cue. When he finally appeared on the stage, he played so vigorously that a string broke. The experienced musician adeptly swapped instruments with concertmaster Tijana Milošević and resumed with the same ardour. Strings seem to be prone to break under Nemanja’s fingers, since it also happened in April, at his previous concert with the Philharmonic.

On both nights, the audience rewarded Nemanja and the Philharmonic with rapturous applause and cheering; in return, the star of the show, together with the Belgrade Philharmonic’s principal cellist Nemanja Stanković, performed an encore of Passacaglia by Johan Halvorsen, based on a theme by Handel. “The Nemanjas Duo” fascinated the audience by a virtuosity to be remembered. During the encore, conductor Raiskin sat with the orchestra, enjoying the two artists’ music making.

– Although this is not the first time that I’ve shared the stage with Nemanja, this time I’ve had the honour of playing in a duo with him, which makes me feel especially privileged. A great experience for which I am grateful – said Nemanja Stanković after the encore. After the performance, the smiles on the musicians’ faces showed their satisfaction. Still holding their instruments, they congratulated each other, with hearty approval from Radulović.

– We, musicians, speak through notes, through music… I cannot find the right words to describe how it feels to perform with Nemanja. It just feels right! The finest level of performance that can only be reached by great artists, when you cannot even imagine that Khachaturian could sound any different. Nemanja inspires us and reminds us each time why we love our calling so much. We are proud that such a great artist who is, nonetheless, still a down-to-earth person, is one of our own – said violinist Jelena Dimitrijević with excitement. The Belgrade Philharmonic concertmaster Miroslav Pavlović added that having a soloist such as Nemanja and an opportunity to present themselves in Moscow, the musical capital of the world, was invaluable both for the orchestra and for the country.

– Playing with Nemanja is a source of immense joy. We are leaving for Moscow with great elan, we are very well prepared and in excellent shape. The Tchaikovsky Concert Hall is like New York’s Carnegie Hall. You wait your whole life for an opportunity to appear in a hall like that – concluded Pavlović.

WE WILL LEAVE OUR HEARTS ON THE STAGE IN MOSCOW

– Philharmonic musicians love tours! These performances are special for us and give us a special motivation. Moscow is challenging, being one of the world’s major musical hubs, with a discerning and knowledgeable audience. In those moments, you leave your heart on the field, or in our case, on the stage, and the Philharmonic family feels especially united and close. There is a kind of Slavic symbolism that unites us all and we hope this special sensibility that we share will be crowned with success – said violinist Jelena Dimitrijević about tomorrow’s concert.

Neven Džodan

Taken from www.blic.rs