The Pianist Who 'Restores' Chopin 🌟 William Yang
PROGRAM
Scriabin | Preludes
Op. 11, Nos. 5-6 9-14 21-22
〔☆〕Chopin | Sonata No. 2 Op. 35
~Intermission~
〔★〕Chopin | Preludes Op. 28
~Encore~
〔⭐〕Rachmaninoff |
Prelude in d major Op. 23 No. 4
(Original) today's program is a very romantic program. It sort of encompasses the whole broad scope of the emotional spectrum and I'll just say a few words about the sort of cyclical nature of the program I guess. Um I'll begin by actually talking about the middle piece on the program Chopin's second sonata. It's you can call it the funeral march sonata and honestly life and death is kind of a central theme of today's program. It has of course the famous third movement funeral marsh that everyone knows and the first piece on the program will be selections from Scriabin's opus 11 preludes. Today I've programmed two sets of preludes. Scriabin's opus 11 and Shopen opus 28. These are both works that the composers did at an early stage of their lives to put into a little perspective. Scriabin was actually a little younger than I am now when he was working on these and Chopin was just a bit older than I am. Um so the project is 24 preludes in all 24 major and minor keys following the circle of fifths and Chopin wrote his first Scriabin was hugely influenced by Chopin's musical output and especially in the early periods of his life as the set comes from. It's actually quite obvious in the writing, but there's also some Russian elements and frankly Scriabin's own unique elements that he would maximize going forward. Um, so Scriabin Opus 11 will begin the program and then the entire cycle of Chopin Opus 28 will conclude it. This program starts in sunny C major, similar to Florida. It's sort of the newborn uh part of the cycle where you see sort of life is blooming from this first prelude and the last pre 24th prelude is in D minor. It's a very famous finale that has been used in other works of media and it ends with three low D's. He uses the whole keyboard for this prelude. And there's many motifs that you can ascribe to this ending. It can be the clock striking midnight as it is the 24th hour. And of course, you can also ascribe it to being the very final moment of life.
(Audio)CHOPIN for ALL featuring William Yang – May 2, 2026 – Fort Lauderdale
William Yang has a background that includes winning the American Chopin Competition in 2025 and placing 6th at the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. When it comes to playing Chopin, it is common to express emotion through fluctuations in tempo and the expansion and contraction of breathing. However, his performance does not emphasize excessive emotion, and the phrases move linearly. Gramophone magazine describes his performance as being 'like a conservator restoring an old painting.' He removes the dust that has accumulated over many years and brings the original form to the surface. Rather than using rubato, he builds the music from structures such as dynamics, articulation, harmony, and the relationship between voices.
In this program, the flow begins with Scriabin's Preludes, Op. 11 (excerpts), moves to Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2, and concludes with the Preludes, Op. 28 (complete). Preludes as fragments, a sonata centered on death, and a complete cycle traversing 24 keys. It is not merely a juxtaposition of masterpieces, but looks like a single story dealing with 'time' and 'life and death.' Chopin's preludes are likened to '24 hours' or a 'microcosm of life.' From C major to D minor, from brightness to the end. That flow is exposed here without excessive decoration. Perhaps he is not 'playing' but 'reconstructing.' It seems as if he is trying to strip away the romantic interpretations added by later generations and present 'Chopin as text.' To ears accustomed to emotional fluctuations, there may be moments that sound inorganic. However, what appears instead is clarity as structure and the contours of music carved into time. It may be closer to an experience of 'reading' Chopin rather than 'talking' about him.