Search - Mendelssohn, Chiu :: 3 Piano Sonatas

Strongly Endorsed

Robert J. Sullivan Jr. | Chicago, IL USA | 11/14/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Julliard-trained Chiu created a sensation by his elimination from an early round of the Van Cliburn Competition in Texas where he was expected to finish in the medals. His choice of repertoire did not appeal to the jury apparently. The same thing happened to Pogorelich at the Chopin in 1980, though his detractors may have been on to something; he has developed into an annoyingly willful pianist.Chiu is his own man too, but like Glenn Gould, his keyboard insights are bolstered by good scholarship. Harmonia Mundi has trusted Chiu with the liner notes to each of his releases, and he has responded with succinct, engaging essays. It's nice to have an occasional "word from the artist"; it dispels the suspicion that they are just thoroughbreds of dexterity, incapable of articulation away from the instrument. I hope he keeps it up.Mendelssohn's innate fluency seems tailored to Chiu's delicacy and control. The familiar Rondo capriccioso is breathtaking; the phrasing and dynamics remain pliable even at the highest speeds. From what I've heard, Chiu has a future in Scarlatti. We need someone to add to the Horowitz legacy of brilliant, plastic pianism. The sonatas here aren't just filler, either. They are patterned after Beethoven's but with a more objective eye in their approach to drama. After a hard day of living one's own "Pathetique" there is nothing wrong with a little gentility. Tres nifty!"

A Lack of Musical Architecture Indeed....

Joshua Appel | Peshastin, WA United States | 07/11/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike the reviewer below, I believe that Frederic Chiu was wisely shown the exit after the second round of the Van Cliburn competition. Certainly his technical powers as a pianist are undeniable, but a thinking musician who allows the music to speak naturally without disruptive and individualistic statements he is not. As is sadly the case with many young performers these days, we are first made aware of Chiu's abilities and only afterward are we allowed to hear the beauty of Mendelssohn's music - and beautiful music it is. Anyone who has heard these works in the hands of a great musician (like Perahia) will hear at once the chasm that stands between such selfless interpretation and the land of Chiu. Menham Pressler said at the competition, "I want to meet another lover of music, I don't want to meet another player." Perhaps this disc is the best explanation for Chiu's failure in Fort Worth - buy it if you want to hear him and not Mendelssohn."