Ken Turner, Author at ROVING PIANIST

Han Chen at Scandinavia House NYC 2025

Saturday, March 1st, 2025 by Ken Turner

Han Chen 2/28/2025

On Friday February 28th, 2025, I attended a recital by Han Chen at Scandinavia House in New York.

Piano on Park presented this event. Its founder Cyrus von Hochstetter introduced Mr. Chen. He noted Han’s efforts to promote new music and work with today’s composers, one of whom was included in the evening’s fantasy-oriented program.

Chopin: Fantaisie Impromptu Op. 66

Han Chen gave a luminous, flowing performance. The central melody had a Schubertian edge and delectably evocative rubato. I was surprised at how fresh this favorite sounded under Han’s hands.

Florence Price: Fantasie Nègre in E minor

Price’s mournful post-Romantic work was new to me, and played robustly by Han Chen. I enjoyed its folksy melody and bluesy harmonies, and loved when Han’s rolling left hand overpowered the theme as the work drew toward its close.

Schumann: Fantasiestücke Op.12

The opening Des Abends (In the Evening) sets the tone for this hefty work. My go-to recording of Des Abends is by Jeeyoon Kim, so when Han Chen opened at a radically slower tempo I was surprised. Yet over the next minutes I came to enjoy the way this allowed the harmonics of this lovely work to shine. However I felt that it was a little halting, and needed a tad more oomph.

Lei Liang: Book of Time 1 (world premiere)

Han Chen speaking at Scandinavia House

Mr. Chen commissioned this work with the support of a group of sponsors. Before playing it, Han Chen addressed the audience.

Lei Liang, he said, worked with scientists to analyze sound waves from 188 minerals and transcribe them into piano harmonies. This sounded fascinating. I mean, it sounded as if it would sound fascinating. I think of the connection to nature, and the vibrations that abound in the universe.

Musically, I did not understand what I heard. A structure would form, and be lost. A progression would intrigue, and sometimes repeat. I sensed phrasing and hints of tonality. The entire work felt like patches of spacious randomness scattered across a sparkling night sky.

This work was intellectually interesting, but I wouldn’t listen to it while having my morning coffee or driving my car. I would have asked Han about it afterwards, but I had a New Jersey bus to catch.

Scriabin: Fantasy in B minor Op. 28

I find Scriabin pleasant enough, but I am not driven to listen to him the way I am to, say, Rachmaninoff. Scriabin’s Fantasy in B minor Op. 28 is a gripping, complex, technically demanding work. But Han Chen has great talent with romantic repertoire, and he brought this dense Fantasy to life. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed Scriabin so much!

Rachmaninoff Encore!

The evening’s well-designed program wrapped the novel contemporary work of Lei Liang in warm, Romantic-era repertoire. As if Scriabin were not enough to ground us after Lei Liang, Han Chen closed with a stirring encore of Rachmaninoff’s Moments Musicaux No. 4 in E minor.

I’ve heard Han Chen play this before. He has a unique way of holding the tempo back for moments, causing this tempestuous, roiling favorite to hang like a breaking wave. Judging by the applause, the rest of the audience loved it as much as I did.

You can find Mr. Chen’s event schedule on his website here.

Han Chen plays Anton Rubinstein in NYC

Monday, November 25th, 2024 by Ken Turner

Han Chen, November 23rd 2024

I was excited to attend pianist Han Chen’s recital at Central Park West on November 23rd, 2024, hosted by Robin Shoemaker. I had greatly enjoyed previous recitals by Mr. Chen at this venue in 2017 and 2018.

The program consisted of romantic era piano sonatas by Anton Rubinstein. In his introduction, Han Chen explained that the concert was in preparation for his upcoming Rubinstein recording sessions for the NAXOS label.

I used to wonder why a fine pianist like Rubinstein composed such quirky music. Only when researching before the recital did I realize that Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982) was not Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894)!

Rubinstein: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F major, Op. 41 (1855)

Han Chen’s expressive delivery left no doubt that he “got” Rubinstein. But despite Mr. Chen’s intense focus, Sonata No. 3 itself felt in need of refinement. Only in the final Allegro Vivace did I sense that the composer had potential.

Rubinstein: Piano Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 100 (1877)

The first movement (moderato con moto) opened with great drama and evolved through abrupt changes of mood. My overall impression was positive, and I loved Han Chen’s closing low-end flourishes.

The second movement (allegro vivace) was laced with humor and delivered with such relish by Han Chen that it was hard not to chuckle. Certain moments reminded me of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, written a few years earlier. Also of note were some transitions that sounded very much like Rachmaninoff.

The third movement (andante) opened with almost Schubertian flow, progressing through passages that could have been attributed to several composers of the era. And wait… was that a not-so-subtle echo of Chopin’s Marche Funèbre? Again I noticed motifs that were suggestive of future works by Rachmaninoff.

Hen Chen enjoys his audience

The final movement (allegro assai) opened with declamatory drama, progressing through ethereal moments to much pounding. This was impressive to watch but somewhat overwhelming to listen to. The final couple of minutes flirted with melody before launching into a robust, almost Liszt-ian finale.

Han Chen pulled this difficult work together with power and verve. One can only wonder what it must have been like to see Anton Rubinstein himself perform it.

Rachmaninoff – Moments Musicaux in E minor Op. 16 No. 4 (1896)

After an evening of Rubinstein works that hinted at Rachmaninoff, Han Chen’s choice of a Rachmaninoff encore was fitting and made for a satisfying close to a fascinating evening.

Han Chen and Robin Shoemaker

A few words with Han Chen

I asked Han Chen about the huge difference between the sonatas. He explained that Sonata No. 3 was written while the composer was in his 20’s, while No. 4 was written over 20 years later.

As a takeaway, Han Chen suggested that people pay more attention to less well-known composers. Just as great composers can write poor works, lesser composers can produce great works. He felt that Rubinstein’s Sonata No. 4 was such a work.

CLICK HERE to support Han Chen’s new Rubinstein CD!

Prizewinning Pianist Jack Gao’s Concert of Contrasts

Wednesday, January 10th, 2024 by Ken Turner

Jack Gao playing on Sunday January 7th 2024

I was thrilled to see Jack Gao perform at a salon concert in New York on January 7th. The concert was a co-presentation by host Robin Shoemaker and the Center for Musical Excellence, Director Min Kwon.

Ms. Kwon enthused about how well Jack played at the 2023 Gina Bachauer Piano Competition at Juilliard, where he won First Prize. More recently, he placed first at the 2023 Naumburg International Piano Competition.

She also noted that Jack will make his Carnegie Debut on February 5th 2024.

J. S. Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G major

Jack’s opening Allemande was elegantly phrased and captivating. I also enjoyed the contrast-laden Loure, whose halting tempo was sustained by effortless ripples and spiralling vortices.

But by far my favorite part of the Suite was Jack’s sublimely spiritual Sarabande, which at times hinted at Bach’s Goldberg Aria.

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90

I wasn’t sure what to make of this unusual sonata. The first movement was both pleasant and disturbing, light and dark, beautiful and dreadful. And yet there was always a sense that yin and yang would eventually resolve.

I liked how Mr. Gao evoked these contrasting moods. I liked when he unleashed Beethoven’s anguish and then let it fade. And I loved how he created those ethereal pianissimos. But I need to listen to this work again in order to grasp it better.

Liszt: Transcendental Étude No. 5, “Feux Follets”

After Beethoven’s relatively gloomy sonata, Liszt’s brash Etude allowed the pianist to have some much-needed fun. Jack’s delivery was a crowd-pleaser, entertaining and virtuosic.

Bartok: Piano Sonata

This Bartok was not an easy listen for me. While at times it was boisterously festive, at other times it felt like biting on eggshell in your omelet. This was no fault of the pianist, who played with power and conviction.

Min Kwon and Jack Gao play Brahms

Brahms: Hungarian Dances No. 1 and No. 4 for four hands

For the first Brahms dance, Jack played Secondo (left side), powering Brahms’ lush, romantic main theme. Ms. Kwon took Primo, sprinkling the room with upper register twinkles.

For the second dance, the pianists switched roles. I found myself laughing as Jack played mischievous seconds. It was a spirited, entertaining performance.

Gao, Lowenthal, Kwon

Surprises

Wrapping up the evening, Min Kwon introduced two distinguished members of the audience: pianist Ursula Oppens and pianist Jerome Lowenthal.

Mr Lowenthal joined Ms. Kwon and Mr. Gao to play Rachmaninoff’s Romance for 6 hands, a beautiful work that felt all the more special because it was being performed by pianists from 3 generations.

Unfortunately it also meant that this fascinating concert of contrasts was coming to a close.

Postscript

After the recital I spent a few minutes with Jack Gao. When I asked him how he felt about his Beethoven sonata, he lit up with enthusiasm and started explaining its construction. Jack is a versatile musician who clearly loves what he is doing, and his future looks bright.

Host Robin with Jack Gao and Min Kwon

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