<p>Contestant No.10 – ZHANG Ruixue</p><p>No.1 Chopin: Nocturne in F major, Op.15 No.1</p><p>-This is a wonderful piece for you as it brings out your artistic possibilities. You have the ability to create big contrasts and communicate this with your audience. At the same time you are capable to spin the melodies with grace and clarity, this being a vital part of the Chopin style. Another important element is your security in performance. All these add up to a very enjoyable experience for the listeners.</p><p>-The balance between the hands in the “A” section needs more attention because your left hand triplets - the “motor”, are too prominent, hindering the right hand melodic line to soar. </p><p>-While it is natural to focus on the top line melodies, you should also be more aware of the bass line progression, and take advantage of Chopin’s writing to guide you towards the proper musical expressions and motions. The first eight measures are divided into two equal proportions, like question and answer. In the first three measures the melody is above a tonic pedal point, creating a feeling of hovering, holding back. However, the descending bass line from measure 4 produces a forward motion, a sense of direction. Notice how the harmonies help the ebb and flow of the music, allowing for contrasts between the phrases. </p><p>-In the “B” section you should aim for a darker sound. After all, we are in minor key. The turbulence is more likely to be demonstrated in the left hand, so make sure that you do not play the right hand too loudly. </p><p>-Please correct your left hand rhythm whenever you have dotted eighth note followed by a sixteenth note, for example in measure 29 and 30. You are playing a “tied triplet” rhythm instead.</p><p>-Your dynamics could be better observed and more precise. Utilize fully the “cresecendos” and pace them. Make differences between “forte” and “fortissmo”, and “pianissimo” and “sotto voce”. All of these are important indications that will help you better interpret his music.</p><p>No.2 Chopin: Etude in A minor, Op. 10 No.2</p><p>-Your performance is still what I would call good work in progress. Everything seems to be well on its way to give you a wonderful performance in the future when you will play this up to speed. You are careful to make sure that all the notes are even and clear, and there is an awareness of phrasing. I also like very much the quality of the “staccato” touch in your left hand throughout.</p><p>-You need to make more effort to bring to life all the dynamic markings of Chopin. He rarely reaches “forte” and when he does the music immediately withdraws. He aims for color all the time and you can make this happen with the numerous “crescendos” and “diminuendos” throughout. Allowing these to sound naturally and effortlessly (and in a faster tempo) would enable you to create a magical sensation.</p><p>No.3  Liszt: Spanish Rhapsody</p><p>-During the romantic period “Preluding” – meaning the improvised introduction was an integral part of most compositions. The idea was to give a hint of the piece’s character as well as to make the main theme more important by waiting for it to appear. Therefore, you should use much more individual approach to this improvised section. Be more sensitive to the differences in tensions as well as colors in the chords. On the whole, experiment and try to be more imaginative and creative.</p><p>-The “Folies d’Espagne” is a celebrated music theme used by numerous composers as basis for variation. Here Liszt ingeniously uses the eight-measure theme to show different styles as well as pianistic difficulties. While you do manage many aspects of the progression, you need to be more careful with your dynamic growth. Your theme is rhythmical but far too loud. As a result, the ensuing passages reach “forte” well before it actually appears on the score. Again, the “espressivo” variation should not be too loud, whereas the “un poco animato” finally has a “forte” building up to “fortissimo”.  </p><p>-The next staccato section should be lighter and a little agitated. The movement between the hands is more important, each shaping the contour of the passages. From here I congratulate you for progressing and never letting up the tempo as it moves to the “Allegro animato”. This, being the climax of the first section, should sound like a culmination, which you manage very well. In general, you need to make everything a little more flamboyant and virtuosic. At times, you look almost too serious.</p><p>-The “Jota aragonesa”, like other folk music, has a simple structure that is use the basis of another variation by Liszt. Here, he ingeniously keeps to the original character of the dance, which was danced by beautiful women. While your performance is very commendable and shows well your technical ability, I would recommend that you aim for much more lightness and shaping of the verses. In this section the “forte” is not as strong as in the “Folies”. Use the pedal not for the purpose of holding the harmonies but for brilliance and color.</p><p>-The slow section before the finale is a free improvisation on a theme by Liszt based on the free interpretation of the themes in the “Folies” section. Again this is in variation form, allowing four repetitions. You should aim to make each one different – they are in different keys, and these offer a great variety of colors. </p><p>-Truly bravo for your performance of the finale! This section is filled with horrendous technical difficulties yet you scale the mountain of technique brilliantly. I also admire the way you progress in tempo to the very end, always building up tension until the last dance in D major, where Liszt brings back the polonaise. Only one suggestion: you must bring out more colors and observe carefully the dynamic range that starts at “mezzo forte” going up to “fortissmo”. It is important that you find ways to use Liszt suggestions and build the dynamics gradually, waiting for the right moment to reach for the climax. </p><p>Zhang Ruixue, you are indeed very talented and have a wonderful gift for performance. The near accuracy of the Spanish Rhapsody is remarkable, yet once you attain such heights in the area of technique, you need to move on to work on what lies behind the notes. Most of the time I was asking “how does she do it” rather than feeling being drawn into your music. But this will come in time. Keep on working, I am certain that you have the ability to win our hearts with your music.</p>