Kirill Richter-The Sands of Time.

Kirill Richter at the Coliseum, London. Photograph by Elliott Franks

For one night only at The London Coliseum Kirill Richter an accomplished pianist and musician brought his immersive multi-media show The Sands of Time to the stage turning the auditorium into what has been described as “an ever-evolving work of art” The performance certainly lived up to that description.

The Sands of Time comprised of two parts. Part one saw Kirill Richter and two accompanying musicians Alena Zinovieva (violin) and August Krepak (cello) perform twelve musical numbers. The backdrop at the back of the stage projected changing images to match the music. From a ferocious thunderstorm to a moving engine.

The entire performance was set against a monochrome backdrop allowing the audience to focus upon the music and the rhythm without the distraction which colour may have created. A stark yet mesmerising collection of images. One of these can be seen below.

There are times throughout the performance that I watched Kirill Richter become at one with the music. I thought it was like watching someone become taken over by a hypnotist and only following where the music score commanded the hypnotised musician to go next.

Part two of the concert the trio were joined on stage by one of the leading symphony orchestras The National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan led by their chief conductor Alibek Kabdurakhmanov.

The final performance of the evening the orchestra and trio were joined by vocalist Nodira Pirmatova one of Uzbekistan best best-known performers. By the reaction and gasps by some of the audience sitting around me she’s popular and her performance was well received.