<p>Contestant No.12 – ZHANG Yunling</p><p>No.1 Chopin: Etude in C minor, Op.10 No.12</p><p>-Your performance sounds very secure and the work reflects your excellent technical ability. There are many commendable things to note – the wonderful clarity of the left hand, the decisive rhythm of the right hand, the forward motion without feeling the pressure of playing faster, and of course the close attention to the dynamics of Chopin.</p><p>-Although this is a very satisfying performance you could emphasize more the contrast between the fortes and pianos, and I do not mean just loud and soft. You should consider the character and color behind the notes. And try to show, however slightly, variety between repeated passages. </p><p>-At the beginning the repeated descending pattern must be more phrased to allow for it to give the urgency of something about to happen. At the same time, as these are only an introduction, you must not play them as more important than the theme. </p><p>-Do not ignore the “hairpin” crescendos and decrescendos in the left hand, however short and small they may appear on the score. They play an important role in giving this piece its character and its incredible tumultuous atmosphere. </p><p>No.2 Chopin: Nocturne in F major, Op.15 No.1</p><p>-A very beautiful performance. You have a fine feeling for Chopin. This Nocturne reveals if the pianist has absolute control of the instrument and can keep a long cantabile line. You do have the ability and are listening in the right way, so you are well on your way to achieve these lofty ideas.</p><p>-As in the Etude, I commend you on paying close attention to the details. </p><p>-Where you could improve on is the balance between the hands. In “A” and “B” sections the sound level in both the right and left hand is far too close to each other. Make the triplet accompaniment as gentle and as soft as possible. Not only would this allow your right hand melodic line to sing more effectively, it also paints a perfect backdrop for the left hand thumb to act as a duet partner to the right hand melody. Add to this in the fifth measure the beautiful descending bass line, and when all these are balanced you have the makings for a Chopin sound.</p><p>-The key to the flexile way of playing Chopin is best heard in the first eight measures of this Nocturne. The first three measures are held back slightly by the pedal point on the tonic allowing the melody to soar above the bass. In measure 4 the bass starts to descend thus creating movement and harmonic interest – this also moves the melody forward. The fact that the bass line starts to descend, with “crescendo”, in measure 4 indicates that Chopin wants a much longer concept of line than just four measures. Harmonically, in measure 8 Chopin resolves the cadence on an E major chord – this is the leading note to F major. He wants to indicate that we must make most of this surprise when he asks for “crescendo” and “ritardando”, and sudden drop to “piano”. All these magical moments are happening in measures 7 and 8. Therefore, to reserve for this moment, do not stop at the end of measure 4 but move on. </p><p>-Be careful not to over delay the top D note in measure 20 as this “special treatment” would over shadow what comes after – meaning the next four measures. The real calling to attention is actually the “smorzando” at the end of section “A” before the storm. You must try to make everything flow and as natural as possible. Momentary inspiration must be there in the heat of performance, but this must be based on a strong understanding of the form - this perspective will guide you on how much freedom you can take within the logical artistic boundary. </p><p>-The “B” section should have some tempo relationship to section “A”. Chopin already writes “Con fuoco” which indicates clearly the character and the mood. He does not write any new tempo marking. Thus your super fast tempo here is not necessary. Moreover, your left hand descending scales need time to speak in order to carry forth the dark and scary message. Play the right hand softer and in the background, allowing the left hand to take the main role.</p><p>-Be very vigilant with dynamics in this section, Chopin places these markings in nearly every measure so it proves that he is very intense in providing information for us. Note that in the repeat, Chopin purposefully avoids “fortissimo” and further has two “crescendos” leading to sudden “piano”. All these are waves, an essential element in adding to the drama and the emotion. Unfortunately, most of these are missing in your playing.</p><p>-Your transition back to the “A” section is nicely done.</p><p>-Your ending is excellent but please do not open up the sound in the second last measure. Simply let the final phrase die away - “smorzando”.</p><p>No.3 Chopin: Scherzo No.1 in B minor, Op.20</p><p>-You give a very compelling and powerful performance, full of contrasting emotions. I like your fearless and decisive approach to this piece. Drama does not intimidate you at all. And just as important, you have the flair of a real performer, possessing the ability to make large gestures. </p><p>-Pulse: the basic construction of all Chopin’s Scherzi is the four measure phrase. The recognition of this is imperative for any performance. In this Scherzo the tempo is already set by the first two chords at the beginning, therefore you do not have the luxury of playing the chords for as long as you want - the pulse already starts with your first chord.</p><p>-I feel that you could demonstrate more the intricate details of the rhythm inside the pulse. The Scherzo is in 3/4 time but the count is one beat per measure. Inside the measure there are different groupings – for example counting in three (as in 3/4 ) or in two (as in 6/8). So from measure 78 you should feel in two, then it changes back to three from measure 94 with the accent on the first beat, then from measure 101 the accent moves to the second beat. These intricate yet exciting subtle changes add interest, and serve as the substance to drive this first section with an “agitato” feeling. </p><p>-Look carefully at all the dynamic markings as there is an abundance of information originating from Chopin. Especially important are the “sf” followed by “p” and “crescendo”. If observed this gives a marvelous feeling of ascending sweep. While in the beginning this is on a small scale, later it grows into a larger form. Following these directions will make your playing filled with spectacular colors and infinitely more interesting, and it makes the repetition worth hearing.</p><p>-In the middle section, the feeling of ebb and flow of the gentle phrases could be better executed if you observe all Chopin’s dynamic markings. Here he quotes an old Polish Christmas song which is grouped in 2 +  2 + 4 measures, shown very clearly in his dynamic indications. You must try these hairpins as they provide wonderful flexibility to the phrases. Chopin phrase markings are even clearer from measure 320 but here he builds tension through continued crescendo, again giving us the possibility of endless variety which keeps the interest throughout the work, which I feel is lacking in your interpretation. </p><p>-Coda: do not hold the second last chord too long – it is not “fermata”. Nevertheless, your performance of the virtuosic coda is very commendable and shows your ability to communicate the tragic elements of this work.</p><p>Zhang Yunling, you are a born performer! It was a pleasure to see how intensely you are involved in your performance and how you draw us into your world. All this very commendable, however, at this moment the balance favors not the making of music but the sensation of actually performing – the physical side of such activity. I am sure with hard work you can correct this, the more you know about music the more you will want to communicate it to your listeners. And I shall be hopefully one of them.</p>