I went to the 2019 Young Prodigies Concerto Gala on April 7th at the Chan Center. It was held by the Music without Borders Society in collaboration with MWB Symphony Orchestra and Tom Lee Music. Seven famous pieces were selected, and I will discuss the two of them listed.
| Composition Title | Composer | Style Period |
| Piano Concerto no. 1 in E Minor op.11 1st movement | Frederic Francois Chopin | Romantic |
| Piano Concerto no. 2 in C Minor op.18 3rd movement | Sergei Rachmaninoff | Romantic |
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
This Piano Concerto was written and performed by Chopin in 1830 when he was twenty years old (how talented he was to compose this in such a young age!). The first movement has three themes, which are introduced by the orchestra at the beginning, and then the piano follows, playing the first them. At the very beginning, the introduction by orchestra makes me feel creepy, which is a general impression for minor tones in my mind. But this soon changes when the piano plays the leading part. I could feel a very happy and lively atmosphere via the jumps of the notes. The second theme is more lyric, which sounds more elegant and elaborate. The third theme is in a major key. Similarly, it is introduced in the exposition by the orchestra, and then the piano joins. Obviously, this is a very difficult theme to play. When I saw the hands of the pianist move on the keys with nonstop, I can do nothing but gasp in admiration for the young pianist. But when I compare the performance with the recording, I found the degree of the pitch was different between the two versions, which led to different emotional expressions.
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
This Piano Concerto was composed by Rachmaninoff between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. Only the third movement was played at this concert. It is written in three-movement concerto form, which engages a change in the key for each movement. The complete work was premiered on 9 November 1901. This is an important piece of Rachmaninoff’s as it established his fame as a concerto composer. The Allegro scherzando begins with a short orchestral introduction that modulates from E to C minor. A piano solo then leads to the primary theme. It is so agitated that one can feel the composer’s intended emotions: being unstable, confused, and at a loss. This impression concurs with his personal life as he was struggling with depression for 7 years. However, when the secondary lyric theme comes, one can feel the changes in his emotion: it is slower and softer. After that, an extended and energetic development section is heard. I can imagine the struggling and anxiety through the fast tempo and stormy motifs. But, finally, the movement ends very triumphantly in the tonic major, as if to demonstrate that the composer has recovered from the depression. The melody makes me believe that he was ready for a new life and became energetic and excited again.
What impressed me most from the concerti were the pianists – they are still secondary school students! But they have demonstrated their talent, passion, and diligence in playing the piano. This concert was also a collaboration of the young pianist with a very experienced orchestra, which is very precious for the young prodigies.