Waves
Rameau: Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin – Gavotte et six doubles; Les Sauvages; Menuet I & II; La Poule etc; Ravel: Miroirs; Alkan: Barcarolle; Le festin d’Ésope
Bruce Liu (piano)
DG 486 4400 56:18 mins
There are now hundreds of piano prizes – and classical music contests more generally, as seen in the recent expansion of the World Federation of International Music Competitions – however, few hold sway like the International Chopin Piano Competition. Ahead of the 2020 instalment (which would be delayed until 2021), director Artur Szklener visited London and, at an event hosted by the UK’s Chopin Society, drummed up support for the series, reminding us of prestigious past winners: Maurizio Pollini (1960), Martha Argerich (1965), Krystian Zimerman (1975) et al. Latest gold medalist Bruce Liu may not be cut from the same cloth, but, as this recital album reveals, he’s certainly haberdashery adjacent.
Waves is the 26-year-old’s first studio recording for DG, following the release of a glorious collection of live performances captured during the competition. Having proved his affinity for Chopin, Liu tackles three French behemoths of the keyboard: Rameau, Alkan and Ravel. Recorded with an acoustic like a dry Riesling, the Gavotte et six doubles is pristine without any primness. Liu finds a rare – miraculous – balance between the liquidity that works so well in Chopin and the lightly plucked style that retains the essence of Rameau’s originally harpsichord-based music. Les Sauvages and a selection of excerpts act as refreshing reboots among the Gallic wizardry. Alkan’s beautiful Barcarolle straddles thoughtful intent and casual poetic brilliance (practically on a par with Marc-André Hamelin via Hyperion) and Le festin d’Ésope is a virtuosic romp packed with humorous insight. The inclusion of Ravel’s entire five-movement Miroirs elevates the collection; from the fluttering Noctuelles to the tolling La vallée des cloches, Liu demonstrates further versatility and verve. Claire Jackson