Sokolov Behind the Scenes

For those who don't know, Grigory Sokolov only performs on the European continent. And his own piano travels with him to every concert in a big, black Steinway Concert Services van. He also travels with a piano technician and tuner. Here is some footage of them getting ready for a concert which involves virtually dismantling the piano and adjusting every key. A perfect pianist needs a perfect piano.

Later scenes show the Herbert von Karajanplatz and the exterior of the Großes Festspielhaus. Later, during the concert, we see that this is the famous evening where there was a heavy rainstorm and the roof of the Festspielhaus began leaking. After the leak was stopped, the concert resumed and Sokolov commemorated it by playing Chopin's "Raindrop" prelude as one of his encores.

These days all Sokolov does is play solo recitals--pretty much in any hall in Europe. He does not do studio recordings so Deutsche Grammophon has begun releasing live concert recordings.