Chopin still reigns supreme in Bruce Liu’s Tanglewood recital

Bruce Liu

By Edward Sava-Segal, 17 August 2023

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“Unfettered by any technical concerns, the pianist seemed to enjoy playing every phrase”

Reviewed at Tanglewood, Seiji Ozawa Hall, Lenox on 16 August 2023

Rameau, Pièces de clavecin: Les tendres plaintes

Rameau, Pièces de clavecin: Les cyclopes

Rameau, Suite in G major (Menuets I & 2)

Rameau, Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin: Les sauvages

Rameau, Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin: La Poule

Rameau, Suite in A minor, RCT 5: Gavotte et six doubles

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 21 in C major "Waldstein", Op.53

Chopin, 3 Nouvelles études, Op.posth

Chopin, Nocturne in C sharp minor, "Lento Con Gran Espressione", Op. posth, B 49

Chopin, Piano Sonata no. 2 in B flat minor 'Funeral March', Op.35

Kapustin, Variations, Op.41

Bruce Liu, Piano

Yamada and the CBSO’s Walton expedition at the Elbphilharmonie

Mengguang Huang, 10th March

In Hamburg, Kazuki Yamada and the CBSO navigate the thorny brilliance of Walton’s First Symphony, proving that ‘difficult’ music can offer an evening’s most profound human connection.

****1

Virtuosity and elegance: Bruce Liu at Carnegie Hall

Susan Stempleski, 20th February

Following his acclaimed 2025 all-Russian recital at Carnegie Hall, the young Canadian pianist returns with a wide-ranging, imaginative program spotlighting his virtuosity and elegance.

****1

Shakespearean drama from the China NCPA Orchestra

Mengguang Huang, 15th August

At the final stop of its European tour, the China NCPA Orchestra, led by Myung-Whun Chung with Bruce Liu, deliver luminous precision, refined Ravel and cinematic Prokofiev at the Elbphilharmonie.

****1

A trio of exiled composers: Petrenko and the RPO at the RFH

David Truslove, 23rd March

Assured performances from the RPO as part of its ongoing “Lights in the Dark” series that brought career correspondences between three markedly different composers.

****1

The power of individuality: Bruce Liu at Carnegie Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 24th January

The Canadian pianist plays a Carnegie Hall programme exploring he expressive depths of Russian music, with Tchaikovsky's The Seasons as a frame.

*****

Hats off: Bruce Liu takes Wigmore Hall by storm

Asher Rubenstein, 14th July

The Chinese-Canadian pianist put his extroversion on full display in an unforgettable Wigmore debut.

*****

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Edward Sava-Segal

Edward has been living in New York for the last 25 years, one of the reasons being the extraordinarily rich cultural life in this city. He has studied piano and classical music in his early years. He switched later on to computer science and data architecture but he kept an unwavering interest in following the classical music phenomenon here in New York and in his travels. Edward occasionally reviews fine arts events for the most prestigious literary magazine in Romania, his home country.