Search - Kawai Shiu, Albert Tiu, Jenny Cho :: Kawai Shiu: unassuming music

Stunning solo music

K. Saxon | 03/24/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a recording that features unaccompanied solo pieces for piano, cello, voice, viola, and flute. Compositions for solo instruments other than the piano constitute a significant contribution by contemporary composers, helping to flesh out the repertoires of neglected instruments while improving each composition's chance of being performed. The composer Luciano Berio in his Sequenza made works for unaccompanied solo instruments a mainstay of his catalogue. Kawai Shiu has demonstrated a similar interest in unaccompanied compositions throughout his career with works that feature an interest in instrumental gesture and archetypes of idiomatic composition while avoiding Berio's treatments utilizing extended techniques.

Of course, solo piano works per se are nothing new, but Shiu's la mano coral de una mano alberto fits in nicely with its fellow unaccompanied solo works because it is a solo work for the right hand alone, unaccompanied by the left hand. This work avoids the typical treatment of one-hand piano music whereby the single hand pretends to sound like two by playing in the high and low registers almost simultaneously. Instead, Shiu provides an intriguing exploration of the various registers of the instrument, creating a sense of space by not trying to do all things at once. Traveling between registers as one might walk among paintings in an art gallery, the performance is clearly the work of one hand, although it is not limited by this restriction. Pianist Albert Tiu provides an imaginative and precise performance that illuminates the music with clarity and color.

in keinen wörten singen wir avoids becoming just another meditative work for solo cello through its careful development of attack and materials. It is a concise and well crafted song for cello, played with beautiful pacing by Ekachai Maskulrat. This work is the first of three consecutive movements excerpted from Shiu's song cycle, de stroom. The second, night lay on page, is for solo voice performed by the soprano, Katherine Wallace, and the third is no un violin performed by violist, Zhou Yi. Each movement is given a dedicated and expressive performance and each displays Shiu's ability to translate the expressive palette of the voice onto solo instrumental works, creating instrumental songs that are eloquent and engaging.

Shiu's compostition for unaccompanied flute, spiral à outrance is the longest compostition at 16 minutes on the recording. Shiu has crafted a compelling large scale structure that allows the music to avoid a stereotypical veloce style of flute writing. Instead, this score exhibits an intricacy of expression like the most musical recitation of poetry. Yuan Long, the flutist in this recording, is admirable in his dedication to this work.

The recording also includes two chamber works, anthem for apep scored for"