Musician's Corner

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.3 - Olga Kern

2011-10-26T16:35:00.000+08:00

One of the refreshing versions of Rach 3 by Olga Kern. I would rate it one of the best after Argerich and Horowitz. Enjoy!

Tay Cher Siang (Pianist) - Simply Breathtaking

2011-06-02T17:15:00.001+08:00

I just have to post this after watching Tay Cher Siang on the piano at No Black Tie last Saturday performing Brazilian music with a band (The music of Milton Nascimento and Egberto Gismonti). His piano skills were just breathtaking. It's not only just about his dazzling virtuosity with octaves and heavy chords playing like single running notes at lightning speed, but also his touch and well-thought piano arrangement which were so filled with emotions, melting the hearts of the audience. He is one of the best and most exciting pianists that I've ever heard live and his playing reminds me of the world-famous Michel Camilo, a Latin composer and pianist. I really hope he would make it big in the international stage and am so proud that there is such a talented pianist hailing from Malaysia. Check out his blog here (mostly in Chinese). He was featured in Dali's post as well (I just realized he was the pianist Dali mentioned :P).

'Perhaps Love'

2011-01-25T21:51:00.001+08:00

Claudio Arrau - The breathtaking Liszt player

2010-12-21T17:13:00.003+08:00

I've yet to hear a better rendition of Liszt Paganini Etude No.6 than Arrau's version. Simply breathtaking!

Free Piano Jazz Radio

2010-12-16T22:04:00.001+08:00

Found some cool stuff (Sounds like a spam..no, it's not a spam :p)

Check it out: http://www.sky.fm/play/pianojazz

Brahms Hungarian Dances: Let's hear some flying fingers from Kissin

2010-12-05T23:09:00.005+08:00

I've yet to hear better versions of Brahms' Hungarian Dances for piano as compared to Kissin's. Even Julius Katchen's version pale in comparison to what Kissin has to offer. Enjoy the videos below (Unfortunately, you have to click on the links as the embedded code is disabled). Your heart might just dance to its tune :p

Brahms Hungarian Dances:

No.1

No.2

No.3

Too bad. I can't seem to find the other Hungarian Dances other than the ones above. Grab hold of Kissin's Brahms CD then :) Click here for more info.

PS: His Brahms Sonata in Fmin is exceedingly good as well. Absolutely in control, climatic and heart-warming expressions and dazzling virtuosity. Spotless! Absolutely beautiful!!

Brahms Symphony No.1: EPIC!

2010-12-02T21:09:00.003+08:00

A piece that I'm immersing myself at the moment. The piece is really epic and captures the depth of human emotions such as passion, anger, depression, grievance, desperation, hope etc. For those who can't really express their emotions, this piece might help :)

Liszt Transcendental Etudes played by Boris Berezovsky

2010-12-01T02:33:00.003+08:00

Michael W Smith's Christmas Songs

2010-08-21T19:52:00.003+08:00

Here, I just want to indulge myself with the wonderful Christmas songs which Michael W Smith composed. These songs really brought comfort and peace to my soul and closer to God. Thank God for this wonderful composer/singer/pianist.

Stacey Kent: What a sweet voice!

2010-08-21T12:31:00.004+08:00

I got to know this singer from a friend and she's truly a gem. Her voice is very sweet, after listening to her, her voice kept singing in my head...scary huh..hahaha. That's how deep her impression is to me. Anyway, enjoy some of the songs she sang below:

Hyun-Jung Lim: A new virtuoso is born!!

2010-08-06T15:06:00.002+08:00

Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 played by Maurizio Pollini: Exhilarating!!

2010-06-21T23:30:00.004+08:00

Very seldom do I hear such passionate rendition of Brahms' Piano Concerto No.1, played by Maurizio Pollini. Somehow he was more virtuosic and passionate in his playing during his earlier years. His version suits better for my taste as compared to Ashkenazy's, Gilels, Clifford Curzon's or Evgeny Kissin's versions. His playing was filled with strength, furiousness, anger, passion and frustration in the 1st and 3rd movements while his second movement was sensitive and delicate.

The videos below were played by him, accompanied by NHK in 1978. Nonetheless, this was not his best version due to some lack of coordination between him and the orchestra. His best version was probably the one accompanied by Karl Bohm as conductor and Wiener Philharmonic as the orchestra (CD Cover as shown above).

The different recordings of Liszt Piano Sonata in Bmin

2010-06-21T20:48:00.004+08:00

The Liszt Piano Sonata remains one of my best favorites even after I've been listening to it for the past 14 years. The first version that got me hooked to this piece was played by Martha Argerich, which she recorded in 1964 (If I recall correctly). Her version was characteristic of her style, virtuosic, fluent, flowing and very fast!! She managed to bring the many different sections of the piece into one big story in a way that when I heard the whole piece, I felt like I've just heard the whole life story of a person.

Other memorable versions I like are by Evgeny Kissin and Yundi Li. I wonder why Evgeny Kissin's playing never made it into a CD recording as his version remains one of the best I've heard. His playing was sensitive and extremely emotional, displaying all the human emotions such as furiousness, joy, desperation, victory, playfulness, sarcasm etc etc. It's as though after I've listened to his playing, I've experienced all these emotions at different times of the piece.

Yundi Li on the other hand is less adventurous I think. His version is good, with all the correct phrasing, notes, smoothness and crystal clear notes, but I feel that the playing was kind of detached from the heart. I can't really "feel" the piece, unlike what I've heard from Kissin.

Other less desirable versions: Alfred Brendel, Nikolai Demidenko, Pollini. Alfred Brendel played as if he's having quite a lot of technical difficulties which can't allow him to express fully in the piece. Nikolai Demidenko's version was too foreign to me. His style was rather unique, but not to my taste. Others might find him very interesting. Pollini played as if he's sight reading that piece, no structure, no story told, flat emotions.

Anyway, watch the videos below of Evgeny Kissin's Liszt Sonata. Enjoy!!

Some simple methods of practising selected piano passages

2010-04-25T00:48:00.003+08:00

Fast octave passages:

Practise octaves with single notes first i.e. Play the octaves as single notes first using both thumbs, followed by single notes by the fourth or fifth finger, then combine both to play as octaves again. This is done to increase strength of each finger and accuracy.

Fast legato running notes:

Play them as staccato notes slowly and increase the speed gradually. Resume back to legato playing slowly. Increase the speed gradually using the metronome up to probably 10% faster than the actual required speed. During the course of increasing the speed, the whole body, heart and mind must be absolutely relaxed. If they're not relaxed, start from the speed where you're most relaxed and increase from that point again until you can play totally relaxed at the actual speed.

Fast arpeggios using both hands together in similar motion (e.g. Tchaikovsky P.Concerto No.1 Introduction, Grieg P.Concerto 3rd Movement)

Play each note twice through each note of the arpeggio. Then three times. Followed by ascending and descending through the arpeggios instead of just one way.

Celtic Woman

2009-12-08T19:06:00.005+08:00

So glad that I found this group 'Celtic Woman'. I'm captivated by their singing the first time I heard 'O Holy Night'. Their other renditions are equally interesting, especially 'Let it snow' song. Okies. Shall write no longer. Listen to their voices below and be mesmerized. I'm in Christmas mood already. Hehe. Enjoy.

Rachmaninov's P.Concerto No.2 & Paganini Rhapsody by Ashkenazy/Previn

2009-10-05T23:21:00.004+08:00

Somehow I can't comprehend how these two great musicians could produce such perfect interpretations. Rachmaninov P.Concerto No.2 and Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini played by pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy & conductor Andre Previn is a definite must-have in your collection. The whole repertoire is well balanced and elegant in everyway with no sharp edges that sound unpleasant to the ears surprisingly, though these two works are filled with virtuosic parts which should be played ff at presto speed. Ashkenazy and Previn somewhat able to achieve fantastic virtuosity without sounding harsh, especially the Paganini Variations and the 3rd movt of P.Concerto No.2. Besides, the orchestra and piano blended with each other so well that the piano sounded like it's part of the orchestra. Despite the demanding passages present in these two pieces, Ashkenazy sounded absolutely at ease and spontaneous, not like other versions where you feel like the pianists have practised umpteenth times and just regurgitating on stage. The fast passages so far are the most exciting ones that I've come across.

When hearing this cd for the first time, it's as if the music speaks into my heart listening to the romantic 2nd theme of 1st movt, the slow 2nd movt and the 18th variation of Paganini Rhapsody. Very seldom have I come across with music that communicates so well with me. The slow 2nd movt of P.Concerto No.2 was perhaps the best that I've heard so far. Superbly romantic and heart-moving. Listening to this cd feels like you've just heard a story being told to you in the form of music. Perfect for film music!!..hehe.

Andrei Gavrilov - Pure excitement, passion, strength & velocity!!

2009-10-01T16:48:00.006+08:00

Want some pure virtuosity stuff? Get Andrei Gavrilov's CDs. A few of them that are worth listening are as follow. They'll take your breath away!!

Rachmaninov: Preludes and Moments Musicaux

The fastest and most ferocious Prelude No.2 op.23 and moments musicaux No.4&6 op.16 that I've ever come across. Prelude op.23 No.6 was done gently with smooth and natural dynamic changes while he really brought out the tragic mood in Elegie in Eb min, something hard to come by in many pianists' interpretation. Having said that, his Ravel's Gaspard La Nuit is somehow rough and hard, too metallic for my taste. I prefer the more liquid and flowing version of Martha Argerich and Pogorelich's. Anyway, his Rachmaninov alone is worth your investment into this cd..hehe

Chopin Etudes:

Effortless virtuosity at demonic speed. Somehow I find that his playing sounds...hmm..more joyful than the others, probably due to his superior technique which he could show off to others. He brought out nicely all the characteristics of each piece: the grandeur of No.1 op.10 and No.12 op.25; the ferociousness of No.4 & 12, op.10 and No.10-11 op.25; the joy of No.8 op.10, No.9 op.25; the romantic feelings of No.3 op.10 and No.1 op.25 and the tragic mood of No.6 op.10 and No.7 op.25. You'll enjoy all the different colours and moods of his playing, never boring, never tiring, never mundane. Added pieces are Chopin Ballades which he played decently well, though they may not be the best that you could find.

Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev & Balakirev Compilation
Actually I don't really like his Tchaikovsky P.Concerto, somehow the speed is too varied, sometimes too slow, sometimes too fast..hmmm..But the octave passages are exciting enough. The ending of the third movement was done perfectly, the best ending that I could find around. Prokofiev is really good, but I think his best is Balakirev's Islamey. I would dare to say that his version is the best around. He ended the piece really well without lagging in his momentum, energy and speed. A lot of other pianists started really well, but somehow got slower at the end of the piece, probably out of exhaution. But I guess Gavrilov is famous for endurance as evidenced in his Chopin Etudes.

Some samples of his playing:

Yuja Wang: Strong path to stardom

2009-09-15T23:15:00.005+08:00

I've been busy with preparation for job application and interviews (Not related to music though..haha). Today was the last round of interview and it went well. Thank God!! So, now I can relax again and regain my composure. Was browsing through YouTube to find any new Yuja Wang's live performances and tada!! Someone was so helpful to put Rachmaninov's Paganini Variations & Prokofiev's P.Concerto No.3 on YouTube and time and again, Yuja Wang never fails to impress me, considering she's still so young in the industry. Her technique is almost flawless and she played musically well. Having said that, her playing cannot be compared to Ashkenazy's superior version of Paganini Variation or Argerich's Prokofiev P.Concerto of course. But she can trash Lang Lang flat. Seriously, musically and technically. I think she deserve so much more attention and publicity compared to the overrated Lang Lang. Yuja Wang's the star to come. Hope she also won't make a blunder like Yundi Li who played 'shockingly bad' in his Tchaikovsky's P.Concerto with SSO in Singapore back in July.

So far, she's played consistently well and is never disappointing. Bravo!

Click here for her future concerts & repertoire. More exciting pieces to come from her: Beethoven P.Concerto No.4 & 5, Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 & 3, Prokofiev Sonata No.6.

Enjoy the clips below:

Sound of Music

2009-09-03T05:10:00.006+08:00

Sorry for the long absence. Life was too hectic for blogging. Now it's really merdeka for me after "Merdeka Day"..hehe. Anyway, I'm back in the mood to blog again. Was browsing through facebook and found a friend who posted lyrics of a song named 'I wonder' from 'The Sound of Music'. Never had I thought of the lyrics when listening to the music and only now I found it to be so meaningful. 'The Sound of Music' accompanied me for many years since I was young and I was enthralled by its music and storyline all this while though I watched it umpteenth time. Beautiful in every way. Never managed to get tired of the movie. Haha. Thanks to my Mom and Dad who bought me this movie.

For those younger generation (Ya, I betrayed my own age) who haven't watched this movie, go grab one. Worth every cent of it.

Composer: Richard Rodgers

Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein

"I Wonder"

What will this day be like? I wonder.
What will my future be? I wonder.
It could be so exciting to be out in the world, to be free
My heart should be wildly rejoicing
Oh, what's the matter with me?
I've always longed for adventure
To do the things I've never dared
And here I'm facing adventure
Then why am I so scared

Oh, I must stop these doubts, all these worries
If I don't I just know I'll turn back
I must dream of the things I am seeking
I am seeking the courage I lack.........

"Edelweiss"

Edelweiss, Edelweiss

Every morning you greet me
Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever

Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever

"The Sound of Music"

The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears

My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds
that rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies
from a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over
stones on its way
To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray

I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more

"Climb every mountain"

Climb every mountain, search high and low

Follow every by way, every path you know

Climb every mountain, ford every stream

Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream

A dream that will need, all the love you can give

Everyday of your life, for as long as you live

Climb every mountain, ford every stream

Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream

Tan Dun

2009-07-28T14:41:00.008+08:00

Tan Dun, most widely known for his Grammy & Oscar award winning movie soundtracks such as 'Hero', 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' and 'The Banquet', is a Chinese classical composer who is known for combining Chinese music traditions with Western contemporary music. I first knew about him after watching 'The Banquet' and was captured by his enchanting music which will touch the heart and soul. A rare gem among the soundtracks. His music is extremely expressive, epic and spiritual.

Among the tracks I enjoy most from 'The Banquet' are 'Only For Love', 'Waiting' and 'Lost Days' as the music could really bring peace and stillness to the heart of the listener. Anyone of you who are troubled and weary, grab the cd, sit down and enjoy the music.

Besides, he is famous for using unconventional instruments like amplified bowls of water, paper, his audience and youtube videos to construct his music pieces. Among his other notable works include the recent much talk-about 'Internet Symphony' on Youtube (very funny) and Water Concerto.

Piano Lead Sheet for Beginners Part 1

2009-07-26T00:17:00.010+08:00

Some tips for any of you who wants to learn to play piano using contemporary Lead Sheet-based songs.

Background:

Makeup of a song: Usually there are two parts in a song which are the accompaniment and the melody. Melody is the pitch of the song which you will sing out (Lead) while the accompaniment is music played to accompany the lead. By default, the LH (Left Hand) will be the accompaniment while the RH (Right Hand) will be the lead.
Piano Notes: The alphabets attached to their respective notes on the piano are shown below. Note: Black notes are named by sharps (#) or flats (b). Eg. C# = Db; D# = Eb.Memorize the piano notes.
Key: Each song has a main key and key can generally be divided into major and minor eg. C major, D minor etc. The key will direct the background music to the lead. Choosing of keys is important as it will determine the characteristics of the song. Major key will sound happier while minor key may sound sad though this might not be true all the time. Eg. Eb major - Grandeur; Eb minor - Angry, tragic, passionate; Bb major - Fun, playful; C major - simplicity etc.
Key signature: Each key is defined by its own signature (you have to play certain white and black notes). For eg. C major key has no black keys while G major's key signature is F#. Click here for more info. You'll have to memorize each key signature.
Scale: Each key has its own scale. Eg. C major scale: C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C (No black notes i.e. # or b); G major scale: G,A,B,C,D,E,F#,G (You have to play F# to make scale sound like G major. Thus, the key signature is F#)
Chord: Chord usually comprises 3 notes which are the 1st note, 3rd note and 5th note of the scale. C major chord: C,E,G; G major: G,B,D; D major: D,F#,A (D major key signature: F# & C#. D major chord's 3rd note falls into one of the key signature which is F#, so F# needs to be played). You can download some lead sheet songs from the net and you'll see the chords on the top of the music stave (The 5 lines music notations) like C, Dm (D minor), E7 (Will come to that later) while the melody will be written on the stave.

To be continued...

Example of a lead sheet based song. Sung by Michael Jackson (In remembrance of him...love this song).

Michel Camilo Galore!

2009-07-17T00:44:00.000+08:00

Another pianist whom I really admire is Michel Camilo (Uncle Camilo as one of my friend called him). I first knew about him when I was in college thanks to my roommate who introduced me to Camilo’s Grammy award winning album ‘Spain’. It was this album which ignited my interest in jazz. I was immediately enthralled by his fiery and creative renditions of famous pieces like Chick Corea’s 'Spain', Velazquez's 'Besame Mucho', Rodrigo's 'Concierto de Aranjuez' and Luis Salinas' 'Para Troilo y Salgan', played with guitarist Tomatito.

Known for his fiery and versatile pianism coupled with a brilliant technique thanks to his training under the National Conservatory of Dominican Republic and New York's Julliard School, he was also established as a composer. His most famous trademark was perhaps his unique ability of fusing Jazz, Latin, Carribean, Classical and 90s into his own virtuosic style. In my opnion, he virtually explored & extracted all the possible ways of using the piano to the fullest and had opened up new methods of playing which I thought were never possible. His renowned compositions include Caribe, On fire, Island Stomp, ..And Sammy Walked in, From Within, Why Not? and many others...

Among his CD's that I like are 'Michel Camilo', 'Spain', 'Spain Again', 'Live at Blue Note', 'On Fire', 'Rhapsody in Blue' and 'Rendezvous'. Perhaps the CD that I adore most is his 'Live at the Blue Note' CD which won him a Grammy Award and was his first ever live recording produced to date. Featuring mostly his own compositions (16 of them) except for 'Blue Bossa' and 'Happy Birthday' in 2 CDs, the album truly displays Camilo's 'lightning-speed virtuosity, beautiful touch and deep-rooted soul' in its full glory. I've yet to hear of any Latin Jazz pianist who could play like him.

Besides being a jazz musician, he also showed his aptitude as a classical pianist as shown in his album 'Rhapsody in Blue' featuring Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Piano Concerto in F which also won him another Grammy Award (Gosh!! He just keeps on winning Grammy Awards!!!). I feel that he's playing this with more abandon and passion as compared to the more conservative legendary performance by Andre Previn though Previn's version suits my taste more.

Ok. Enough talking. Let's listen to some of his concerts shown below.. I feel like dancing with the piano listening to him. Haha...Let's dance to the music.... Enjoy!!!!

Background:

Michel Camilo was born on April 4, 1954 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic into a musical family and showed great aptitude for the accordion (Hmm...Sounds like Yundi Li..maybe I'll give my children accordion in the future when they are young..so they might become good musicians..hehe..just jk). He started composing since he was 5 (My gosh!! Mozart?) and studied for 13 years in the National Conservatory of Dominican Republic since he was 9. He was first exposed to jazz music when he was 14 and was deeply interested in jazz music.

His main influences include Art Tatum (whom he first heard jazz from), Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans. Later on, he moved to New York in 1979 to study at Mannes College and Julliard School and burst into stardom when his trio debuted at Carnegie Hall in 1985. His 'Michel Camilo' CD produced in 1988 was an instant success which held top jazz album spot for 10 consecutive weeks.

Since then, he produced numerous CDs and later won the Best Latin Jazz Album in the first Latin Grammy Awards in 2000 for his album 'Spain'. Adding to the list of Latin Grammy Awards were his other two albums 'Live at the Blue Note' and 'Rhapsody in Blue'. His 'Triangulo' and 'Spain Again' were also nominated for Latin Grammy Award.

Discography:

1984 - French Toast (album)
1985 - Why Not?
1986 - Suntan/In Trio
1988 - Michel Camilo
1989 - On Fire
1990 - On The Other Hand
1991 - Amo Tu Cama Rica
1993 - Rendezvous
1994 - One More Once
1996 - Two Much
1997 - Hands of Rhythm
1997 - Thru My Eyes
2000 - Spain
2001 - Calle 54
2002 - Piano Concerto, Suite & Caribe
2002 - Triangulo
2003 - Live at the Blue Note
2005 - Solo
2006 - Rhapsody In Blue
2006 - Spain Again
2007 - Spirit of the Moment

Sergei Rachmaninoff Introduction

2009-07-15T10:44:00.000+08:00

Not much to post at the moment. I’m still working on the recording instruments. Can’t seem to get a clean sound from the microphone as there’s still a lot of hissing sound and the sound is too blunt and sensitive. Audacity software has a noise cancellation program but I’ve to adjust it so that the original sound won’t get distorted. If too much of noise reduction, another kind of distortion sounded like high pitch ‘eeee…’ gets introduced. Haih…

Anyway, back to the title. Let me introduce my favorite composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff (Some spell it Rachmaninov).

Background: A Russian composer, pianist and conductor who was born in 1873 on April Fool’s Day (Hmm..quite the opposite) in North Western Russia into a family of musicians (Both his parents are amateur pianists), he started learning piano at the age of 4 under his mother for a few years before engaging a teacher from St. Petersburg, Anna Ornatskaya to teach when he was 9. Later on, he moved to Moscow and studied under Nikolai Zverev (His pupils include famous composers & pianists such as Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Balakirev, Leonid Maximov, Siloti etc) and Alexander Siloti (Former student of Franz Liszt).

Since then, he blossomed into an accomplished pianist and composer. While still a student, he composed a one-act opera, Aleko, Piano Concerto No.1 and Prelude in C# Minor, all of which are now renowned pieces, and was also commissioned by Tchaikovsky to transcribe his Sleeping Beauty ballet into a piano piece. However, his First Symphony which was composed in 1896 and premiered in 1897 by Glazunov turned out to be disastrous and plunged him into depression of which he could not compose for 3 years. Feeling desperate, he enlisted the help of a physician named Nikolai Dahl (An amateur cellist) who helped the composer to recover. Dahl told him: ’You will begin to write a concerto with great facility..the concerto will be of excellent quality..’. And indeed, he eventually composed his Piano Concerto No.2 which was dedicated to Dahl. It was an instant success and was probably the most famous piano concerto in its category.

He later left Russia in 1917 during the Russian Revolution and finally ended up in US in 1918 after staying briefly in Finland and Norway. Being rather cash-strapped, he embarked on a busy concert schedule to support his family. This has partly slowed him tremendously as composer, having completed only 6 compositions between 1918 and his death in 1943. The main reason was probably his homesickness. It was only after he bought a villa which reminded him of his hometown that he started composing his Rhapsody in the theme of Paganini and later on completed his Symphony No.3 and Symphonic Dances between 1934 and 1940. Later on, he died of melanoma on 28 Mar 1943 in Beverly Hills.

Famous works:

Prelude in C# Minor

Piano Concerto No.2

Symphony No.2 Movt 3

Piano Concerto No.1

Aleko

Yundi Li is coming to town..lalalala (ok, not quite)

2009-07-13T12:00:00.000+08:00

Yundi Li is coming to town....which town? Haih..not in Malaysia. It's Singapore...He'll be performing on the 24th of July (Friday) with SSO (Singapore Symphony Orchestra) playing the famous Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1. A bit disappointed coz I will not be available to listen to him live. Yundi Li, when are you coming to Malaysia? A lot of fans here are dying to watch you playing live. Pls come..pls come...

Anyway, any of you who are gambate enough to take a ride down south to watch him live can click here to book your tickets.

Biography: Yundi Li was born on the 7th of Oct 1982. He started learning music at the age of 3 with an accordion and mastered the instrument a year later. He later won top prize at Chongqing Children's Accordion Competition. He began piano lessons at age 7 and learned under renowned piano teachers since then. Further on, he won numerous international competitions including International Chopin Piano Competition in 2000 which made him world famous. He's the first Chinese and the youngest pianist (Age 18) to win the prestigious competition.

Discography:

Chopin Recital: Piano Sonata, Grande Polonaise, Nocturnes, Impromptus & Etudes.
Franz Liszt: Piano Sonata, La Campanella, Widmung, Liebiestraum, Tarantella, Rigoletto
Chopin: Scherzi & Impromptus
Vienna Recital: Liszt Rhapsodie Espagnole, Mozart Sonata, Scarlatti Sonata, Schumann Carnaval
Chopin/Liszt: Piano Concerto No.1
Prokofiev/Ravel: Prokofiev Concerto No.2 and Ravel Concerto in G maj.

Andrew's Chopin Concerto Recording

2009-07-12T18:05:00.000+08:00

I just posted some recordings of Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 played by my brother, Andrew with me as the accompaniment, made back in Nov 2006 before his Chopin competition. Here allow me a little space to blow his horn coz I'm so proud of my brother..hehehee..He eventually won silver medal for his concerto and bronze for solo. Interested to find more about him, click here & here!! Anyway, he's currently in Melbourne and teaching music as well. Anyone interested in learning under him can email him here. He provides lessons on classical, pop, accompaniment, composing etc.

I apologize for the rather noisy recording above as we did not have a better mic. You'll hear some squeaking sound coming from the piano pedal as well..For future recordings, I'll try to learn more about how to make better recording quality.

Recording Equipments Coming..Yeah!!!

2009-07-11T00:35:00.000+08:00

A friend introduced me to some decent recording equipments for beginners like me. The simple setup will be a microphone and an audio interface with PC via USB. I was shown the recording software named 'Audacity'. Probably some of you have heard it before. You can get it for free from the Internet. Anyway, I was quite impressed with how the software works. It can actually minimize external sound, coordinate different input channels together etc. Again, most likely many softwares could perform the same functions but for a recording newbie like me, this is new..haha. Actually my most immediate concern would be the external noises picked up by the mic. Secondly would be the dynamic range (Loudness) plus the sound textures (Rough or delicate). If the mic can minimize the noises plus having a wide range of dynamics, I would be more than happy for now..hehe.

For starters, the following items are introduced to me:
Shure Microphone

Mobile Pre-USB Audio Interface
Audacity Software

So, I'll be getting these things next Monday. Can't wait to get my hands on these equipments and start recording. I'll be posting some recordings soon. Stay tuned!!

Another Upcoming Pianist from China

2009-07-05T22:49:00.000+08:00

Yeah!!! I'm excited!!! An upcoming pianist in the likes of Horowitz, Martha Argerich, Volodos, Kissin...Her name is.....tada!! Yuja Wang!!! Just look at how she played the Cziffra's version of Bumblebee, Carmen and Volodos-Mozart's Alla Turca, her fingers and arms are so strong, fast, flexible and surprisingly accurate..I think Lang Lang and Yundi Li's techniques pale in comparison to this lady's. One thing I noticed, she's very consistent, accurate and extremely focused as if she's not letting each note slip from her mind. Interpretation wise, I have yet to grab hold of her cd with Deutsche Gramaphon, so can't really comment on this. Anyway, she's definitely a pianist to look out for in the future. I bet she'll end up in Carnegie Hall very soon. Oppss...She already played there a few months back...Judging from the critics's review of her playing, she should be at par with the world's top pianists musically. I just watched a brief cadenza of Tchaikovsky's P.Concerto No.1 on YouTube and really love her interpretation. She's really immersed herself into the music and successfully brought out the feeling of desperation and nostalgia in her playing, something which I seldom if never, heard before in any other interpretation.

Check out her CD at Amazon.

Videos as below:

Turkish March

Bumblebee

Interview with DG

Prokofiev P.Concerto No.2

Biography:
Yuja Wang was born on 10th Feb 1987 in Beijing. She began studying piano there at age six and entered the Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music at age seven, studied there for 3 years. Later, she moved to Canada to learn English at age 14 and study at the Mount Royal College Conservatory in Calgary. She currently lives in NYC, but travels most of the time playing concerts around the world.

Agnus Dei by Samuel Barber – Heavenly!!

2009-06-22T12:12:00.000+08:00

Every time I listen to this song, I can’t help praising God for such beautiful music. It’s like a foretaste of what music is like in Heaven. Well, maybe God might have inspired Barber to write this piece. This song starts somewhat in a somber, mysterious and nostalgic mood, and slowly builds up to reach the climax with grandeur and a sense of worship and praise to God.

This song, Agnus Dei (meaning ‘Lamb of God’) was originally a music piece for strings named ‘Adagio for Strings’ composed by Samuel Barber (1910-1981) in 1936 as a part of his String Quartet No.1, Op.11. Later on, he transcribed it into an 8-part choir piece in 1967, as a setting for 'Agnus Dei'. This is perhaps the most famous song that Barber had ever composed in his life. Video as below, performed by Accentus.

Lyrics:

Agnus dei

Qui tollis peccata mundi

Agnus dei

Qui tollis peccata mundi

Dona nobis pacem

pacem

Dona nobis pacem

[Translation:]

Lamb of God

You who take away the sins of the world

Lamb of God

You who take away the sins of the world

Give Us Peace

Peace

Give Us Peace.

Rach 3 by Martha Argerich - The Mother of All Performances

2009-06-21T00:16:00.001+08:00

Often touted as the best performance of Rachmaninov 3rd Piano Concerto, I could safely say that this is one of the best live performances (if not the best) that have ever produced in the entire classical music history.

This performance is just pure breathtaking and electrifying. I've not heard any versions that can even come close to this. Super charged, highly emotional and passionate, this performance really represents the epitome of Romanticism. Despite the sheer size of this piece (considered the most difficult piece in the whole classical repertoire), Argerich seemed absolutely at ease throughout the whole piece and conquered the fiendishly difficult passages as if she's playing 'Twinkle twinkle little star'. More than that, she really brought out the different essence of this piece which could transport the listeners through different moods, emotions and scenes.

Absolutely mystical, magical and electrifying. Highly recommended!!

Sheer Virtuosity!!!

2009-06-20T23:41:00.000+08:00

For those of you who enjoy pure virtuosity on the piano, you will enjoy this performance of 'Giant Steps' by Michel Camilo. Well, the title speaks for itself..hehe...This is really a giant step for any pianists who wish to play this knuck-cracking piece. Somtimes I'm just marveled at his ability to play at neck-breaking speeds and at the same time coordinate so wonderfully with the other musicians. Video as below..ENJOY!!

Looking for a music teacher?

2009-06-18T09:16:00.002+08:00

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I am currently providing music lessons in Subang Jaya. If you wish to learn music at the comfort of your own home and you are staying in Subang Jaya, USJ or Shah Alam, I will consider home teaching as well (rates depend on traveling time and distance). Please email me here for further enquiries. Thank you!!