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Han Chen at Scandinavia House NYC 2025

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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 addresses his audience

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.

Wanging It at Carnegie Hall May 2018

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Yuja Wang, Carnegie May 17 2018 (credit: Paul Vincent )

Rachmaninov Preludes and Etudes Tableaux

Yuja Wang opened her May 17th 2018 Carnegie recital with Rachmaninov’s Prelude in G Minor Op. 23 No. 5. Starting as a rousing march, this prelude erupts and transforms into an exotic fantasy. The march returns only to recede unexpectedly, as if everyone ran away.

In Yuja’s hands the opening tempo wavered, perhaps in anticipation of Rachmaninov’s cinematic legato or his final, self-deprecating wink. Her interpretation blended the contrasting sections well.

As with Ms. Wang’s 2016 Carnegie recital (reviewed here), the most enjoyable repertoire was at the beginning. I could feel Ms. Wang’s involvement with Rachmaninov, and wished for myself that she had not changed her program to include fewer preludes.

Scriabin, Sonata no. 10 Op. 70

This particular work does not do a lot for this reviewer, so I will not comment on it.

Ligeti Etudes

Before the Ligeti, someone came out to the Carnegie Steinway. At first we thought the piano had a glitch, but actually the gentleman positioned an iPad inside the piano so that Ms. Wang could sight-read. I can understand why memorizing these etudes could be a challenge, but Yuja was totally on top of this work and gave us an enchanting, virtuoso performance.

Prokofiev Sonata No. 8 in B flat major

The Carnegie program described Prokofiev’s Sonata as exhuding a sense of “peace, optimism and resilience”. While the opening has a certain serenity, my overall impression was of occasional major-key sunshine clouded by Prokofiev’s peculiar harmonies and manic rhythms. This was a demanding piece for performer and listener, but Yuja gave an epic rendition.

Seven Encores

In 2016, Yuja Wang played five encores at Carnegie. In 2018, she played seven. While the 2016 encores appeared to be chosen on the spur of the moment, the 2018 encores seemed more deliberate. Yuja traipsed off and on stage between each encore with minimal time spent acknowledging the audience, as if on a mission to cram in as much material as possible.

Fans like myself have heard various of Yuja’s Rondo Alla Turca and Carmen encores many times. This time she seemed a little ragged, but it was still immensely enjoyable, especially when she accelerated Mozart to a ridiculous speed.

Ms. Wang likes to close her encores with something reflective, and this time we got Schubert’s Gretchen am Spinnrade arr. Liszt. She sang silently while playing this. For me this was the peak of our evening with Yuja.

Yuja Wang Carnegie May 2018 (credit: Patti Turner)

Elegance and Excess

Yuja Wang came on stage in a breathtaking purple dress with skin-toned midriff. This drew wild cheers from the Carnegie audience. We expect such elegance from our cultural icons, of course.

Post-intermission Ms. Wang likes to wear something more revealing. I wonder if she realizes how hard it can be be hard to listen to her play when your view of the pianist is limited to whatever is showing under the piano.

Has Yuja Wang Grown Up?

There was more musical bite to Yuja’s 2018 program, but less spontaneity in the encores. The speed with which she raced through the encores, and the short steps she took due to high heels and tight clothing, made her look like a clockwork doll. Perhaps it was just the cumulative effect of months of touring, but to this reviewer it felt like Ms. Wang was drifting away from her audience. Has Yuja Wang grown up? Let’s hope not!