The Palisades School of Music Presents William Chen in Review

The Palisades School of Music Presents William Chen in Review

William Chen, piano
Merkin Hall, Kaufman Music Center, New York, NY
September 8, 2019

This past Sunday at Merkin Hall, sixteen-year-old pianist William Chen gave an impressive recital of extremely demanding works by Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Lowell Liebermann. Though I do not recall ever hearing about this pianist, he is clearly an outstanding young artist to watch.

The program was a large one which many professional pianists would be hard pressed to pull off after many more years of study, degrees, and concertizing than Mr. Chen has had. This is not to suggest that Mr. Chen has any shortage of credentials either, by the way, as his biography already lists numerous concerts throughout the world and a substantial list of awards (from the Bosendorfer and Yamaha USASU Competition, the New York Music Competition for Young Artists, the Kaufman International Piano Youth Competition, AADGT, Young Pianist Competition of NJ, New England Conservatory Preparatory Concerto Competition, and more –  as well as being a Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation); one has to remind oneself, though, that he is still just in high school (at the Special Music School in NY), so to have conquered such a program reflects not only exceptional talent but a level of commitment that is extraordinary for one so young.

To open, Mr. Chen played Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E-flat minor (WTC I) with solemn composure and attention to phrasing and tone. He allowed himself a prolonged wait before starting (as he did before almost each piece), and it was wise, not only to allow various ringtones and other noises to abate, but to draw listeners into the pianist’s musical realm. He let the somber opening sing and showed consummate tonal control and restraint in its pacing. The Fugue unfolded with clarity in each voice whether direct, inverted, or in one of the ten remarkable stretti. Some players exaggerate the subject’s fifths and fourths to the point of resembling foghorns, but Mr. Chen’s approach was both restrained and lyrical, creating the transparency of texture that is ideal for this piece.

Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 10, No. 3 in D Major followed in a performance that was hard to fault, honoring Beethoven with fidelity to the score and a persuasive projection of its drama and architecture. There was no shortage of pianistic prowess in the outer movements, but it was the slow movement, the tragic Largo e mesto, which impressed most. Here Mr. Chen showed that he can sustain the life of long lines even at a glacial tempo, leaving the audience with bated breath until the very last note.

For those craving fireworks, Mr. Chen gave Lowell Liebermann’s four Gargoyles an exciting ride before intermission. Explosive bursts enlivened the opening Presto, and the third (Allegro moderato) was positively shimmering. The powerhouse finale, Presto feroce, let out all the stops. If one wanted a bit more shape to the phrases in the second, Adagio semplice, ma con molto rubato, it may mean that this listener was getting a bit spoiled. All in all, the set made a fantastic finish to the first half, and one could hardly believe that Rachmaninoff’s expansive Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42, and Schubert’s notoriously difficult “Wanderer” Fantasy, Op. 15 were yet to come!

Before the two remaining large works, the second half opened with a sensitive rendering of Chopin’s Nocturne in D-flat Major (Op. 27, No. 2), which prospered from Mr. Chen’s keen ear for tonal beauty and mature phrasing, including the seamless blending of one tone into the next. It boded well for the Rachmaninoff Corelli Variations, with its many melodic outpourings.

The Rachmaninoff did not disappoint, and in fact one marveled again at this young player’s composure and mastery through some of its virtuosic passages. My handful of reservations included the need for still more softness where Rachmaninoff marked “pianissimo.” It becomes especially important where it marks a thematic return in Variations II and IV (the latter being admittedly difficult in the low register, but still worthy of care). Elsewhere, various infamous spots were handled with great skill (e.g., the left-hand double notes in Variation X), and even the oft-smudged Variation XX stayed reasonably on target. One may have wanted a bit more savoring of the incredible harmonization of Variation XIV, but again (pinching oneself), this pianist is not even out of high school. There will surely room for more spontaneous reverie in the years to come.

Perhaps adrenaline played a role in what seemed an emphasis on momentum, or perhaps at heart was some awareness that the “Wanderer” Fantasy still lay ahead – this program was, after all, very weighty for an average audience. Rachmaninoff himself was not oblivious to such matters of audience engagement, as he once wrote about his own performance of these same variations, “I was guided by the coughing of the audience. Whenever the coughing would increase, I would skip the next variation. Whenever there was no coughing, I would play them in proper order.” In the case of Mr. Chen’s program, if there had been any such concern, it might have been advisable to omit the Chopin Nocturne and let the two larger pieces breathe more fully (and the Chopin could even have been saved for an encore).

In any case, Schubert’s “Wanderer” Fantasy was excellent, and it showed a strong grasp of its technical challenges, voicing demands, and sprawling structure. Once again, there seemed a need for greater softness where marked pianissimo, and perhaps at heart was a fear of not projecting, but the good news is that all projected quite well, so an exploration of the lower dynamic extremes in a few spots should indeed be possible. There certainly was no lack of stamina, and in what was almost an “embarrassment of riches” Mr. Chen responded to his final ovation with a sizzling account of Liszt’s La Campanella. What, no Islamey?

All kidding aside, such a concert represents an enormous achievement, after which it is hoped that this pianist can enjoy a short breather for some of his other professed interests of “reading, movies, board games, clouds, geography and maps, hiking, scuba diving, and private piloting.” While William Chen deserves huge accolades, congratulations are also in order to those who are raising him and to his teachers, Michael Thomopoulos and Wha Kyung Byun. Bravo! With both talent and such a superb foundation, there should be continued greatness ahead.

Share
by Rorianne Schrade  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Fourth Olympic Challenge Competition in Review

Fourth Olympic Challenge Competition
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y.
February 10, 2013
 

The title “Olympic Challenge Competition” may seem to suggest athletics rather than the more subjective field of music, but the name does suit the heroic efforts showcased recently in a concert of its young winners, ages 5-18, presented by the “You Need Music” Educational and Performing Enterprise. Offering a great incentive to practice and a much-needed chance to perform, “You Need Music” has been growing, according to the director, to draw students from all over the country. As the presenter’s website itself states, ”’You Need Music’ offers the unique opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall for children who put their effort in learning music without a goal to become professionals, but for the sheer love of performing.” Whether or not on a professional track, the twenty-five soloists on violin, cello, and piano (selected from DVD screening and live audition) had clearly invested tremendous energy and discipline to reach levels that were in some instances of a professional quality. Several players, as one would expect for the age range, experienced struggles with technique, focus, intonation, and other matters, but the level was generally high and in all cases was promising. Their concert at Weill Hall, as well as being a “victory lap” of sorts, was to further select three top winners to continue to a February 24th recital at Merkin Hall, with monetary prizes. As it turned out there were two Special Mentions (without monetary prizes) as well. I would have added several more, or exchanged one or two, but such is the nature of competitions. Having adjudicated for four hours for a different organization on the same day, I came to this event with many contest-related issues already in mind.

First of all, this audience at Weill Hall was not told the individual ages of performers, though one could hazard some guesses (and there were no college students allowed). It was also not clear whether the three judges were privy to age information, and one was uncertain whether awards were being made based on current development or potential for later success. Knowing numeric ages can be prejudicial – as in the psychologically misleading single-digit 9 versus double-digit 10 (with perhaps a birthdate difference of only a few months), making one child seem comparatively precocious; there can be equal misjudgments, though, on a visual premise, for instance assumptions based on height. The ideal solution may be a single artistic standard, but how is that really possible within a 13-year age range? One hopes for true discernment, but the cited Olympian “criteria” from the contest’s website, comparing musical qualities to attributes of Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena, seemed not to be terribly relevant or helpful in this case. It may add to the administrative work, but I would recommend a few separate age categories. It would also make possible eliminations more palatable for the older players.

Among these more mature players, William Hume, pianist, would have been one of my choices as a winner. He delivered Kapustin’s very difficult Concert Etude Op. 40, No. 1, with the fluency and ease of a veteran performer. He could certainly have a musical profession in his future, so I was disappointed that he was not chosen for something. Also among the teenagers, Mika Lin, violinist, gave an account of Bach’s Sonata No. 1 (Adagio and Presto) that was commendable for a pre-college-aged student. Pianist Orcin Akman handled the challenges of Liszt’s “Gnomenreigen” with such spirit and clarity that I had her in mind for the top winner, while pianist Deniz Akman savored and explored every ounce of drama in his rendition of Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C# minor.

Several players were outstanding among the (seemingly) much younger set, including pianist William Chen, performing Liszt’s La Leggierezza, and violinist Matthew Ho, taking on the challenging Praeludium and Allegro of Kreisler. Also impressive were very young pianists Joy Xu (the first I’ve ever beheld playing Debussy’s Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum with the aid of a pedal extender meant for the tiniest players), Annie Gu, who opened fearlessly with Chopin’s Polonaise in G minor, and Dylan Wang, highly self-assured for one so young in Bach’s Concerto in A Major, BWV 1055. Amid the concert’s torrent of notes, young pianist Darina Korneeva played a relatively simple Sarabande (by a composer listed as “Lak”) with genuine tenderness of feeling. One has years to learn octaves and scales, but this little one saw that no note was wasted.

In the end, the First Prize went to William Chen and the Second to Orcin Akman, both mentioned above. Third Prize went to Eugenia Zhang, a violinist who had bravely tackled Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole (first movement). Special mention went to Deniz Akman and Joseph Maldjian, the latter who had played Shostakovich’s “Hurdy-Gurdy” from “Dances of the Dolls.”

Judges were Ilya Kazanstev (piano), Aisha Dossumova (violin), and Slava Znatchenii (oboe). It was a refreshing touch to have them precede the children’s recital with performances of their own, setting a high bar. Opening was the Solo de Concert for oboe of Émile Paladilhe, followed by Kupkovic’s Souvenir for violin (think Vaudeville meets Paganini). Both works were admirably accompanied by Dmitri Korneev at the piano. Closing the jurors’ performances was Mr. Kazantsev (whom I reviewed favorably about five years ago), tossing off the Kreisler-Rachmaninoff Liebesfreud beautifully.

Share
by Rorianne Schrade  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY