Virtuoso Pairing

The first superstars emerged in the 19th century with virtuosos such as violinist Niccolo Paganini and pianist Franz Liszt.

Paganini was presumed to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for uncanny virtuoso powers.

Liszt was so popular, he reportedly kept a dog to shear in order to keep up with fans’ demands for locks of his hair. What the dog thought of all that isn’t recorded.

Among Liszt’s huge musical output--which fills pages of Grove’s “Dictionary of Music and Musicians”--the Piano Concerto No. 1 has proved to be one of the most enduring.

It even figured into the climax of the assassination attempt in Hitchcock’s 1956 remake of his earlier film, “The Man Who Knew Too Much.”

The concerto--to be played by Sergei Edelmann on Pacific Symphony’s Saturday concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater--has the reputation of being fiendishly difficult.

“It’s very virtuosic and rather compact in form,” Edelmann said. “But I wouldn’t say it’s as difficult as it sounds.

“The danger is in becoming vulgar, which is very easy to do. You need to play it very seriously and sincerely in the sense of not trying to make a showpiece out of it. It’s going to be a showpiece in any case.”

Edelmann was speaking from his home in Brussels, where he recently moved. He splits his time between Belgium and New York, where he teaches at New York University--that is, when he’s not concertizing.

After his appearance with Pacific Symphony, Edelmann has concerts in France, Italy, Mexico and South America.

“I combine both sides of the Atlantic,” he said. “Fortunately, I like to travel, to see new places and to meet new people.”

Born in the Soviet Union in 1960, Edelmann was destined by his genetic makeup to be a pianist.

“My father was a very important professor of piano and a concert pianist,” he said. “All of my family, including my mother and my brother, George, became his pupils. I grew up hearing music.

“There was never any question that I would be a concert pianist. I studied very early on, gave my first concert at 9, and my first with orchestra at 10.”

The family emigrated to the United States in 1979. Edelmann’s older brother teaches and also runs the chamber music festival in Elba, Italy.

Edelmann hasn’t gone back to Russia much.

“There is no family left,” he said.

He did give a recital in Moscow in 1994 and a concert in St. Petersburg during the “White Nights Festival in 1996.” Otherwise visits were few.

But he does feel that there is an authentic and special Russian tradition of pianism that has been passed down through generations of emigres who concertized and taught here as well as those who remained in their native country.

This tradition is distinguished by a “tremendous discipline” that starts early, he said.

“It’s really very important that from the time children first begin to play that it’s always professional.”

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The training leads to powerful tone, a wide range of expression and a strong technical ability.

“But technique becomes only a means to get the most the music has to offer,” Edelmann said.

All of which he expects to draw on for Liszt’s concerto, the performance of which falls on his 40th birthday.

“It’s an interesting coincidence,” he said. “I can’t say I play it that often. But it’s always pleasant to return to something and make it fresh.”

Edelmann is concerned with keeping classical music alive.

“It’s absolutely essential for people to educate young audiences, to bring classical music to them very early on. It doesn’t matter whether young people become professionals or not. Classical music will be important for them. They will be able to appreciate it. That’s one thing everyone should work for.”

* Sergei Edelmann will play Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Pacific Symphony led by Carl St.Clair on Saturday, 8 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. St.Clair also will conduct Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” $15 to $60. (949) 855-8096.

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Chris Pasles can be reached at (714) 966-5602 or by e-mail at chris.pasles@latimes.com.