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Poster: By The Fireplace/NTU Piano Ensemble
Image: Recital Hall/Voices of Singapore
A lone grand piano stood at the front of a softly lit room, rows of chairs lined up before it. It wasn’t long until those seats were filled, and the audience awaited NTU Piano Ensemble’s annual winter recital.
Photo: The Piano/NTU CAC PnP
One by one, pianists armed with grace serenaded us with the pieces they prepared. Held at the Voices of Singapore Capitol Studio, located near City Hall, on a Sunday afternoon (19 Jan 2025), the event had an air of elegance to it. The theme, “By the Fireplace”, was quite apt for a winter recital. Using the piano as their hearth, NTU Piano Ensemble warmed us up with an array of pieces both classic and contemporary. Join me as I unpack some of the highlights from the performance.
The opening performance of Un Sospiro, composed by Franz Liszt and performed by Lia Swee, set the tone for the afternoon. “Un sospiro” translates to “a sigh”. Though sighing has many connotations, the one most fitting of the performance is that of relief and relaxation. Un Sospiro is characterised by its delicate arpeggios and dramatic shifts in dynamics. Its melody could almost be described as frosty — a sigh on a cold winter day, and seeing the frost of your breath condense in the air.
Photo: Lia Swee/NTU CAC PnP
The atmosphere energy of the recital took an interesting turn with Wang Qinyan’s rendition of Frederic Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu. This work is unique for its abrupt shifts in energy. It opens with a rapid cascade of piano notes, before switching to a more peaceful melody. The song alternates between frenzied and serene, creating a listening experience that keeps you on your toes.
Photo: Wang Qinyan/NTU CAC PnP
After a strong series of opening pieces that showcased classical piano, the recital shifted gears to pieces from other time periods and cultures.
A particularly moving one was a piano version of 故乡的云 (Clouds of My Hometown) by Mandopop icon Kris Phillips. Played by Tay Jin Cheng, the original song is about a man whose wanderlust is tempered by rolling clouds which beckon him back to his hometown. Translated into a piano arrangementpiece (I need another way to say piano piece), the protagonist’s homesickness is even more poignant. When asked about why he picked this work to perform, Jin Cheng, the music director of NTU Piano Ensemble, shared, “It’s a piece that represents joy and warmth, fitting with the theme of this recital.”
Photo: Tay Jin Cheng/NTU CAC PnP
Towards the end of the recital, the performers took us back to the classics.
One of the last few performances was Tchaikovsky’s June/Barcarolle, presented by Wang Yuou. Fun fact, this piece is part of a larger work known as The Seasons — a suite of 12 works each inspired by a different month. In Russia, June is the transition from spring to summer. Though I’m no expert on music, I find Tchaikovsky’s portrayal of June to be rather unique. Though we often think of summer as the season of sunshine and beach parties, Tchaikovsky’s June/Barcarolle seems to be inspired by magical summer nights — I picture fireflies floating beneath a moonlit sky.
Photo: Wang Yuou/NTU CAC PnP
From Wikipedia, an epigraph describing June/Bacarolle:
“Let us go to the shore;
there the waves will kiss our feet.
With mysterious sadness
the stars will shine down on us.”
— Aleksey Pleshcheyev
Those were just a few of the wonderful performances I had the pleasure of witnessing at NTU Piano Ensemble’s winter recital this year. For more coverage of the performance, check out our Instagram and TikTok (@ntucac_pnp). Also, don’t forget to stay on the lookout for NTU Piano Ensemble’s (@ntupianoensemble) upcoming performances!