The Piano: A Journey from Hubris to Humility

David Fung (Artist), Bach (Composer), Ravel (Composer), Liszt (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Bach, Ravel, Liszt
• Audio CD (August 8, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Yarlung Records
• ASIN: B000ASKBPG
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #555,066 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From the Artist

"Les Jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este" is influenced by the famous fountains at Villa d’Este in Tivoli, outside of Rome. The music evokes the splendor of the waterworks and rivals their beauty with the piece’s enchanting harmonic style. Liszt took inspiration from the gospel of St. John in this composition: "But the water which I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water leaping into eternal life." Liszt’s work foreshadows Ravel’s "Jeux d’Eau." Not unlike his smaller works, Liszt’s B-Minor Sonata takes the audience on a transformative journey, binding all of its thematic sections into a unified whole. These themes cover the gamut of human emotion and spirituality, from wild outrage to transcendent acceptance and peace. Liszt’s fugue, which follows the slow middle section of the sonata, reflects Liszt’s love and reverence for Bach. Ravel’s completed his lyrical and famous "Pavane pour une infante défunte" during his years at the Paris Conservatory.! "La Valse" began as an homage to Johann Strauss. Ravel described the earlier 1914 version of the work as "a sort of apotheosis of the Viennese waltz", with "the impression of a fantastic and fatal whirling." When making this recording, we wanted to give the listener the experience of a concert performance in a great concert hall, not the surgical "in-your-face" sound one hears so often in new recordings. I hope you feel like you are sitting in the tenth row of magnificent Zipper Hall in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a breath of fresh air. And what a musical performance!, August 12, 2005

By 

K. C. Darragh (Pasadena, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Piano: A Journey from Hubris to Humility (Audio CD)

What an aptly named CD. Not since the long-gone days of "high fidelity" (1970-1974, the quintessence of the analog era) have I heard such beautiful recorded tone from a piano. Highs clear but round and warm, lows rich and defined. The overtones not "mathematized" out of shape, as in so many digital recordings from the last 15 years. The artist, David Fung, has a touch that brings out the beauty of the sound as well as its variety. And his performances cast new perspectives on the works he interprets. I particularly enjoyed the contrasting readings of the Bach and the Ravel. Each so interesting and so different.(!) I am a particular fan of the Liszt B Minor Sonata. Before hearing David Fung, my favorites were the early Horowitz, and the Richter on Mercury. Now I have three favorites.