<p>LI Siqian</p><p>No.1 Chopin: Etude in C-sharp minor, Op.10 No.4</p><p>- Your performance is extremely competent and shows a well rounded command of the piano. Furthermore, I marvel at the execution of accuracy and precision you display. It came across as a very solid and well prepared performance.</p><p>- You should increase the tempo. At the moment it sounds terribly safe. You need to take chances. Often when there is a crescendo your forward momentum suffers.</p><p>- Search more for melodic progressions, for example the descending chords in the left hand (measures 1 to 4) as they keep the interest alive and draw our attention away from the idea of finger exercise. Also, pay attention to the bass line pattern in measure 3 which is echoed in measure 8. </p><p>- Make an effort to group the running notes as Chopin requests, e.g. in a unit of 16 as in measure 1, or in groups of four with slight accents as in measure 2. These articulations make the work come alive and interesting, often producing lots of surprising moments. Such explorations can have wonderful results.</p><p>No.2 Chopin: Nocturne in D-flat major, Op.27 No.2</p><p>- You have a clear understanding of the structure and I enjoyed how you changed the dynamic levels each time the main theme was used. </p><p>- This nocturne is essentially an operatic aria. Pay attention that your left hand accompaniment does not become too prominent. Make a bigger distance in dynamics between the soaring singing melodies and the gentle “whispering” bass. </p><p>- You must strive for different colors as the piece progresses. For example in the “B” section (measure 10) the B-flat minor is certainly much darker than the preceding D-flat major, while the following E-flat minor displays a lessening of tension. In section “C” the heroic A major must be subdued, and do wait for the first of many “crescendos”. The following passage must be constructed with great deal of care, lifting us into the triumphant return of theme “A”. It was unfortunate that you arrived at the capacity of the instrument well before this climax, so our waiting was not as satisfactory as Chopin indicated in the score.</p><p>- Again you misjudged the idea behind the “crescendo” in measure 57 as you were already quite loud, so that the ensuing measures were not as exalted as intended by the composer.</p><p>- The exquisite coda should be a duet (precursor by 35 year of the famous farewell duet of Verdi’s “Aida” at the conclusion of the opera). Try to separate the voices more by dynamics, articulations, as well as rubato.</p><p>No.3 Liszt: Fantasy on Themes from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni</p><p>- You are following a small number of incredible performers like Ferruccio Busoni, Egon Petri, Vladimir Horowitz, Grigory Ginzburg, Emil Gilels and more recently Stephen Hough, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Leslie Howard who performed this little known work. In fact this was never published by Liszt and relatively recently it has come to life in the complete published works. I do admire you for learning this horrendously difficult work and I am sure you will have great success with it wherever you perform it. </p><p>- You display all the necessary ability to rise above the difficulties and present it with energy and uncanny accuracy. However, it must be stated that for Liszt such technical demands were not that difficult, and he placed equal, if not more, emphasis on the music on which he based his fantasy. In your performance the technique was a priority and again while it dazzles the listen, it gets too much at times. </p><p>- Further you need to explore more the character of Figaro and Cherubino. They are two opposing characters in the opera and their melodies represent this explicitly. Liszt, with his ingenuity, captures the essence taking their famous arias and moving to Don Giovanni in the coda. The idea is not that far from Mozart’s idea as he himself used the melodies borrowed from Figaro in Don Giovanni. Studying these operatic characters will lead you to a greater variety of dynamics, articulation and better timing. Often I wished that passages would be lighter and more “fun” as we all know The Marriage of Figaro is a comic opera. </p><p>- Again, congratulations on your brilliant performance!</p><p>In summary, LI Siqian you are a very talented and serious pianist. You showed in your chosen repertoire a great variety of sounds, a wide range of dynamics, and a wonderful spirit for performance. I hope you will continue to develop focusing primarily on music, and with hopes I will have the chance to hear you live in the not too distant future.</p>