<p>Contestant No.3 – LI Ying</p><p>No.1 Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op.27 No.1</p><p>-You are a natural pianist, displaying a wonderful command of the instrument. You demonstrate a great deal of understanding of the style as well as control of the numerous technical problems inherent in the work. You balance the left hand accompaniment well with the flow of the melodic line in your right hand which wonderfully produces a penetrating singing tone.</p><p>-The first section of this nocturne should be much more spacious and tranquil. Yours was more “agitato” not only because of a faster tempo, which is not advisable, but also because your left hand sometimes brought out notes in inappropriate places that inadvertently interrupted the inner tension.</p><p>-You should pay more attention to Chopin’s accents as these are more emotional than rhythmical.</p><p>-The three measures prior to “piu mosso” were not successful due to lack of patience on your part. Chopin in particularly wants “ritenuto” for these three measures to create an incredible atmosphere of foreboding stillness before something tragic.</p><p>-You produce an excellent “crescendo” in the middle section but somehow do not go all the way to the “appassionata” that has to be played with great satisfaction and fullness of sound.</p><p>-I found your playing from measure 65 rather hurried, lacking the space for the inherent dance that blossoms out of the previous chaos. Further, Chopin uses full harmonic progressions that gradually become more and more chromatic and dissonant demanding care and attention to enable the listeners to follow. </p><p>-Congratulations on the dramatic cadenza which was spun out from the huge climax that has been building up through the middle section.</p><p>-Your return to section “A” should be more of a reminiscence of the beginning section. It was again too “agitato”. </p><p>-The transformation to the major (measure 94) requires much more sensitivity and imagination in order allow the sun to come out from behind the clouds.</p><p>-The final “Adagio” must be slower, broader, and darker as if Chopin reminds us for the last time of the dark colors throughout the main portion of the work, yet ending with a moment of inner peace and reconciliation.</p><p>No.2 Chopin: Etude in A minor, Op. 10 No.2</p><p>-Wonderful performance of this very difficult etude. I like very much your tempo, your attention to shape the phrases, and control of the melodic line. You have an inherent singing tone, even during fast finger work passages, which is very admirable.</p><p>-You have conquered very successfully the intricate division of the fingers, and have made your 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers independent in your right hand. You also have made the transition from a finger exercise to a superb character piece. </p><p>-Make the work come more alive and interesting by using a wider range of crescendo and diminuendo </p><p>-Your left hand staccatos were sometimes too heavy. Involve the left hands top voices into creating some interesting melodic lines that, if played with subtlety, can become quite surprising and satisfying.</p><p>-Make sure that you don’t become slower from measure 19 onward. It is one long crescendo through six measures, so keep the momentum and build it up with a sense of direction.</p><p>-Clarify your phrasing even more as this work often tends to just flow without any feeling for the structure.</p><p>No.3 Verdi/Liszt: Rigoletto – Concert-Paraphrase</p><p>-You played this piece with flair, a great sense of drama, and emotional involvement. </p><p>-The Preludio should be performed as an introduction. You must not make it more important than the ensuing aria. </p><p>-As pianists we do not often get a chance to sing such a fabulous melody as the Duke of Mantua sings in this case, and so enjoy the melodies. Learn to breathe as if you are really singing. And take more time as the accompaniment is constructed so well as to follow the whim of singers.</p><p>-You should learn about the other characters in the opera if you want to do justice to the Liszt’s intentions, something that you are not doing here. While there are interjections in the form of cadenzas showing Liszt uncanny technical abilities, he mainly focuses on portraying the tragedy through the characters. The coda is the only part that Liszt uses for his personal reaction to the story and completes Verdi’s “quartet” by musically representing the last moment of the opera before the curtain falls, which in this case is the falling octaves.</p><p>-I hope I have enticed you enough to research for yourself the story and the different characters of the opera. Only after such a study will you be able to bring to life through the piano one of the greatest operatic moments in history.</p><p>Li Ying, you have a natural ability to play the piano. You have an innate musical personality and a deep commitment to bring out the emotional meanings of the pieces. Keep up with your excellent work, while at the same time study the scores carefully and try to find ways to get to the heart of what the composers want to communicate.</p>