KNS Classical Presents Pianist Chen Liang in Reflections, CD in Review
Chen Liang, pianist
Recorded, edited, and mastered by Zhen Qin and Jiarui Wang
Recorded at Chengdu City Concert Hall Recording Studio, Chengdu, China, December 28 and 29th, 2023
KNS Classical A/160
The label KNS Classical has released a recording of highly skillful Chinese-born pianist Chen Liang that includes two monuments of the piano literature framed by two new works by Chinese composers (including the performer, b. 1991). The CD opens with Chen Liang’s piece entitled Dream (premiered in 2023 at Carnegie Hall), then proceeds to Debussy’s Études, Book I, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, before closing with Impromptu – Dong’s Drumtower (1987) by Chen Liang’s fellow countryman Xianping Zou (b. 1951). Though dominated by the Debussy and Mussorgsky masterworks, this CD may be most memorable for its Chinese works, as they will be first hearings for many, and in what one can safely speculate may be the finest performances available.
Chen Liang’s Dream is a seemingly improvisatory creation of just under four minutes. Starting with solemn motifs centering on rising fourths over ruminative alternating chords, its phrases gradually extend and build to a more streaming, quasi-impressionistic section and tempestuous pianistic peak before receding to the opening material. Dream is a very accessible, evocative piece, bringing to mind some film scores by Joe Hisaishi and Michael Nyman, but with this pianist’s own personal stamp. It is described in his program notes (credited to Chen Liang with Junheng Chen) as “inspired by the composer’s bike expedition through the breathtaking landscapes of Tibet, particularly the dreamlike reflections of Lake Qinghai and Lake Namtso. The three-part structure reflects the three stages of the dream: from peacefulness to excitement, and from chaos back to calmness.”
The piece closes feeling poignantly unfinished, and that is appropriate, as Chen Liang is undoubtedly far from finished in terms of potential. There seems to be a considerable audience for such improvisatory pianistic styles these days, so Chen Liang will hopefully explore this compositional side of himself further, though his training seems quite focused on being a pianist. His biography lists the usual flurry of competition wins, as well as the requisite degrees. He has two Bachelor of Music degrees, one from Sichuan Conservatory of Music and one from Lynn University Conservatory of Music in Florida with the very distinguished pianist Roberta Rust, followed by MM and DMA degrees from Eastman under the illustrious Natalya Antonova.
The CD continues with Debussy’s Études, Book 1 (1915-16). This set has been heard in complete set recordings by some exceptional proponents – coming to mind as favorites are Walter Gieseking, Paul Jacobs, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Michel Béroff, and Mitsuko Uchida – but this listener’s credo with interpretations has generally tended to be, “the more the merrier.”
Chen Liang’s renditions certainly get high marks for accuracy and precision, note-wise, though they are not the most faithful to the score dynamically, and it seems that these pieces could have benefited from more nuance. From the very first Étude (pour les “cinq droits”), the sound struck one as startlingly robust throughout. Lest that be just for comedic effect in the first Étude, a Czerny send-up, your reviewer went ahead to hear the rest, ending up with a similar impression. Assuming such a sturdy sound might be a feature of the recording itself (made at Chengdu City Concert Hall Recording Studio, Chengdu, China), this reviewer listened again, with adjustments to volume, but it seemed that however high or low the volume level was set, there was a rather narrow dynamic range within each piece. Sections with ppp (pianississimo) markings were too often not contrasting enough dynamically from the forte passages that preceded or followed, and sometimes piano or pianissimo markings seemed ignored altogether. Though many consider these Études to be immense technical challenges for a pianist (and Debussy himself considered them so), part of their challenge is to handle all the leaping and legerdemain with the nuance – and frequently lightness – demanded in multiple markings. This listener wanted more of such moments, as marked. Certainly, if one were to set aside this objection, Chen Liang’s purely digital feats were impressive enough to promise an interesting pianistic life ahead for him.
Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (1874), another masterpiece, has had a similarly storied past in performance and recordings, so one hoped there would be more gradation in this interpretation than in the Debussy. Fortunately, though there were still dynamic quibbles throughout, the overall tonal substantiality had its benefits here. There were harmonies that this listener had never truly analyzed inside and out, but here, because of the extreme clarity of each voice, those are now etched crisply into aural memory. The forte passages incidentally were never what one would call strident – this pianist is thankfully not a “pounder” – but each note was exposed such that one could take dictation from the performance. One reads in the biographical notes that Chen Liang has a minor in Theory, and perhaps that study has lent an analytical starkness to his thinking, but in any case, he realized the notation (apart from expressive markings) with surgical precision. For a student learning the piece and wanting to hear each note in perfect clarity, without overuse of pedal or tonal sacrifices made in the name of phrasing, this performance would be of special interest.
The CD closes with Impromptu: Dong’s Drumtower (1987)by Xiangping Zou. The program notes explain that it was inspired by the composer’s visit to a southwestern ethnic mountain village of the Dong people in China and specifically the “distinctive architecture of the drum tower” (once used as a defensive structure to alert the village of danger and now used solely for celebrations). The piece is also reported to be describing “an ordinary day of life in the village.” It is a fascinating work, reflecting an unusual blend of Eastern and Western elements, with typically folk-like fragments developed into a cohesive and dramatic whole, drawing on Western traditions. It clearly announces its Chinese background, but it has moments of Scriabinesque harmonies and jazz-like rhythms, all integrated into a unified language with remarkable naturalness. It is a worthy work to know, inviting repeated listening, and it certainly adds to the allure of this release – now available on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes.
