On Monday 8th March, over 60 members and friends joined a very special Zoom meeting to hear Tonbridge Philharmonic choir’s regular accompanist, the concert pianist Jong-Gyung Park, present an exclusive recording of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The recording was made in lockdown at a beautiful private home, in the version for piano four hands for TPS members to enjoy.
Instead of an orchestra to accompany her (since assembling an orchestra is rather challenging just at the moment) Jong-Gyung was joined by her husband, concert pianist Anthony Zerpa-Falcon. The arrangement of the piano concerto for four hands was completed by the composer himself, and brings new colour to, and appreciation of, the complexity of this wonderful work, especially when played with the closeness of a husband and wife team.
There may be a number of contenders for the most romantic piece of music in the world but for most of us this piano concerto has to come high up on the list. From those first insistent chords it is an unashamedly romantic piece that delivers fire and passion, along with gentle and consoling piano themes. Jong-Gyung tells us that she loves playing this piece, which she first learned at 17 and has played with so many orchestras. Before the pandemic struck there had been plans for Jong-Gyung Park to perform this wonderful concerto with Tonbridge Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the 75th anniversary season. Watch this space!
Special thanks to Silk Purse Films, David Doré, Ken Morgan, Joanna Mace, Clive & Wendy Davis