Rachmaninoff is a rose, is a rose, is a rose

Authenticity happens when your actions reinforce your beliefs and ideas — you know, those beliefs and ideas that you won't shut up about. The ones your family roles their eyes at while you protest, "Hey, this is important!".

Authenticity is rare, which might be why we crave it so much.

With this in mind, I was full of anticipation when Lola Astanova shimmered across the stage of Symphony Hall toward the bench. She was to play Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini on this fine gala Saturday night.

In her interview on Friday, Ms. Astanova shared an intellect that was as studious and thoughtful as her gown was dazzling and fabulous on Saturday.

Would her music be a reflection of her ideas or was she an empty dress in high heels? I wanted to know if she was authentic.

Yes. Yes she is — beyond reproach. Her style of dress complements and supports the her style of playing music. Both are elegant, radiant, and insightful. I’m not a fashion critic but I can tell when someone is wearing the clothes or when the clothes are wearing them. Astanova was wearing those clothes.

She had said in her interview that when she plays it is as if a different person is born. That was certainly the case.

Musically Astanova gave us her true responses to Rachmaninoff. At one point her phrasing seemed aggressive but Rachmaninoff reiterated the phrase twice more and each time Astanova played it with more delicately and tenderness. We didn’t hear the same notes three times in a row, we heard three aspects of a musical thought. It was as if she and Rachmaninoff were reminding us that "a rose is a rose is a rose."

Her encore was a Chopin Etude. I have heard for years that Chopin can bring an orchestral tone out of the piano but I've never heard it.

During this encore the overtones of the piano sounded, to my ear, as if the string section was playing along with Ms. Astanova.

It could have been the residue of the string section's lavish tones from the Rachmaninoff lingering in my head or it could have been Chopin’s genius being fully realized at the keyboard in the person of Lola Astanova. I’m leaning toward the later.

Speaking of Chopin, on Friday night and Sunday afternoon, Astanova played Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto. Chopin put forth an effort to include the orchestra, but it’s obvious that his heart was in the keyboard.

The lyrical second movement was all anyone could have hoped it to be.

Getting to hear Ms. Astanova play both Rachmaninoff and Chopin in the same weekend was a triumph of programming by the San Diego Symphony.