“Marvellous was the solistic presence of the young pianist Marietta Petkova in the 3rd Concerto by Rachmaninov. Her mild, spiritual radiation in combination with her robust and steady pianism and her rich, all-comprising musical mind make her a very convincing interpreter of Rachmaninov; it is as if she carries in her a certain kind of deep inner predisposition for the nature of his music.” 

-- Anda Palieva, Utro Newspaper

 

"When listening to informal concert recordings that have fortunately survived the years of storage, it sometimes happens that one does not experience any time gap. Even in spite of tape wear and other insufficient audio aesthetics, surprisingly the music appears to be reviving, ready to be enjoyed like new. This applies in particular to the recordings found in Marietta Petkova’s archives. Being both a transcendent performer and a concert beast as well, she remarkably often accomplishes the impossible, by not only inciting a memorable live concert experience, but also by rendering imperishable audio content at the same time. Therefore it is an honor to introduce to you this first issue of the Concert Documents collection. Salvaged, restored and remastered from the vintage recording archives of Marietta Petkova." 

-- Leo de Klerk, Liner Notes

Dit is zo'n uitvoering waarnaar ik graag teruggrijp, er dan weer nieuwe details boven water komen drijven, nieuwe invalshoeken opdoemen en het een steeds weer fascinerende ervaring blijkt. 

Petkova's 'Rach 3' en De Klerks restauratiearbeid vormen samen het krachtigste pleidooi voor waar het in de muziek werkelijk om gaat.

--Aart van der Wal