This week’s Video of the week features Nobuyuki Tsujii (Nobu) in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s How Fair This Spot, Op. 21 No. 7, heard here in the piano transcription by Arcadi Volodos. The piece is taken from Tsujii’s upcoming second album for Deutsche Grammophon, devoted to the sound world of Russian Romanticism.
Originally conceived as a song, How Fair This Spot is transformed in Volodos’s transcription into an intimate yet highly refined piano miniature, demanding exceptional control of tone, voicing, and colour. Tsujii approaches the work with clarity and restraint, allowing its lyrical line to unfold naturally while maintaining a finely balanced texture—qualities that place the emphasis firmly on musical substance rather than virtuoso display.
The album pairs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, recorded with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Domingo Hindoyan, with a selection of solo piano transcriptions of works by Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, composers who played a decisive role in shaping Rachmaninoff’s musical language. Tsujii has spoken of his interest in piano transcriptions as works created by pianist-arrangers who fully understand how to draw the instrument’s maximum expressive potential.
Born in Tokyo in 1988, Nobuyuki Tsujii came to international attention in 2009 as joint winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He has since appeared at major concert halls worldwide and, in 2024, signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. His career continues to combine concerto performances with leading orchestras and an expanding discography.
You can explore the full album preview here:
Deutsche Grammophon – album preview
The complete concert from wich this performance is taken is also available on DG’s streaming platfom:
Watch on STAGE+
At the end of this article, we embed the video featured in this recommendation.
Disclaimer
We recommend this performance for its artistic value. Moto Perpetuo does not receive any benefit or commission from streaming platforms. A subscription to STAGE+ may be required to view the full content.
Subscribe to our newsletter