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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Beethoven Festival: Pianist’s performance amazing
By Terry Rindfleisch/trindfleisch@lacrossetribune
WINONA -- Frederic Chiu’s piano recital Tuesday night (June 30) at the Minnesota Beethoven Festival was out of this world.
It was a breathtaking, extraordinary recital which took the crowd in St. Cecilia at Cotter High School on a musical journey and development of piano repertoire.
Chiu has a powerful sound and plays the piano with style and grace.
He opened with five gorgeous Chopin etudes played with beauty and charm. Chiu then gave us the Impressionistic interpretation of the piano with intriguing images by Claude Debussy and “Miroirs” by Maurice Ravel.
Chiu dazzled the audience with his big, full orchestra-like sound and terrific technique in Sergei Prokofiev’s “Lt. Kije Suite.”
But Chiu saved the best for last -- Franz Liszt’s transcription of Beethoven’s fifth symphony. He told the audience that Beethoven wasn’t that popular until Liszt traveled around the world playing the transcription.
Chiu was right -- the piano version is refreshing and exciting. He displayed exuberant virtuosity in a performance that was pure joy. He played the piece with flamboyance, intensity and sensitivity.
It was almost like Beethoven wrote the piece for piano as a showpiece. The crowd responded with a standing ovation. Now concert goers at the Minnesota Beethoven Festival will get a chance see the orchestra version of Beethoven’s 5th by the Minnesota Orchestra in the festival finale on July 19.
Chiu topped off the evening with a delightful Mendelssohn encore.
There are only a few pianists I’ve heard in person that I like better than Chiu. He is a wonderful musician who takes an intellectual and sensible approach to his instrument.
Jul 14, 2009
