<p>Gu Xinhao<br />Mendelssohn: Rondo Capriccioso, Op.14<br />Your performance sounds very secure and reflects your excellent technical ability. I especially liked the freshness of your approach of the “Presto” section and your talent to bring out the different characters within the music. You balance the hands very well and allow the melody to come out constantly in a natural way. <br />My main concern is the introductory “Andante”. In your hands, the tempo is quite fast thus not allowing the operatic melody to blossom and shine. Further, it seems that you consistently slow down at cadence points as if to end which hinders the flow of the music. A more natural phrasing would make the music come alive and allow the melody to unfold in a simple manner. Selecting a more deliberate tempo also would allow you to make more contrast in the E minor section with its constant forward motion. For further understanding of this style you should hear a performance of Mendelssohn’s Overture to a Midsummer Night's Dream where the constant eighth notes propel through effortlessly. Listening to this work should also give you insight into the clarity needed and shaping of passages.</p><p>Liszt: Concert Etude “Waldesrauschen”<br />Well conceived performance full of many convincing moments. I like the control you have and the way you move the music forward. In time you will discover more opportunities to extend your colors and allow for a simpler melodic flow. At the moment you want to be more individual, yet sometimes simplicity is closer to the truth. This is a late work of Liszt inspired by the transparent forests of southern Europe not the dense northern type. Very much the forerunner of impressionism, I feel it to be more a forest illuminated by the shifting sunlight that peaks through a cloudy sky. The constant triplet figures announce the murmurs and they need to be even in both articulation and dynamics. At times these become too thick and force you to make the melodic line much louder than necessary. The two climaxes were well played you never made the piano sound harsh. Perhaps the most successful moment was the Coda where your control and inspiration came together.</p><p>Haydn: Sonata in E-flat major, Hob.XVI/52<br />You have a wonderful ability of communicating the beauty of this sonata and display a good understanding for the Classical style. Especially you made me aware of the numerous surprises that Haydn has in store for us – the modulation at the beginning of the Development from E-flat to C major and the following passage that moves to D major. The contrast between the chromatic melodic line and the exchange between tonic dominant chords are clear and well brought out. Perhaps where you can be clearer is the sense of tension and relaxation within the music. This is quite a challenge and requires intense listening for nuances and clarification of phrases. But you are well on the way to becoming an excellent performer with a clear idea of the classical style.</p><p>Gu Xinhao, you are a very talented pianist, and already in many ways mature and with personal ideas and convictions. You use your excellent technique to enable the music to communicate its meaning to your listeners. I hope you will continue to develop your musical awareness.</p>