A Double Demonstration
Frederic Chiu at the keyboard
BEHIND THE NEW spectacularly engineered Yamaha grand piano stood, not a stylish piano bench, but a folding wooden chair. And the pianist, Frederic Chiu, didn’t even sit in it right away.
Instead, he stood, addressed the audience warmly, and explained in wonderful detail why he had chosen the selections for the first half of the program—namely to demonstrate how the piano had evolved from its original straightforward way of being played into a virtuosic vessel from which pianists learned to extract an astonishing array of sounds, textures, colors, and personal expression.
Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, and Prokofiev: each the herald of a unique style of playing and a new dimension of musical exploration.
After the intermission, before launching into Franz Liszt’s transcription of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Frederic described how Liszt was essentially responsible for introducing audiences around the world to Beethoven’s symphonies by playing his transcriptions at a time (circa 1830s) when orchestras were not large enough, capable enough, or well led enough (by a daring enough conductor) to play the real thing themselves.
All of this was fascinating, of course. I would have been content to hear Frederic speak much longer—so lucidly and passionately did he speak about the history of music and these enigmatic musicians. But he had come to play, and that’s what he did, although there was something noticeably different about this performance.
Yamaha CFX concert grand
It was not just the high-definition fidelity of the new Yamaha, or the sleek race-car look of its sound board, or the lightning bolts of treble and bass that it shot forth with alarming power. No, it was the way Frederic sat down, gathered himself, and went about the complex task of bringing these men and their music to life—as though coaxing them from the keyboard.
From the first note it was evident that we were watching a master pianist working his craft. And what a pair. On the one hand, this latest ‘Mercedes’ of pianos with its innovative technology and perfect veneer—complemented on the other hand by the equally measured precision and elegance with which Frederic managed the instrument.
The first image that came to mind when he sat down and started playing was that of a master carpenter at his bench operating a lathe, or an expert watch maker assembling—perfectly—an assortment of intricately related parts.
Only later did I learn (from Frederic’s web site) that he is also a connoisseur of concentration: of playing the piano, not for its own sake, but with as much awareness and conscious care as possible. It is something he took interest in as his professional career unfolded and as he noticed how easily musicians can become so immersed in the learning and playing of music that their lives become music-centric and they become, by default, anti-social.
Frederic Chiu
From these observations, Frederic initiated his novel series of workshops and master classes called “Deeper Piano Studies.” Rather than focusing on the music itself and on improving technique, he leads his students and clients into the less explored territory of expanding their awareness, their mental approach to learning and understanding pieces, and their appreciation of both the music and the audiences who listen to it.
This man plays the piano marvelously. He dispenses with fanfare. He even dispenses with the traditional piano bench. And he speaks about music as eloquently as he plays it.
I just hope he is writing down (or recording) some of what he is saying to his audiences, students, and workshop participants. Because, like the five piano masters that he brought with him to the Memminger Auditorium last week, Mr. Chiu is breaking new ground and adding new dimensions to the way the piano can be played—to the fuller enjoyment of pianists as well as their eager listeners.
Yes, we got a double demonstration last week: of a newly engineered piano and a newly engineered way of playing it.
Learn more about Frederic Chiu at his web site. Learn more about Deeper Piano Studies.
Frederic Chiu’s concert at the Memminger was part of the College of Charleston’s International Piano Series, now in its twenty-first year under the capable hands of Artist-in-Residence, Enrique Graf.
