Volodos didn’t Play a Barcarolle on the Water

 

Critics’ choice was Arcadi Volodos´ Liszt recital on Sony, considered a stunning piano sensation in 2007. The recording session was held at the Berlin Teldex studio, which isn’t a particularly intimate venue, and thus the listener has the impression of a champion pianist playing for his own pleasure in a large recital room.
This video pick, however, offers a different acoustic setting altogether, with the grand piano on a boat in the Amsterdam canal. The water level placement of the instrument, the crowds seated all around, and the surrounding townhouses are clearly audible.

Arcadi Volodos performs Liszt´s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 at the Prinzengracht Concert in 2001:

 

 

 

What was once a free festival of classical music presented on the canal bank in front of the Hotel Pulitzer in Amsterdam has expanded into a five-day programme consisting of approximately 90 concerts attended by some 50,000 visitors each year.
Named after the canal on which it is performed, the Prinsengracht Concert has its focal pointon an open pontoon moored in front of the hotel. Crowds arrive on foot and by boat to savour chamber music drifting on the early evening air.
Organised by the Pulitzer Hotel, the performances by renowned musicians take place on the banks of the canal, on boats and on various bridges over the canal. The waterside trees are illuminated, creating a magical effect for the event. An alternative indoor venue is available in case of bad weather.