Rasa Vitkauskaite – A Concert Piano Christmas at Boston Symphony Hall – Album Review

Hailing from Lithuania, Rasa Vitkauskaite is a pianist of the hyper-exceptional caliber. Her interpretations of classical masterpieces are nothing short of brilliant – perhaps nearly supernatural – and she’s accumulated a buckling shelf of awards and critical praise over her unmatched playing acumen. And she does this – all of this – while serving as the critically acclaimed principal pianist of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.

So, when we were granted the chance to review her latest masterwork, A Concert Piano Christmas at Boston Symphony Hall, we did the following:

Gasped in disbelief (because we got to hear it first-ish).
Realized playing music at the Boston Symphony Hall made it a sacred affair.
Ignored the unintended slight towards Halloween and listened like the tree was already up and wrapped in miles of uncooperative lights and easily tangled tinsel!

Ready to hear Christmas music played with skill and passion unimagined? Let’s hit the highlights…

Wait. Why a Christmas album?

Per Rasa, “Deciding which musical selections would make it onto the album was a rigorous process, and my goal was to find music that would be worthy of the Boston Symphony Hall stage. For many musicians, Symphony Hall is a sacred space where only the top performers in the world have performed. Prior to taking on this project, I felt that there was a vacuum of quality holiday music for solo piano that would highlight the craftsmanship and skill of a concert pianist. I am proud to say that each track of A Concert Piano Christmas is a true masterpiece that shines new light on holiday favorites. On a personal note, it is also a celebration of hope and freedom that my family is finally able to experience, as during the Soviet occupation, we would have been persecuted for celebrating Christmas openly.”

Now, let’s hit those highlights…

The album begins with three excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker ballet: “Russian Dance (Trepak),” “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” and “March.”

“Russian Dance (Trepak)” begins with fast, flawless piano twinkling as Rasa plays the song that, in a manner, soundtracks the hurried and somewhat comical preparations for the holidays. “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” is adroitly handled with its bashful trepidation; it’s careful trotting over crunching fallen snow. But the drama is intact, and positively takes flight when the song demands it. And the regal piano dotting of “March” is utter perfection, but the piano runs, implying panic, are superheroic in speed and accuracy. Unbelievable.

Ah, yes. “Sleigh Ride.” Another one that reminds me of a bustling town dusted by soft snowfall. The character is there, and even magnified, and the playing is practically blistering; the higher notes ringing as sleigh bells, and the lower notes granting shifting, accompanying earth upon which our anxious townsfolk tread. Gorgeous interpretation.

Next up, it’s “Medley: Joy to the World / O Come, All Ye Faithful / Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / O Holy Night.” Each piece, although an excerpt, is given plenty of space through an easy, swaying meter. Each begins quietly, calmly, and ends with a dramatic hammerfall. Excellent indeed.

“Carol of the Bells,” with its steeper melodrama, higher arpeggio chiming and earth-quaking lows, is impeccably played; from the series of brief resolutions to furious anxiety, “Carol of the Bells” is another amazing interpretation.

“I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)” has always been a personal favorite; the melody more captivating – to me, that is – than common Christmas fare. The music is seaworthy, lost and found again, and from a place quietly, and perhaps dangerously, travailed.

“O Christmas Tree” is perfect. It really is. It’s supportive. It’s mournful. It’s generous in its affection while one quietly distresses outside the welcoming aura of firelight. It’s a warm hug in the emotional (and literal) cold. It’s the true music of Christmas, kids.

Rasa gives “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” a small, dramatic introduction injecting playful swing into this Santa-welcoming classic. But the jazzy elbowing doesn’t stop there; it permeates the piece’s chipper angularity, granting it a more adult, tongue-in-cheek vibe. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

Returning to The Nutcracker, we’re gifted two more pieces: “Overture in Miniature” (which must be a play on “Miniature Overture”), and “Waltz of the Flowers.” The former is its triumphant, zig-zagging self; the latter more reflective. Once again, Rasa breathes new magic into this timeless ballet.

The album ends with “Ave Maria, S. 558/12 (After Schubert, D. 839).” It’s a more dramatic, lamenting piece, and Rasa plays it like the aching heart music it was created to be. The pain, the anguish, the triumph, and the quietly sobbing resolution; it’s all there, every note of it. It’s a very human piece that, while bereft of “Christmas Spirit,” celebrates the complex, burdened, but triumphant human spirit.

But is it good?

Folks, Christmas never sounded so good; it never sounded so effortless, so energetic, and so in sync with the rush and hover of one-billion snowflakes. Each familiar masterwork is, in a way, made new again. Who needs to hear “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” for the 856,453 time? You do, if it’s made positively electric and played with the likes of Rasa Vitkauskaite’s holiday-possessed fingertips. I heard emotion in these interpretations where none previously existed, and if there was room to expand – to improve on something already considered perfection – Rasa did so, and tastefully. Passionately.

Ignore every other Christmas album. In fact, you should just throw them all away. A Concert Piano Christmas at Boston Symphony Hall is the only one you need – the successful transformation of perhaps uninspiring Christmas regulars into their moving, primordial pieces. You’ll rediscover the composer’s intent, and learn to love each note again as if heard at the hearth for the very first time. RECOMMENDED!

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BELOW: Listen to Rasa Vitkauskaite and check her out on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. Please support Rasa Vitkauskaite by visiting her website and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing her music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.