11th December 2022 – We had the honour of attending an intimate recital session by Song Ziliang, an International Pianist and Educator at the Bechstein Music World Recital Hall.
Song Ziliang was described in the Straits Times as ‘brimming with talent and conviction’ and ‘grandly good’ following sold-out concerts and recitals. Ziliang graduated from the Royal College of Music, London with a Masters of Music in Performance (Distinction) under the tutelage of Gordon Fergus-Thompson. He has also studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Mikhail Petukhov. His studies in Russia and the UK were sponsored by the Trailblazer Foundation.
Currently a music educator, Ziliang contributes to the development of the arts through annual performances and commissioning musical works based on Singaporean themes, such as the Laksa Cantata by Chen Zhangyi.
With a hope to foster greater inclusivity within our communities, Ziliang continues to perform on the piano, curating programmes that explore parallels across different cultures.
In his recital program on the 11th of December, Ziliang chose a number of pieces from composers whose music is closely linked to the Bechstein piano. Incidentally, some of these pieces are also close to his heart
| Ren Guang – Wang Jianzhong | 彩云追月 Colourful Clouds Chasing The Moon |
| The next three pieces, all in the key of D-flat, were played in succession. Interestingly, Ziliang points out, composers from East and West chose the key of D-flat to express their interpretations of moonlight. Perhaps our cultures are not so different after all. | |
| Lu Wencheng – Chen Peixun | 平湖秋月 Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake |
| Claude Debussy | Clair de Lune |
| Franz Liszt | Étude No. 3, Un sospiro from Three Concert Études S.144 |
| Following the succession of 3 pieces, Ziliang remarked a quote from Claude Debussy saying that his (Debussy’s) music sounded best on a Bechstein grand. Indeed every dynamic shift and delicacy was crystal clear on the Bechstein D282 Concert Grand Piano that Ziliang played that afternoon. He even commented on a review of the recent concert by Sir Stephen Hough playing on the same model of piano (which we also had the honor of attending earlier this year) that said, the author heard nuances in the music that he had never heard before on any other piano. Bechstein pianos are truly a marvel of piano craftsmanship!The program then went on to explore a genre of the Romantic era that was a feature in the period that the Bechstein piano was born with the Chopin Etude and Ballade, and then closed with a piece that was premiered on a Bechstein piano. | |
| Frederic Chopin | Etude in E minor, Op 25. No. 5 Ballade in G minor, Op. 23 |
| Bach-Busoni | Chaconne in D minor |
All in all, this was a beautifully curated program executed wonderfully on a beautiful instrument that brings past tradition into a bright future! We certainly look forward to Song Ziliang’s next recital.
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