You probably know that I’m playing a lot of Ravel on piano because I talk about it incessantly. You might’ve even read at about it here in Illusory Standards or Temptation, Dread, and Terror on Piano or #Ravel. Well, guess what: It’s senior recital time, featuring all Ravel! See above for the poster.
I had originally conceptualized a small private show for friends to come listen to me bumble through Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit (the 22-minute monstrosity which I have been feverishly learning for a year), but as a reward for winning the David Clayson Prize for Creativity (wooo), Cornell is helping me “showcase my work.” Hence, filling out the program with Jeux d’eau, which I can actually play, and a couple movements of Ravel’s String Quartet, in which my very talented friends will carry the ensemble. And hopefully intelligently-designed program notes and a spoken/demonstrated “primer” on Gaspard well help listeners appreciate the feature piece more!
For months, I was so anxious about committing to the recital because I know I can’t really play the impossible third movement Scarbo. Familiar doubts plagued my mind: why did I even dare to try this piece? Are my skills not up to par because I didn’t practice enough as a kid? What will happen if, on that day, my performance is just a train wreck and I can’t even follow through?
Y’know, these questions are sounding awfully similar to the anxiety that has plagued my mind for the same many months. Oh why did I even dare to enter the moderately competitive specialty of radiology? Are my stats not up to par because I didn’t focus more on studying in med school? What will happen if in Match Week if I straight up don’t match into radiology?
But after finding out I didn’t fail to match on Monday (wooo) I’m a little bit more at peace, and in 2 hours I’ll know for sure. Finally.
And after realizing that Scarbo is really the only one of six pieces that I can’t play, and that it’s last on a long program, and also it’s almost unintelligible even when performed flawlessly, ain’t nobody gonna care anyway. I tried to switch into YOLO mode when my friend/classmate graciously lent his skill and equipment to record me today. Forget rude neighbors, ambient noise, “microphone syndrome” (basically stage fright but worse because mistakes are recorded for all posterity), forget striving for perfection. I did my best when I just did what I know I love: play piano.
PS. My last senior recital was June 6, 2008. A decade ago, holy moly. I don’t even remember what I played…
Young Ravel: early compositions by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Peter Hung, WCMC ’18, piano, viola
Siwen Xu, friend of WCMC Music and Medicine, violin
Amy Xu, MD PhD, MSK RadOnc Chief Resident, violin
Stephen Serene, RU PhD Candidate, cello
Jeux d’eau (1901)
String Quartet (1903)
– I. Allegro moderato – très doux
– II. Assez vif – très rythmé
Gaspard de la Nuit (1908)
– Ondine
– Le gibet
– Scarbo
with musical commentary and excerpts from
– Pavane pour une infante défunte (1899)
– Sonatine (1905)
– Piano Concerto for the Left Hand (1930)
Reception sponsored by the Education Events Office
Showcase for the 2017 David Clayson Prize for Creativity
Special thanks to the WCMC Music and Medicine Initiative