Xiao Chen, pianist, in music of Haydn, Brahms, Gershwin, and Danielpour
Recorded at: Allegro Recordings
Recording Engineer and Recording Producer: Matthew Snyder
Sheva Collection SH 253
A recording of excellent Chinese-born pianist Xiao Chen was released recently (on the Sheva Collection label), and its title, Kaleidoscope, gives some idea of its range in music by Haydn, Brahms, Gershwin, and Richard Danielpour (b. 1956).
Ms. Chen, currently based in Los Angeles and on the faculty of Mount Saint Mary’s University, has been actively engaged as both a soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S., China, and Europe, winning several prizes and performing at numerous festivals. She attended Bard College as a double major, receiving her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance under Melvin Chen and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Language and Literature. She furthered her studies at The Juilliard School in New York under Jerome Lowenthal, obtaining her Master of Music degree, and most recently she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at UCLA under Inna Faliks.
As one might guess from Ms. Chen’s language degree, in addition to her extensive musical outreach background, she has a strong interest in communicating, and that urge is apparent in performances of expressiveness and purposefulness.
The four works in this release are Haydn’s Keyboard Sonata in C Major Hob. XVI: 48, the Brahms Piano Sonata in C Major, Op. 1, No. 1, Gershwin’s famous Three Preludes, and a set of five preludes called The Enchanted Garden, Book I (1992), by Grammy Award-winning composer Richard Danielpour. Surprisingly (given the international reputation of Mr. Danielpour), The Enchanted Garden was somewhat unfamiliar to me, though it has been recorded, notably by Christopher Riley who premiered it. It can take a while for music to settle into the “mainstream” repertoire, so having not heard much of the cycle I was grateful for this assignment.
Book I of The Enchanted Garden is a cycle in which there is, as Mr. Danielpour describes it, “a garden of the mind.” Though this garden is wild in the best sense, Mr. Danielpour controls it masterfully to offer balance and variety, inspiring delight even in its darkest moments. The first movement, Promenade, has a hazy exotic feeling reminiscent of some French Impressionist composers, and it is dreamily atmospheric in Ms. Chen’s conception. The second movement, in complete contrast, lives up to its name Mardi Gras with its syncopated energy – along with some sarcastic sounding dissonances. Ms. Chen nails it, with raucous bite in the percussive writing and sensitivity in its lyrical moments.
The cycle’s third movement, Childhood Memory, is a nostalgic “song without words” punctuated by bell-like effects and conveyed with poetry and imagination by Ms. Chen. The fourth piece, From the Underground, exploits a nightmarish slithering chromaticism at high speed, and Ms. Chen handles that brilliantly. The fifth and final movement, Night, is more subdued and reflective, paying homage, in the composer’s words, “to both the consoling and frightening aspects of things nocturnal.” The entire set is a joy to hear. Kudos go to composer and pianist alike.
I’ve upended the order of things to start with my favorite performances, but the collection actually starts with Gershwin’s jazzy set of Three Preludes. Hearing these, it is good to remember that there is no single “definitive” interpretation of these pieces, and that Gershwin himself recorded them to sound rather different from what the notated score suggests (not to mention with some messiness – though few criticize when it is the composer). Gershwin also played them with rather strict rhythm – almost robotically at times – with few of the winks and nudges that the harmonies and phrases invite. Many interpretations are possible, but it was a joy to hear some liberty in Ms. Chen’s recording, from the arched brow inflection of the A-flat at the opening of Prelude No. 1 to the added grace note flirtations here and there. It may be heretical to say, since Gershwin played it “straight” (even without much “swing” rhythm in the central movement), but cheers to Ms. Chen for having fun with it where she did!
It is where things are less freewheeling that the interpretation feels less convincing, such as in the broadening that Ms. Chen adds around nine measures from the end of Prelude No. 1 (after a distracting pause) and also towards the end of Prelude No. 3. These allargandi undercut a sense of spontaneity, and without a ramped-up bass or the like, they suggest more Leipzig than Tin Pan Alley. The Prelude No. 2, which Gershwin called “a sort of blues lullaby” has a lovely opening in Ms. Chen’s rendition, again with expressive personal touches; the middle section, though, seems uncomfortably fast, with sharp attacks and clipped cutoffs (and even faster than Gershwin who barely changes from his opening tempo). In my mind, even the march that interrupts the lullaby should have a touch of sleepiness about it, lest it break all connection to the outer sections. Ms. Chen is a thoughtful musician though so surely has reasons.
Following Gershwin comes the Haydn Sonata in C Major, and it feels just right. It projects grace, balance, lyricism and lucidity. The second (and final) movement, a Rondo (Presto) sparkles with pristine finger-work from Ms. Chen. One would love to hear her in more works of Haydn.
To cap off the recording, Kaleidoscope, is the Brahms Piano Sonata in C Major, Op. 1, No. 1, a large, and challenging work that is often passed by in favor of the Sonata in F minor, Op. 5. Ms. Chen handles this piece well, with only momentary hints of strain. The first movement has boldness and authority just as needed. The Andante movement next is where Brahms gave us some of those hallowed moments that are worth the whole journey, and Ms. Chen seems to savor them. The Scherzo is commendable but might benefit from more forest and fewer trees, as one feels a bit too much of each beat at times, but then again not many pianists are able to transcend the physical challenges to project the broader sweep. The very challenging Finale closes the recording well, though it seems there could possibly be a richer balance of register. Whether that is due to the recording settings, the instrument, or the performance is uncertain – though the recorded sound overall seems very good, with credit to recording producer and engineer Matthew Snyder. Sometimes melodic tops tend to get favored where a more rugged bass could help build the sonorities. The second theme in G major is a highlight, with just the right warmth and breadth.
All in all, this is a commendable recording, of which Ms. Chen can certainly be proud.
