Customer Reviews

Chopin: Scherzi/Impromptus

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been very excited after listening to this CD. Again, this disc demonstrated Li's virtuosity and poetic style. There are plenty of fresh and inspiring interpretations without any distortion whatsoever. From the way he had played these pieces, you know he is an artist with great depth.

Li's scherzi are more dramatic, masculine and full of contrasts if you compare him with other pianists such as Pollini, Ashkenazy, Martha argerich, Ivo Pogorelich, Dang Thai Son, Arthur Rubinstein, Samson Francois, Josef Hofmann, Claudio Arrau, Benedetti Micheiangeli, Horowitz, Sviatoslav Richter and a few others. I have never heard scherzi played with so much virtuosity and contrasts before. Li had played these scherzi with rare clearity and details. He had brought out all the details not only from the outer section, there are clear details from the bass as well. You will notice at once his clear bass for bar 14, 15, 22 and 23 of scherzo No.1 which I don't hear from other pianists. I thought I had liked Benedetti Micheiangeli's scherzo No. 2 the best, but Li's scherzo No.2 is even more inspiring and masculine. The way he surged forward and slowing down, you seem to agree with every note he had played. But what you will enjoy most is the emotion Li had put in for these scherzi. Li's scherzi is full of life, youthful energy and passion. He is just the opposite to Pollini who is always too detached and clinical for me. It's exactly the emotion and virtuosity he had put in for these four scherzi that had distinguished his scherzi from others'. At the end of Scherzi No.3, Li had built up the crescendo gradually with great virtuosity and then just exploded with full emotion. I had never enjoyed scherzi so much before. For the slower lyrical parts of the four scherzi, being a first prize winner of the prestigious Chopin Competition, Li had certainly played with very tasteful and convincing rubati.

The three impromtus are beautifully played. You will also notice Li's sensitivity in music from the way he played these impromptus. Li is so articulate that you sometimes hear whispering and murmuring from him as if he was telling you a tale.

Like Li's previous Liszt album which had won him New York Times Best CD award in 2003, I strongly recommend this Chopin scherzi and impromtus.

This is the third disc released by this amazing young Chinese pianist and 2000 winner of the Warsaw Chopin prize - the first winnner of first prize there in fifteen years (contest held every five) - after the jury may have been embarrassed by who they gave it out to one or two previous times. This disc, above the other two he has released (though the Liszt is certainly very nearly worth owning too), shows a thorough command of the idiom, whereas his debut first Chopin disc did not quite. Li continues his studies in Hannover with Arie Vardi, and took a year off from making any recordings, before making this one. He's 22 and taking his time, i.e., has not made it here to Houston yet, whereas we've had five visits from Lang Lang, so at least a few of us here hope he will eventually get around to us.

Emotional connection with the music on this disc shows a little containment or a slight lack of abandon in a few spots, but he makes something very dramatic and narrative about the B-Flat Minor Scherzo, and which reveals an unusually heard grand formal scheme to this warhorse, very convincingly making something of the charnel house out of it - better than the more laidback Rubinstein (1959, RCA) mentioned below. He takes the almost enormous risk of a huge, very steeply arched crescendo toward the end of the C-sharp Minor. He also brings a special feeling of melancholy to the middle section of the fourth in E Major, as he also does in the second impromptu over very controlled rolling octaves, if he misses the little extra lightness that Rubinstein brings to arpeggi and trills in a few spots during the fourth scherzo here. Any sectional feeling about the B Minor I did not find quite excessive, but the voice leadings from lower registers impressive, if all in all not quite the performance to put Rubinstein again in the shade. And yet, if any moments during the scherzi reveal any mild shortcomings interpretatively, his spinning out of the long lyric line in each of the three impromptus, lit from within with deep feeling and introspection finds an artist who has matured intepretatively a good ways beyond his age, and one who has put backphrasing or any such excess far off to the side by the time these Chopin sessions of last year were put together. His first Chopin disc dates from 2001.

Ultimately, this is playing that goes toe-to-toe with any of the great Chopin pianists of at least the recent past - Rubinstein, Pollini, Argerich, Zimerman. I made the comparison with Argerich after hearing this guys' first disc, then revoking it after listening to her late 1960's recording of the Chopin B Minor Sonata (on Mr. Li's first disc), yet while still acknowledging that I had heard something worth reckoning with. No such comparison was necessary this time. This is a truly amazing disc - from a notably still young pianist originally from the innermost reaches of mainland China (Szechuan) and one who is indefatigably fastidious, and by the same token somewhat patrician in tastes about his Chopin, yet doing his level best to hide anything so painstaking about it. One looks forward to his expansion into other repertory.

As a musician myself i take great care in reviewing others' works. I would like to start by addressing what I believe is a common "mistake" in music analysis. For example, comparing Pollini or Arrau with Yundi Li and Leif Andsnes. Just as music evolves, so does its audience. What stirred the soul in 1950 may not be equivalent today. Further, since the pieces do not change while pianists do, they are forced to play it differently if for no other reason than to avoid comparison. Today's pianist has to address today's audience. Thus, if you are buying Li's cd to hear something that sounds like Arrau or Horowitz I believe you are missing the point. In the end the pianist's appeal should rest on the individual soul.

Having said that I wish to comment on the more "academic" aspects of the work. What is striking about Yundi's playing is his sense of continuity. He seems to understand intuitively the evolution and structure of the individual piece. This is a trait that is essential in composition. Great veteran pianists possess this as well. For his age it is remarkable. Second, he has a very smooth style that combines sensitivity with a sense of effortlessness. For this reason, overall I believe his Chopin is better than his Liszt. This is not to say that he has an inadequate sense of drama. His finale to the third scherzo is rather impressive. Third, he has his own voice - a pre-requisite for a lasting career.

It will certainly be interesting to see him record something from the classical repertoire, like Beethoven. In the mean time, I would highly recommend this CD to all piano lovers. For now its four stars...hopefully the best is yet come from this very promising talent.

Without question Yundi Li is a pianist with the gift. At this stage in his career he is refining his technique and offers Chopin (in this recording) with technical virtuosity and clarity of tone and pedaling. This is crisp, highly delineated playing that is refreshing to the ear. Certainly many other young pianists with his good looks well captured by sensitive photographers, dignified stage presence, and nobility of style have fallen victim to the dangers of pushing a career too fast: it is difficult not to follow the call of stardom.

But I think the young Yundi Li is pacing himself well. While he at this point does not play with the passion and the heart of the masters, he does communicate the finite details of the works of the composers he performs. To this listener's ear the passion is under the surface and will radiate when the works he is performing gel a bit longer. Being a follower of the 'true romantic pianists' these may be strong presumptions, but Li has a quality of involvement rather than detachment that seems to promise the soul of the works will follow.

It is perhaps unfair to compare Li with his contemporary Lang Lang, but both are young gifted artists and both are climbing the ladder of success. Audiences love them both even though they are polarized: Li is the cool authoritative technician while Lang Lang is the fiery passionate performance artist. And we may take our pick depending on personal preference and repertoire. For now, this CD of Lundi's Chopin Scherzi and Impromtus is a refined and elegant recording. Recommended. Grady Harp, June 05

"This is not just playing, but story-telling.. . He has a steely technique that always serves the music and never shows off for its own sake." - Kenneth LaFave

I have to say that the more I listen to this CD, the more I admire Yundi Li's impeccable technique and his fresh interpretation. His translucent, pearl-like keyboard sound in this DG fine recording make this CD tremendously enjoyable.

Wonder why, four months after the CD was released in the US, Amazon.com has not posted more editorial reviews. There are many reviews in both print and web media. I would like to paste a few here and hope they are helpful.

Listen to this radio review online:

The Arizona Republic CD of the week

http://www.kbaq.org/music/cdreviews/20050109

by Kenneth LaFave

Chicago Tribune,

John von Rhein

Published March 20, 2005

Only 18 when he won the Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2000 (the youngest contestant ever to win the gold medal), the Chinese pianist Yundi Li dispatches this recital with a panache, poetry and musicality that mark him as a commanding Chopin interpreter.

Li has something of his own to bring to the four Scherzos. The easy brilliance of his pianism is apparent from the bravura opening of the Scherzo No. 1, with its rippling arabesques and glittering runs. The second scherzo, in which formidable chordal sequences and scales are set off by quieter, more graceful pages, evinces power and nuance that set Li apart from many of today's younger firebrands. The third and fourth scherzos are delicate, subtly complex creations; here Li's flexibility puts him fully inside the sensibility of Chopin.

The pianist acquits himself equally well in the three Impromptus, with their tricky dancelike passages and subtle contrasting themes. Let's hope Li's management lands him a recital appearance in downtown Chicago before long.

The Weekend Australian, January 22, 2005,

CLASSICAL

Murray Black

Chopin: Scherzos, Impromptus

CHOPIN was my first great love," says Chinese pianist Yundi Li -- and it shows. Of course he has the formidable technique you'd expect from a wunderkind: dazzling runs and passages, razor-sharp clarity, brilliant articulation, remarkable dynamic control. More important, though, is his warmth, intelligence and sure grasp of structure, thereby realising the individual character of each work. His scherzos are strong and supple: Li contrasts the often fiery outer sections with sensitive explorations of the melancholic middle passages. The well-paced impromptus are delicate and imaginative. Best of all is Li's cantabile and legato phrasing which, when matched with the sustained beauty of his tone, allows the music to breathe and flow. Outshining Arrau's listless octogenarian readings (Philips), Li's Chopin stands comparison with the best: Rubinstein, Pollini, Freire and Ashkenazy

NYTimes Jan. 16, 2005

Anthony Tommasini

Chopin: Scherzos, Impromptus

DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON has been promoting the young Chinese pianist Lang Lang to the sky. One slogan reads: "The future of classical music has arrived. His name is Lang Lang."

But Mr. Lang is not the only young Chinese pianist on Deutsche Grammophon's roster. Yundi Li won the prestigious Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2000, when he was 18. To judge from his new recording, a Chopin program offering the four scherzos and the three impromptus, Mr. Li's technique is as brilliant as Mr. Lang's but more refined, and Mr. Li is the more probing and sensitive musician.

There is plenty of white-hot virtuosity in his accounts of the scherzos. In the hell-bent opening of the Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Mr. Li takes off in a bolt of demonic energy and doesn't let up until the somber second theme. The notes whiz by with uncanny clarity, yet Mr. Li brings out bass lines and inner voices beautifully. He uses Chopinesque rubato liberally yet tastefully. His expressive nuances are balanced by a generally cool temperament.

The overplayed Scherzo no. 2 in B flat minor sounds wonderfully fresh in his muscular, no-nonsense performance. Scurrying passagework and gossamer textures enrich his impressive account of the Scherzo No. 4 in E, though Mr. Li might profit from listening to the 1959 recording by Arthur Rubinstein, who takes time to smell the roses. Mr. Li's maturity comes through best in his tender accounts of the impromptus.

That he is a sweetly handsome young man with an appealing stage manner gives him another leg up. But I would be more reassured about his artistic depth if I saw more names of living composers (or even composers after Ravel) on his CD and recital programs. But he is already a serious and accomplished pianist. It's encouraging to know that he is making time to continue his studies in Germany

.

If you had heard Yundi Li's playing when he was sixteen years old, you will not be surprised by these stunning performances he had delivered for this album. His musical maturity has simply well passed his chronological age.

The four Scherzi are technically quite demanding but Yundi Li had everything well under his control. As the New York Times music critic Mr.ANTHONY TOMMASINI had put it: There is plenty of white-hot virtuosity in his accounts of the scherzos.

I like the way Yundi Li ran those double octaves at about 1'10 into the play of Scherzo No.3 where he suddenly increased the speed and volume of those detached octaves. You don't hear this elsewhere.

The New York Times music critic Mr.ANTHONY TOMMASINI had written a good review for this album (published on 16th Jan). I particularly agree with him when he wrote: Mr. Li's technique is as brilliant as Mr. Lang's but more refined, and Mr. Li is the more probing and sensitive musician. He uses Chopinesque rubato liberally yet tastefully.

I strongly disagree with Dan Davis' professional review printed above. I have been listening to many recordings of Chopin's Scherzi and Yundi Li's offering is among the finest I have heard. My other complete recordings include Artur Rubinstein, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Adam Harasiewicz, Emanuel Ax, Nelson Freire, Tamas Vasary, Peter Katin, Ivan Moravec, Valerie Tryon, Ivo Pogorelich, Mikhael Pletnev, Sviatoslav Richter and Abbey Simon. I have reviewed Abbey Simon's recording elsewhere on this website and regard Yundi Li's recording as equally admirable. I would choose Li's recording above every other recording in my collection in part because his unfailingly beautiful playing is enhanced by a gorgeously recorded piano.

I was motivated to obtain this CD after having requested the identity of the pianist following radio broadcasts of the 1st scherzo and, months later, the 2nd scherzo. It is not usual for me to write to a radio station to find out who was playing, so it is an indication of the power of these performances to compel a response. Yundi Li's performance of the B minor Scherzo has the full measure of those alternately lugubrious and heavenly qualites the piece demands but often does not receive. His performance of Chopin's B-flat minor Scherzo has just the right balance between the furtive scherzo elements and the soulful melodic parts. I do not find his playing "sectional" as Mr. Davis describes. The third Scherzo, while still being outstanding, fares less impressively in my estimation, but is redeemed by its bravura finale. He ends his tour with a totally engaging interpretation of the E-flat Major Scherzo.

I am constantly amazed at how beautifully Mr. Li plays, especially since other pianists (e.g. Pletnev and Pogorelich) manage to frequently harness their astounding technique to such unmusical and uninteresting ends.

The Impromptus are also beautifully played, but the collection is marred by the enigmatic absence of the Fantasie-Impromptu. Still, I will frequently return to this disc to be renewed by this outstanding example of Chopin played beautifully. I highly recommend it.

Yundi Li's sensitivity to every single note is remarkable. He adds every little detail imaginable in his recording of Chopin's scherzi and impromptus. I had only heard Chopin's scherzi once before this recording. It sounded completely different when Yundi Li played it, in a good way, of course. His style is the clarity of great emotion made possible by astounding technique. Although Yundi Li may not yet be comparable to a pianist like Arrau in feeling and depth, his music is certainly candy to my ears.

In Scherzo No. 1 the sections that show urgency are impeccably detailed and articulated. It is almost insane how Yundi Li is able to add character to every note without muddying it at all.

At around 4:00 and 4:30 in his Scherzi No. 2, he is able to capture such great feeling and sound that it made me turn my head every time I listened to those sections.

This CD by Yundi Li really made me love Chopin's 4 scherzi. The impromptus are also played in an extremely pleasing fashion. All in all, this is one extremely great CD. Bravo! Yundi Li is certainly on a path to greatness!

Young Chinese pianist Yundi Li demonstrates yet again that he is a rapidly maturing artist of great depth and sensibility in this fine recording of Chopin's Scherzi and Impromptus. Without question, the greatest asset he brings now to his playing is his formidable technique, which is shown to be playing of ample dexerity, that others have remarked does seem to be "weightless" (This remark is noted in the liner notes of this CD recording.). Indeed, Li's performances of these Chopin pieces compare quite well with the intellectually probing playing shown by Pollini. Those interested in far more dramatic, fiery interpretations of these scores should turn elsewhere to the likes of Argerich, and especially, Arrau and Rubinstein, but still I regard Li's interpretations as equally valid as theirs. Much to his credit, Li has shown that he has ample emotional sensibility to become a great interpreter of Romantic piano music; a trait I have seen missing from his peer Lang Lang, whose performances of Chopin's, Liszt's, and Schumann's music are a far cry from those I've heard in Li's recordings. Indeed, I believe that Yundi Li seems more respectful of Chopin's intentions for these works, than Lang Lang, yet Li also manages to put his own personal stamp in his performances of the Scherzi, emphasizing not only his subtle, poetic playing, but also its fiery, dramatic intensity when it is required in these scores. Moreover, I am especially impressed with the wonderful tones he produces in his playing, without resorting to much usage of the pedal; these are clear and quite lovely to hear. The sound quality is quite superb, offering the listener the intimacy of a recital in one's own room.

I appreciate the intelligent comment from a previous reviewer that Yundi Li might do well to keep out of the public light for a while in order to mature as an artist -- he would be following in the footsteps of two previous Chopin Competition winners, Pollini and Zimerman, who returned to the stage after theeir long sbbaticals as matured musicians. I doubt that Yundi Li will opt for that. Like his comparriot Lang Lang, he carries the weight of an entire country on his shoulders and serves as China's shining example.

But like Lang Lang, coming from China deprived Yundi Li of continuity with Western musical tradition. Both pianists mastered all the notes before they had much depth. They can be forgiven now for learning on the job, as it were. Fortunately, Yundi has a lovely, sensitive, intuitive grasp of Chopin. His playing at this stage is mostly fizz without substance, yet what fizz! The four Scherzi and accompanying fillers are dashed off effortlessly. Much to my delight, here is a virtuoso who touch is gossamer, a rare thing when fistfuls of notes are pouring forth.

I agree with all the reviewers who say that it's unfair to compare this CD with great Chopin from Rubenstein, Perahia, Argerich, Cortot, Kissin, and Horowitz -- they represent a wide variance in style, and whatever the outcome of Yundi Li's style, it will surely find a place with his great predecessors.