Chiaki has been my role model in more ways than one for quite a long time now. Here’s his chilling performance of the first movement from Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto 2.
When I watched Nodame Cantabile for the first time, I found it a bit odd that so much focus was being given on the performances for once, instead of the dialogues and thoughts. I didn’t have much exposure to classical music back in those days, but I loved the show nevertheless.
Few years later, after getting more and more pulled into classical, I decided to re-watch all three seasons and it was a completely different experience! Especially, this particular scene, which continues to give me goosebumps no matter how many times I watch it.
I have heard many famous performances of this particular piece (Kissin, Anna Fedorova, Matsuev, etc.), and this undoubtedly ranks among them. Kudos to the Nodame Orchestra for giving so much effort behind the music of this wonderful anime!
Listen to the uninterrupted audio here.