pianomania: RACHEL CHEUNG PIANO RECITAL @ STEINWAY GALLERY

RACHEL CHEUNG Piano Recital

Steinway Gallery Singapore

Sunday (27 July 2025), 2.30 pm

The perennial questions why Hong Kong pianists achieve where Singaporean pianists fear to tread resurfaced when Rachel Cheung returned to Singapore for a piano recital and masterclasses. The 34-year-old Hongkonger was the first pianist from the former British crown colony to reach both the grand finals of the Leeds (2009) and Van Cliburn (2017) International Piano Competitions. In Fort Worth, TX, she was also awarded the Audience Prize, which was emulated by fellow Hongkonger Aristo Sham, 1st Prizewinner at this year's Van Cliburn.

Young pianists from Hong Kong
have conquered the world:
Aristo Sham, Tiffany Poon,
Colleen Lee and KaJeng Wong.

Is it the water in the SAR which brings about such other pianistic talents like YouTube sensation Tiffany Poon, Warsaw Chopin finalist Colleen Lee and KaJeng Wong, who has already made three recital albums? No, it's probably a combination of good teaching, artistic environment (HK is still miles ahead of SG) and a "can do" spirit which make them world-beaters while we tend to take it easy and rest on our laurels. Even humble Malaysia has Tengku Irfan, Magdalene Ho and Vincent Ong (participant in Warsaw this year) to make us look over our shoulders.

What did Rachel perform at the Steinway Gallery? She began not with selected movements but the complete Schumann Fantasiestucke Op.12, eight movements displaying an enormous range in her playing. How she found a seamless lyricism in the opening Des Abends was admirable, contrasted with the soaring ecstasy of Aufschwung and the quizzical musings of Warum?.

If there were an ultimate test to the Steinway D's sonority and resonance, the smouldering In der Nacht fully captured that and a bit more. The spirits of Schumann's alter egos Florestan and Eusebius were realised in that virtuosic number, later kicking in for Fabel and Traumes Wirren which had playfulness and fantasy to equal degree. The valedictory Ende vom Lied provided a satisfying close to the set.

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel's birth, Rachel performed Jeux d'eau and Pavane pour une infante defunte. The impressionist splashy water-play with Lisztian flourishes found a perfect foil in the Belle Epoque and austere charm of the latter. This certainly was not a dead pavane, to quote the Frenchman's own witty words.

Closing the recital proper was Liszt's Waltzes from Gounod's Faust, a series of virtuosic dances combining the whimsical, romantic and ultimately fantastic impulses from the opera. The filigree of its cadenzas was well done, and Rachel certainly had the physical heft to surmount its big hitting climaxes. There was a mad rush with spilt notes towards to end but she brought out louds cheer from the salon audience in attendance. Now one longs to hear her Mephisto Waltzes or Don Juan Fantasy sometime.

There was time for an encore, Erik Satie's Gymnopedie No.1 to mark the 100th anniversary of the eccentric Frenchman's death. The playing was simplicity and elegance personified.