JI LIU

Dorset County Museum Music Society

BORN in Shanghai, but now resident in London, 24-year-old pianist Ji Liu is rapidly becoming one of the most illustrious of all the young virtuoso pianists now filling concert halls across the world. So it was very reassuring to see so many people eagerly awaiting his first recital in Dorset.

Ji is a self-declared fashionista, which was quite evident from his shiny silver jacket to his shoes, with diamond-like stones set into the heels! Fortunately, this flamboyance did not extend to his behaviour on the platform.

He began his recital with three pieces by Chopin, the Nocturne in C sharp minor, the Prelude in D flat major, and the Fantasie-Impromptu in C sharp minor. The calm and considered manner in which he performed these well-known pieces set the style for the rest of the concert.

There were no unnecessary or diva-like actions; he just devoted himself to performing the music as faithfully as he could to the written score. The other work in the first half was Schubert’s ‘Wanderer Fantasia’. Schubert himself said that even with his considerable technique, he couldn’t do full justice to the work.

Happily, Ji’s very impressive technique served him well, and allowed us to fully appreciate the grandeur of this work. One thrilling aspect of his playing was his ability to coax the most amazingly graded crescendi from the piano; in his hands the Society’s modest Kwai piano sounded like the finest Steinway!

After the interval, during which many copies of Ji’s latest CD were sold, the first piece we heard was Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata.

The first movement of this well-known composition was performed very eloquently, and his calm platform manner led to a very satisfying performance of the demanding final movement.

Ji then played three Gershwin songs from the Seven Virtuoso Etudes which legendary American pianist Earl Wild composed in 1973.

Ji made light work of the technical difficulties in these transcriptions, leaving us free to sit back and enjoy Gershwin’s memorable songs combined with Ji’s jazz playing ability.

By now I was running out of words to describe Ji’s performance. Suffice to say Liszt’s Paraphrase on a Waltz from Gounod’s Faust was given the bravura performance we had now come to expect!

The enthusiastic applause from the audience summed up the evening’s concert. I just hope we have the chance to hear him in Dorchester again.

RUSSELL DAWSON