Van Cliburn Archives - ROVING PIANIST

Han Chen playing Thomas Adès

On August 10th, 2018 Robin Shoemaker once again hosted pianist Han Chen at his Central Park West salon.

Mr. Chen’s program consisted of his repertoire for an upcoming competition in Calgary, Canada.

Han Chen thanked Robin and guests for the opportunity to play these works before a live audience. He explained that this is an essential part of how a pianist prepares.

Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 19 in C Minor D. 958

From the semi-religious grandeur of the opening chords to the manic gallop of the last movement, Han Chen played Schubert’s Sonata with a driven energy that captivated his listeners. At times the rhythm of the piano was reflected in audience motion, as if people were feeling an urge to get up and dance.

On a sticky New York evening the keyboard can get slippery. A couple of times Mr. Chen had to dry his fingertips. He did this in the blink of an eye, with an arm gesture that looked like pianistic panache. If I had not been seated up front, I would have perceived it as Lang Lang style swagger.

Thomas Adès: Concert Paraphrase on Powder Her Face

Chen immersed himself in this contemporary work with conviction. He was fun to watch because his style is very expressive, but I did not understand Concert Paraphrase on Powder Her Face. Its erratic rhythms and pauses, drifting harmonies and apparent lack of melody left me feeling confused.

I reached out to Mr. Chen after the recital for insight. He explained that the work arose from an Adès opera, and talked about the appeal of the technical challenges of the work.

Franz Liszt: Reminiscences de Don Juan

Host Robin with pianist Han Chen

Under Han Chen’s hands, this demanding work was entertaining and impressive. You can watch him perform it at the Rubenstein Competition (2017) on YouTube at CHEN Han | F. Liszt – Réminiscences of Don Juan, S. 418, Stage I.

On this evening at Central Park West he rose to the challenge literally, rising from the piano bench to put more emphasis into key moments. At one point he even seemed to snarl at the piano.

[encore] Glinka arr Liszt: Chernomor’s March from Ruslan and Lyudmila

I was surprised that Mr. Chen gave an encore after playing his full program with no break. This short and punchy work was a pleasant bonus, at times reminiscent of Mussorgsky.

Han Chen and the Honens Piano Competition

I first saw Han Chen play at Robin’s home in 2017. It was a remarkable event that you can read about in my post Pianist Han Chen at Central Park West. Han went on to reach the semi-finals of the 2017 Van Cliburn Piano Competition.

It was our great pleasure to be Han’s audience for this dry run for the 2018 Honens Piano Competition. His selection showcases his enormous power and virtuosity, affording him moments of triumph reminiscent of Lang Lang. He will do well at this competition.

And Yet

And yet, the moments I personally liked most came during the Schubert Sonata, where Han’s keyboard alternately bubbled with joi-de-vivre and gleamed with serenity. If it is for young pianists like Han Chen to challenge us with new music such as Thomas Adès, it is for those of us at the other end of life’s spectrum to encourage Mr. Chen to share more of his reflective side.

Robin Shoemaker with Han Chen, May 20th 2017

At the May 20th 2017 concert at the Shoemaker salon on Central Park West, Han Chen played romantic era works by Scriabin, Schubert and Liszt. He also played the hybrid Bach-Busoni Chaconne. What a swoon-fest!

Bach-Busoni: Chaconne in D minor

Ferrucio Busoni’s arrangement of Bach’s ethereal Violin Partita No. 2 applies romantic piano technique to baroque underpinnings. Han Chen’s signature touch was to reign in Bach’s crescendos to a precise but somber procession of thunderclaps, and then cut loose to a hectic race into the high arpeggios.

The acoustics of the Shoemaker salon were perfect for this work, enriching and damping the dominant bass. And yet, there was a detached, clinical feel to Mr. Chen’s rubato that left me wanting less cultivated drama and more instinctive passion.

Scriabin: Fantasy, Op. 28

The Scriabin Fantasy in B minor Op. 28 is a sweeping, sonorous work. I enjoyed the oceanic feel delivered by Han Chen, and was struck by his ability to bring out the color in Scriabin’s complex harmonies.

Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy, Op. 15, D. 760

In the Schubert, as with the Scriabin, Han Chen again demonstrated nuanced partial-pedal coloring. At times his right hand seemed like a passel of faeries dancing tiptoe across the upper registers. At other times his Schubert sounded Schubertianly (sic) ponderous. This is somewhat the nature of the Wanderer Fantasy, coming from the early part of the romantic era.

Liszt: Sonata in B Minor

Han Chen plays Liszt at Central Park West

Han Chen plays Liszt chez Shoemaker

Punctuated at the beginning and the end by a low staccato G, the great Liszt B Minor piano sonata is about half an hour long. This demanding work is so well-known that it has to be delivered with compelling authority, and Han Chen had no difficulty doing so.

From its deceptively simple opening to its keyboard-cracking crescendos, the slight Mr. Chen was totally on top of Liszt’s Sonata and performed it with impressive power and panache. Liszt broke pianos while playing works such as this, so I had to wonder whether Mr. Chen’s hands hurt afterwards. My ears certainly did.

Han Chen

I had no idea what to expect of Han Chen, other than the technical excellence that we take for granted in Julliard musicians. But at the end of the day, Mr. Chen’s Liszt Sonata overshadowed the rest of his program. It left most of us stunned, and your reviewer’s ears ringing.

In his closing remarks, our host Robin Shoemaker noted that in just a few days Han Chen would be participating in the Van Cliburn Competition. We wish Mr. Chen the best of luck: he certainly seems up to the challenge.