WORLD famous classical crossover pianist Maksim Mrvica, best known by his stage name Maksim, tinkled the ivories for the fans at the Plenary Hall of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) on Feb 14.
The Croatian-born pianist returned to Malaysia after nearly two decades for his The Collection Tour, which saw Malaysia as the launching point for the Asian leg of the tour.
Maksim has performed sold-out concerts all over the world, including a 20-city tour in Japan. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful classical crossover artists, having broken down musical genre barriers.
In 2021 and 2022, when Covid-19 regulations made movement difficult, he still managed to perform three concerts in Taiwan, six concerts in New Zealand, and eight concerts in Australia, demonstrating his continued reputation after nearly two decades in the industry.
Organised by Harmonie Music Malaysia, the venue for Maksim’s one-night-only concert was packed with people from various backgrounds and ages.
And considering the fact that the show took place on Valentine’s Day, couples could also be seen taking advantage of the opportunity to be there with their loved ones, making it a more romantic and memorable evening.
Maksim began the prelude with two exceptional songs, Exodus, originally composed and performed by Ernest Gold, from his 2003 album The Piano Player and Child in Paradise from his 2015 album Croatian Rhapsody, before making an introduction and greeting the audience.
He then continued performing In the Hall of The Mountain King by Edvard Grieg, which is one of the most famous pieces of classical music of all time, and Gymnopédie No.1 written by French composer and pianist Erik Satie, before heading to the hits of the night beginning with Bohemian Rhapsody, a masterpiece by British rock band Queen.
The legendary song concluded the first half of the performance, which lasted nearly an hour, and a 20-minute intermission gave the audience ample time to unwind.
In the second half, Maksim appeared more energetic and began to perform his selection of iconic pieces, such as Croatian Rhapsody and Flight of The Bumblebee.
Released in 2003, Croatian Rhapsody is well-known as one of Maksim’s best hits, which is why he named his 2015 album after it. Composed by a Croatian musician and songwriter, Tonči Huljić, Croatian Rhapsody also appeared on both his 2003 album, The Piano Player, and his 2008 album, Greatest Maksim.
As for Flight of the Bumblebee, one of the most recognisable orchestral interludes by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Maksim himself stated that the piece is the one that he always performs on tours around the world.
“I go on tour all around the world with this song and this was also my first single,” Maksim told the audience in Kuala Lumpur, before proceeding to perform the song.
At a press conference the day before the concert, Maksim had stated that he felt the piece best describes Malaysia.
Fans could be seen eagerly awaiting the second half of Maksim’s performance, where he performed covers of theme songs from popular films and television shows such as Game of Thrones and Mission: Impossible.
After performing what was supposed to be the last song of the night, Maksim left the stage, to a standing ovation and a loud round of applause from the audience.
However, no one was ready to let him leave without an encore. The cheering continued until Maksim returned to the stage and sat back at his piano.
To everyone’s delight, he proceeded to play the iconic theme from the film Pirates of the Caribbean.
It was clear that fans enjoyed the entire experiece, and Maksim’s performance for his fans in Malaysia was phenomenal.
His passionate playing style and intensity ensured that the audience would be left wishing that the Croatian pianist virtuoso would return to Malaysia to perform once again in the near future.
