Daniil Trifonov’s recording of Rachmaninov’s four piano concertos with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra was a project long in the planning. Such is the nature of things when it comes to aligning the schedules of an internationally sought-after virtuoso, an equally in-demand conductor and a large orchestra. On this occasion, however, the complex organisation involved in bringing all the artists together was mirrored by the elaborate preparations involved in creating the unique visual concept for the two albums, later released as part of a Destination Rachmaninov complete edition.
The images chosen for Departure and Arrival were inspired by a very specific period in the composer’s life. Between November 1922 and March 1923, Rachmaninov spent much of his time in his own private railway carriage as he toured the US and Canada. Comfortably equipped with sleeping accommodation, a bathroom compartment and an observation platform, it also had space for a piano, so that he could practise whenever he wanted. It was from this unusual state of affairs that the DG team developed the idea of a railway-based theme as the leitmotif for the visual elements of this product family.
As in previous DG projects with Daniil Trifonov, New York-based photographer Dario Acosta was brought in as creative partner for the photo sessions. Acosta had established a good relationship of trust with Trifonov, making it easier for the young pianist to relax and let his guard down a little in front of the camera. The day after Trifonov’s acclaimed Carnegie Hall recital debut, the pair had created the images for his ensuing DG debut album, The Carnegie Recital, wandering through Manhattan’s urban canyons and playfully exploring the city space.
© Dario Acosta / DG
Acosta went on to produce the striking images that graced Trifonov’s subsequent albums, each of which highlights a different facet of the artist’s personality.
For the Rachmaninov photo sessions, the team travelled to the south of England in March 2018. Amid the seasonal chill and fresh breezes, they succeeded in capturing an array of hugely atmospheric pictures both outside, against the backdrop of two heritage-line stations, and in vintage railway carriage compartments. Although they show Trifonov in modern dress, the setting immediately evokes the slower pace of travel of the first half of the 20th century – this is how Rachmaninov travelled.
These previously unpublished behind-the-scenes shots of the product manager Nikki Kawamura, photographer Dario Acosta and Daniil Trifonov on set reveal just how focused yet relaxed this photo shoot was:
There were plans from the start to film a video to accompany the photos. The idea here, too, was to evoke the spirit of travel at the time of Rachmaninov’s intensive North American tours. After much searching, the perfect setting was found – the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. Its steam locomotives, pulling period coaches, reach a tranquil top speed of 12 mph (19 kph) as they chug through the beautiful landscape of the Rocky Mountains. This time operating in intense heat, the team filmed a journey between Osier in Colorado and Chama in New Mexico – a dusty undertaking, as these locomotives emit soot and cinders that are impossible to escape. Despite the difficulties, all of those working with one-man scriptwriter, director and cameraman Michael Joseph McQuilken were highly motivated, realising they were part of something special.
The star of the film is Daniil Trifonov himself, who demonstrated not only a talent for acting, but also great openness to artistic ideas outside the pianistic realm. The film depicts the dream of a young man who is travelling on a deserted train until the conductor throws him off because he cannot produce a ticket. A not insignificant role is played by another piece of paper, namely a carefully folded-up drawing of a piano keyboard. We see Trifonov playing the first movement of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor on this and, in cutaways, on a real Fazioli F183 grand piano that had – with much difficulty – been hoisted into the historic coach. The video, which lasts a good ten minutes, shows the pianist as the gifted protagonist of a complex plot which constantly switches between different levels of reality. Incidentally, the actor playing the conductor was a lover of piano music in real life and owned several Trifonov albums – a nice detail about the making of this exceptional short film, unique in recent Deutsche Grammophon history.
