Search - Mozart, Mendelssohn, Huang :: Piano Concerto 21 in C Major / Piano Concerto 1

Absolute Brilliance

07/22/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Last week, I had the good fortune of seeing Ms. Huang perform the Shostakovich Cello and Piano Sonata and one of the Chopin Scherzo's live. It was an experience I won't soon forget. Not only does she have the maturity of a seasoned performer, but she possesses power, grace, and agility far beyond her years. Beyond her technical perfection, Ms. Huang delved into the dark pits of the Shostakovich with the musical understanding of a veteran. The only thing that was most distracting, was Ms. Huang's astounding beauty - she was absolutely gorgeous. I fully recommend any recordings of Ms. Huangs, and I strongly encourage any listener to experience Ms. Huangs talent and beauty live."

Mesmerized by magic fingers

Gary Downing gwhiz@interoz.com | Florida, USA. | 05/05/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You admonish against focusing on the musician. Sorry but when Helen Huang plays she makes the rest of the world disappear. I am not a trained musicologist but my ears seem to posess a faculty for capturing that which is beyond my understanding. Miss Huang controls my hearing and makes me forget the super important things that I should be doing. I have another disc of Miss Huang's and the result is the same. I'm not educated enough in music to grade either Miss Huangs or the orchestra's technical expertise but I don't think that's necessary. Miss Huang weaves a magic and pervasive spell over her audience. She commands me to stop and listen. Friends and relatives are likewise affected. Maybe she should be critiqued as a weaver of spells as well as an incomparable musician. No one should deny themselves of Miss Huang's magic."

A Good Coupling of Mozart's and Mendelssohn's Piano Concerti

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 11/11/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Helen Huang may not be a household name, but she shows she's capable of playing with much warmth and grace in these piano concerti composed by Mozart and Mendelssohn. Masur and the New York Philharmonic play admirably for her, without overshadowing her fine performance. Those who expect Ms. Huang's performance to be comparable with someone like Alfred Brendel will be disappointed; her playing is not yet as refined as his. Yet she does show flashes of technical brilliance in these works that may suggest her eventual emergence as one of the finest pianists of her generation."