The piano features in today’s foray into the classical music world as we explore four excellent releases from the MSR Classic label. Each recording boasts performances of the highest possible quality from some of the world’s leading pianists, Susan Chan, Irina Feoktistova, Sally Pinkas, and Ann Schein.
East West Encounter, Volume 1 – Susan Chan (MSR 1245)
This release represents the first in a series intended to offer programmes of contrasting works drawn from Eastern and Western schools of classical music. East West Encounter, Volume 1 features solo pianist Susan Chan.
For Volume 1 of the series Susan Chan has chosen to open with a piece from the East, “Cherishing Thoughts Of Red Cliff”. It was written in 1984 by Ning-Chi Chen (b. 1940) and is set amid an ancient battlefield inspired by the Sung Dynasty poem of the same name. It’s a highly expressive piece that captures the atmosphere of the poem set within the wonders of the Chinese landscape.
Alexina Louie (b. 1949) provides the second powerful Eastern piece, “Warrior”, taken from “Scenes From A Jade Terrace”. Written in 1988 it depicts the ghost of an ancient Chinese warrior amid a musical fusion of East-West styles. Its unmistakable Oriental scales add further colour to an intriguing piece.
Susan Chan goes west for her next selection, Beethoven’s “Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90”. Written in 1814 it is a piece consisting of two movements portraying the love affair between the composer’s friend, Count Moritz von Lichnowsky, and the singer-actress Josefa Stummer. Beethoven said of the first movement that it is a ‘battle of head versus heart’, whilst the second is ‘a conversation with the beloved’.
“Mephisto Waltz No. 1” by Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was originally written for orchestra but was later transcribed for piano by him in 1881. It is based on part of the Faust legend, “The Dance Of The Village Inn”, portrayed by the poet Nicholas Lenau. The amorous Faust engages a village beauty in a wild and passionate dance.
“Prelude, Fugue Et Variation, Op. 18) by Cesar Franck (1822-1890) follows next. This beautiful piece, which for me is one of the undoubted highlights of this selection, was written around 1862 when Franck was the organist of the church of Sainte-Clotilde in Paris. Delicately textured, and wonderfully sensual, it is awash with a shimmering spirituality.
Lastly, Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) appears courtesy of his “Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58”. The piece, in four movements, dates from 1844 and is, in fact, Chopin’s last piano sonata. It is utterly captivating in every conceivable way and leads towards its triumphantly majestic conclusion, a finale which is further enhanced by a faultless performance from Susan Chan.
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