Yundi Li made Hangzhou immersing in Chopin's Nocturnes

 

In celebrating of the 200 years anniversary of birth of Polish composer and pianist Frederick Chopin (1810 – 1849) next year, world renowned pianist Yundi Li（李云迪） gave a remarkable recital in Hangzhou Grand Theatre on the night of Saturday, December 19. The opera house was packed near full that approximately 1,500 people attended the Chopin and Mussorgsky music on the keyboard of the Steinway & Sons. Yundi Li's playing had made Hangzhou citizens inebriating in the romantic rhythms of the Nocturnes and Yunnan folk songs.

The cantabile-style piano playing of Yundi Li lasted about 2 hours with a brief intermission. After all the audience had entered the opera house, Yundi Li first performed the most famous four Nocturnes by Chopin and the listeners were in pure silence. Their eye closed, sat relaxingly on the back of seats when hearing the Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2 and their hearts were submerged in movingly romantic atmosphere. Even small children accompanying by their parents or teachers were concentrating on the finger movements of nobility of Li. The musical enthusiasm was seldom seen in Hangzhou.

The last before the intermission Li played a Chopin work to which he won the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition at the age of 18 in 2000, the Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante op. 22.

The concert management set up a dedicated area for audience who was interested in researching piano fingering with the tickets sold at the highest price. Listeners would see clearly the every nuance of Yundi Li's fingering movement and learn how to play piano better.

The second half of the Yundi Li recital had just one but a technically demanding work – 19th century Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Li delivered all his passion in addition to his virtuosity to the 30-minute piano work; this was particularly clear during the last of the ten pictures – the Great Gate of Kiev.

The enthusiastic applause from the audience made Yundi Li returned to the stage several times and three encored pieces were played, including Robert Schumann's passionate love tune Widmung (Dedication).


This news article is edited and translated from original Chinese text for travel reference. It does not represent the views of AbsoluteChinaTours. 


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