Topics

available for streaming at BBC radio for those who can't wait for the RPC release:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05nsxcp

The last romantic of the 21st century, Professor Tyzen Hsiao passed away earlier this morning 9.00am (LA time) due to long-term illness and cancer. He composed three concertos, Requiem 'Formosa', Formosa Symphony, choral and piano works. His most famous works, the piano concerto op.53, said to be the incarnation of the composer himself, was underplayed and never performed in the composer's hometown, Kaoshiung.

Modern recording of the three concertos by NTSO:
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Taiwan%2BPhilharmonic%252C%2BNational%2BSymphony%2BOrchestra/MD005

Reposted via my own blogspot, not mentioned in this forum before.

"Felix Mendelssohn composed the piano part of a joint composition with Joseph Merk, noted Austrian cellist, it is not known where the theme of the set of variations came from, but a wonderful theme it is! Score originally set for cello and piano but only the piano part by Felix Mendelssohn survived. By using themes in the piano part, Taglietti figured out the cello part. A video of the premiere has been recorded and released in conjunction with the DVD - Mendelssohn Unknown, featured Roberto Prosseda and Steven Isserlis."

Composed 11 years earlier than his variations seriuses, I found this piece extremely enjoyable both melodically and technically though it's a reconstruction. Video is unlisted:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L56pbIwPeQo

Not going into further details about this composer, I will like to recommend this piece in particular. It is actually a symphonic variations featuring the piano, comprised of an introduction, a brief theme, 14 variations and ends with a blast. The piano part is quite difficult according to the composer's writing style. It also imitates various instruments like pipa (traditional chinese) and also percussions. It has rapid parallel thirds, different patterns of octave passages. ''Gulangyu'' is a small island in Xiamen province, it is famous as it is the birthplace for many famous pianists (geniuses), one of it being Hsu-Fei Ping, Huang's best friend. Huang dedicated his piano concerto No.2 to Hsu, and was premiered by him. Hsu suggested Huang to composed a work for its beloved hometown ''Gulangyu'' and was not fulfilled after Hsu's tragic death. Hsu died in a car accident in Harbin at the age 48. This piano poem, composed in 2006, 5 years after his death, was a memoriam to Hsu.
Talking about Hsu Fei Ping, many people summoned him to play the ''Yellow River'' but he rejected. He said, politically, this work was created solely due to the Cultural Revolution; musically, it was just combining folk elements into a four movement piece, it could hardly be called as a concerto, also, lack of creativity.

Here is the best video I can find, on tudou:
Piano Poem ''Gulangyu''
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/SrIDfPUhkDY/
Piano Concerto No.2 (by the same composer, Hsu playing)
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/jQl9ECUH4eA/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/1Kxj_SUGPg0/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/djgl_4Wvy2c/

Sources for the texts are translations from Chinese articles.