About
[PERFORMANCE INTRODUCTION]
This is a representative Romantic piano work composed by Schumann with longing for his beloved Clara Wieck and admiration for Beethoven. Within a free form, poetic fantasy, passionate emotion, and deep lyricism interweave to reveal Schumann's unique inner world.
An original piano work created by Russian composer Nikolai Kapustin combining classical form and jazz idiom. While based on traditional variation structure, swing rhythms, blues harmonies, and improvisatory passages organically blend together. Each variation displays different jazz styles and atmospheres, demanding brilliant rhythmic sense and advanced technique. Kapustin's characteristic lies in meticulously notating all elements on the score, so it sounds like actual improvisation while possessing carefully crafted compositional beauty. This work well demonstrates the individuality of Kapustin's musical world, which naturally transcends the boundary between classical and jazz.
Among Chopin's four ballades, this is the brightest and most pastoral work. Beginning with a soft and flowing theme, lyricism and dance-like rhythm naturally blend, gradually forming rich emotion and tension. Particularly within the warm colors of bright A♭ major, dramatic development and delicate emotional changes appear, showcasing Chopin's distinctive poetic imagination and outstanding harmonic sensibility. The middle section unfolds with dynamic energy and brilliant passages, while the final section concludes with a radiant and powerful coda. This work is regarded as one of the representative Chopin ballades that harmonizes narrative-like lyricism with brilliant technique.
A representative late Romantic piano work by Sergei Rachmaninoff, distinguished by grandiose sonority and dramatic emotional expression. The first edition was completed in 1913, and Rachmaninoff later revised it in 1931 into a more concise and condensed form. The three movements connect organically without interruption, with dark introduction, fierce passages, lyrical melodies, and harmonic progressions of religious character developing with tension. Particularly, the wide range, thick harmonies, and massive climax create orchestral resonance, demanding outstanding stamina and technique from the performer. This work is regarded as a masterpiece that condenses Rachmaninoff's distinctive deep lyricism, Russian sorrow, and brilliant pianism.
Composed during World War II, this sonata contrasts strong momentum with lyricism. While maintaining relatively traditional form, it displays the clear rhythm and vivid harmony characteristic of Russian contemporary music. The first movement is characterized by powerful motifs and tense development, while the second movement reveals human emotion amid war through deep lyricism and meditative atmosphere. The final movement features dynamic rhythm and brilliant technique, driving the piece forward with intense energy. A work that well demonstrates Kavalevsky's distinctive concise yet effective musical language, it is regarded as one of the representative Russian piano repertoire that simultaneously possesses both educational value and artistry.
One of Sergei Prokofiev's early piano sonatas, distinguished by its dark and introspective sentiment. Prokofiev dedicated this piece to the memory of his deceased friend Maximilian Schmidt, and an overall melancholic and tense atmosphere permeates deeply throughout. Within unstable harmony, sharp rhythm, and abrupt emotional changes, lyrical melody appears delicately. Particularly in the slow movement, dreamlike and somber colors are emphasized, while the final movement creates dramatic tension through persistent rhythm and intense momentum. This work is regarded as a sonata in which Prokofiev's distinctive modern sensibility, austere expression, and hidden lyricism harmonize together.
The "Tarantella," the final piece of Venezia e Napoli, is a work by Franz Liszt combining the passion of Italian folk dance with brilliant pianism. Upon the fast 6/8 tarantella rhythm, dazzling passages, flashy octaves, and leaping progressions follow, creating intense energy. The piece, based on folk melodies and the dance atmosphere of Naples in southern Italy, is completed as a virtuoso solo concert work with the addition of Liszt's distinctive brilliant arrangement sensibility and dramatic development. Within the relentless driving rhythm and brilliant technique, cheerful and vivacious sentiment remains alive, maintaining explosive tension and exultation to the end. This work is regarded as one of the pieces representing Liszt's outstanding piano composition technique and Romantic brilliance.