EIF Bruce Liu Plays Ravel Usher Hall 6th August 2025 Review
Bruce Liu Plays Ravel with the NCPA Orchestra at the Usher Hall tonight was in some respects an Edinburgh International Festival musical trip into the unknown. Whilst most people in the audience tonight were probably very familiar with the two main events on this musical programme – “Ravel Piano Concerto in G” and “Saint-Saëns Symphony No.3 in C minor, Organ”, not many people (including myself) were, I would have thought, familiar with the orchestra. That last thought of mine is about to change for many people after tonight and the orchestra’s current touring programme.
NCPA is the resident orchestra at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and it is currently celebrating its 15th anniversary. Over this time, the NCPA has firmly established its reputation from live performances both in China and overseas as a dynamic force on the cultural landscape. Many more people are familiar with the NCPA with their huge online following which regularly reaches some 20 million viewers. The orchestra is conducted (as it was tonight) by the hugely respected Myung-Whun Chung. This orchestra is also a nurturing ground for many talented younger musicians.
Opening tonight’s programme of music was a 10 minute work from 1999 by Qigang Chen entitled “Wu Xing” (The Five Elements). Giving water, wood, earth, fire, and metal their own music is far from a new concept as many composers have used this almost mystical concept to the force of nature, but this one was a little bit different from other works that I have heard over the years. This was, for me, a definite attempt by the composer to take the listener into metaphysical realms and the fusion of different cultural elements did create something unique. For some reason though, this work did not seem to be receiving the widespread audience approval that I expected it to get.
The headline programme event of this concert saw the hugely talented pianist Bruce Liu follow up on his 2022 EIF appearance and this time the focus of his talents was “Ravel Piano Concerto in G”. Composed between 1929 and 1931, this work, for me, always encapsulates the new jazz age perfectly, and Maurice Ravel and George Gershwin are so often speaking with one musical voice at this point in time. The two of them were by this time friends, and it shows musically. This is the point that classical music and jazz music cross over with each other. Almost sandwiched in between two very jazz themed movements is perhaps one of the most beautiful works ever written for piano – Adagio Assai - and Bruce Liu held this audience silent with his performance tonight, deserving all of the multiple stage bows that he took.
It was therefore fitting that Camille Saint-Saëns, a composer whom Ravel greatly admired, should be represented in tonight’s final performance by the NCPA performing “Saint-Saëns Symphony No.3 in C minor, Op.78 ‘Organ’”. For some reason we do not get to hear anywhere near enough work by Camille Saint-Saëns in music programming schedules, so tonight it was good to hear one of his masterpieces performed not only live but in a classic concert hall. Also wonderful to get the chance to hear both the subtlety and the power that the huge Usher Hall organ can add to any work, and Hansjörg Albrecht knew exactly how to get the very best sounds here.
Even if you are not too familiar with the work of Camille Saint-Saëns, the chances are that you will be familiar with a part of this symphony as the music was the basis of a big chart hit for Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley in 1977 with their song “If I Had Words”. My only problem is that now, whenever I hear this music, I hear their words too.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
NCPA is the resident orchestra at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and it is currently celebrating its 15th anniversary. Over this time, the NCPA has firmly established its reputation from live performances both in China and overseas as a dynamic force on the cultural landscape. Many more people are familiar with the NCPA with their huge online following which regularly reaches some 20 million viewers. The orchestra is conducted (as it was tonight) by the hugely respected Myung-Whun Chung. This orchestra is also a nurturing ground for many talented younger musicians.
Opening tonight’s programme of music was a 10 minute work from 1999 by Qigang Chen entitled “Wu Xing” (The Five Elements). Giving water, wood, earth, fire, and metal their own music is far from a new concept as many composers have used this almost mystical concept to the force of nature, but this one was a little bit different from other works that I have heard over the years. This was, for me, a definite attempt by the composer to take the listener into metaphysical realms and the fusion of different cultural elements did create something unique. For some reason though, this work did not seem to be receiving the widespread audience approval that I expected it to get.
The headline programme event of this concert saw the hugely talented pianist Bruce Liu follow up on his 2022 EIF appearance and this time the focus of his talents was “Ravel Piano Concerto in G”. Composed between 1929 and 1931, this work, for me, always encapsulates the new jazz age perfectly, and Maurice Ravel and George Gershwin are so often speaking with one musical voice at this point in time. The two of them were by this time friends, and it shows musically. This is the point that classical music and jazz music cross over with each other. Almost sandwiched in between two very jazz themed movements is perhaps one of the most beautiful works ever written for piano – Adagio Assai - and Bruce Liu held this audience silent with his performance tonight, deserving all of the multiple stage bows that he took.
It was therefore fitting that Camille Saint-Saëns, a composer whom Ravel greatly admired, should be represented in tonight’s final performance by the NCPA performing “Saint-Saëns Symphony No.3 in C minor, Op.78 ‘Organ’”. For some reason we do not get to hear anywhere near enough work by Camille Saint-Saëns in music programming schedules, so tonight it was good to hear one of his masterpieces performed not only live but in a classic concert hall. Also wonderful to get the chance to hear both the subtlety and the power that the huge Usher Hall organ can add to any work, and Hansjörg Albrecht knew exactly how to get the very best sounds here.
Even if you are not too familiar with the work of Camille Saint-Saëns, the chances are that you will be familiar with a part of this symphony as the music was the basis of a big chart hit for Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley in 1977 with their song “If I Had Words”. My only problem is that now, whenever I hear this music, I hear their words too.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
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