Buena Park, CA (November 09, 2004) — Yamaha Artist
Frederic Chiu is no stranger to rave reviews. Audiences and critics alike have compared aspects of his artistry to Glenn Gould's offbeat interpretations and programming, Rachmaninoff's aristocratic elegance, and the virtuosity of Godowsky. Following his London debut, the
Evening Standard described him as "more than a mere concert pianist." Montreal's
La Presse declared him "a pianistic genius," while the Los Angeles
Times acknowledged "a mind behind those fast fingers." For
Le Monde de la Musique, "Chiu has reinvented a form of virtuosity … a phenomenon that must be heard."
The acclaim continues with Chiu's latest CD release,
Chopin, Twelve Etudes, Op. 25. In the October 10, 2004 issue of the San Francisco
Chronicle, Arts and Culture critic Steven Winn cites Chiu's "sensual, shimmering account" of Chopin's work. Winn observes that "Chiu reminds us that while the action of a piano may be percussive, it is at its core a stringed instrument. Phrases are stroked and strummed. Melodic lines sing out as if bowed. A dancing, pizzicato touch brightens Etude No. 8."
Chiu's power and intensity are likewise noted. "Chiu is certainly capable of generating a mighty storm of sound, as well" Winn says. "Etude No. 10 has a ferocious drive, and No. 11 marches off with a martial sense of purpose." Winn also notes Chiu's "swaggering performance of the Op. 60 Barcarolle and a sweetly ingenuous reading of the Berceuse, Op. 57."
Chopin, Twelve Etudes, Op. 25 is available on Harmonia Mundi.
