by Hao Yuan Kueh | May 4, 2016 | Classical Music and Opera |
At Walt Disney Concert Hall, the standing ovation at the end of the recital provides a fairly accurate barometer for the enthusiasm level in the hall. At the conclusion of Murray Perahia’s recital on April 24, the standing ovation was unusually swift and extended, and...
by Hao Yuan Kueh | Feb 28, 2016 | Classical Music and Opera, Featured |
Yundi, formerly known as Yundi Li, propelled to stardom in 2000 after being the youngest (and the first Chinese) pianist to win the International Chopin Piano Competition, and the first to win the First Prize in 15 years. He captivated audiences and the jury with his...
by Hao Yuan Kueh | Dec 27, 2015 | Classical Music and Opera |
Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto — a staple of the concert hall since its 1901 premiere — has been performed by so many masters that it can be hard to hear new interpretations with an open mind. On Dec. 20, pianist Kirill Gerstein and the LA Phil, conducted by...
by Hao Yuan Kueh | Nov 2, 2014 | Classical Music and Opera, Featured |
The keyboard sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti have undergone somewhat of a revival as of late, with multiple artists recording personal selections from Scarlatti’s enormous output of over 550 sonatas. Here, we review two recent offerings, one by Russian pianist Igor...
by Hao Yuan Kueh | Oct 13, 2014 | Classical Music and Opera, Featured |
The differences between the music of Schubert and Liszt may perhaps be best encapsulated in these composers’ preferred performance venues. Schubert, the forlorn poet and storyteller, enjoyed the intimacy of the living room; on the other hand, Liszt, the quintessential...
