Artist Luu Hong Quang performs 3 classic pieces of music

(Dan Tri) - In the solo concert "Spiritual Essence Of Water", pianist Luu Hong Quang performed 3 works with the common emotional thread of water.

On the evening of November 8, at the Grand Concert Hall, Vietnam National Academy of Music, pianist Luu Hong Quang delivered a complete and profound solo performance titled Spiritual Essence Of Water .

This is not just a music night, but also a journey connecting Vietnamese audiences with the quintessence of world classical music through the image of "water" - a symbol of life, the flow of time and the origin of the soul.

The event is an important part of the VIPCF Laureate Series concert series, organized by the Vietnam International Piano Competition (VIPCF).

The fact that Luu Hong Quang, a talented pianist with formal training and many international awards, chose Hanoi as the place to introduce three classic works that have never been performed in his homeland, contributes to raising the level of Vietnamese classical music in the context of international integration.

Artist Luu Hong Quang in the piano solo show "Soul of the Country" in Hanoi, the evening of November 8 (Photo: Organizing Committee).

The concert opened with the piece A boat on the ocean . (The Boat on the Ocean ) by French composer Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), excerpted from the suite Miroirs ( Mirrors ).

From the name itself, Ravel leads the listener to an impressive space where nature is not only a landscape but also a reflection of emotions.

A boat on the ocean is a great challenge for any pianist because it requires virtuoso technique to create a shimmering, almost illusory sound effect that simulates the swaying of the water's surface.

Luu Hong Quang handled this piece with subtlety and imagination. With a calm demeanor, he created the sound of the vast ocean: from the series of notes that glide quickly and gently like the sparkling light on the peaceful sea, to the climaxes that are as intense and powerful as a raging wave or a sudden storm.

The audience feels the image of a small boat drifting in the middle of majestic nature - where humans become small before the primitive and endless power of water.

The way the artist ends the work with sounds fading away like a boat drifting towards the horizon, leaves a lingering aftertaste, opening up a philosophy about the loneliness but also full of hope of people facing the flow of life.

Liu Hong Quang's performance style in this chapter is not only a technical reproduction but also a deep immersion, fully conveying the romantic and delicate spirit of impressionism.

Artist Luu Hong Quang performs in the program (Photo: Organizer).

If Ravel took the audience to the vast ocean, the second work - the suite Venezia di Napoli (Venice and Naples) by Franz Liszt (1811-1886) - led the listeners to the brilliant cities on the Mediterranean coast.

Belonging to the Romantic school, Liszt used music to record intense emotions before the magnificent beauty of Venice and the vibrant festival atmosphere of Southern Italy.

The suite consists of 3 movements. Movement 1 Gondoliera is the melodious song of the Gondola rowers on the Venice river. Luu Hong Quang breathed lyricism and romance into this movement.

The melody is smoothly conveyed, evoking the image of a boat gently drifting under the moonlight, immersing the audience in the ancient, poetic beauty of the canal city. This work is based on the famous Gondoliera by Giovanni Battista Peruchini, enhanced by Liszt with his virtuoso piano language.

The Canzone movement is a deep, nostalgic folk melody that echoes in the quiet of the night. It provides a much-needed pause, and provides a graceful contrast to the other two movements.

And Tarantella - a passionate traditional dance from Southern Italy. Luu Hong Quang performed this movement with strong energy, speed and skillful technique.

The fast, agile, passionate strings of notes created a vibrant, festive atmosphere. It was a testament to the artist’s talent, as he controlled the emotional chaos while maintaining clarity and sharpness in each note.

For Liszt , "water" is no longer a philosophical symbol but a living setting, a source of inspiration for powerful emotions, from deep romance to explosive passion.

The final and culminating work of the recital was the Sonata in B-flat Major, D.960 by Franz Schubert (1797-1828). This is not only a masterpiece but also the great composer's "musical testament", completed just a few weeks before his death at the age of 31.

The fact that Luu Hong Quang performed this great work in its entirety for the first time before the Vietnamese public gave the program a special meaning.

Artist Luu Hong Quang signs autographs for fans (Photo: Organizers).

If Ravel and Liszt lead listeners to experience the external landscape (ocean, city), then Schubert, through D.960, leads people deep into the inner world , facing memories, regrets and acceptance of fate. This is the most difficult work in terms of emotional interpretation.

Sonata No. 21 consists of four movements. Movement 1 Molto moderato opens with a peaceful, melodious melody like "a call from heaven", but hidden within it is "a terrifying whisper of death" through sudden silences, foreshadowing a tragic fate.

Liu Hong Quang kept a slow, meditative pace, creating a vague feeling, between serenity and anxiety.

The second movement, Andante sostenuto, is the most contrasting, opening slowly like a painful last words, each note humming like a last breath, sinking deep into loneliness and despair.

But then the melody changes into a "longing for resurrection," soaring and full of light, like a soul leaving the body. Luu Hong Quang expressed this emotional transition deeply, making the listener feel the intertwined flow of life and death.

Scherzo: Allegro vivace con delicatezza - Trio is a fleeting ray of hope, a part of innocent memories of youth suddenly flooding back. This is a gentle movement, like a minute of rest before facing the final movement.

The explosive ending of the Allegro ma non troppo - Presto - represents Schubert's "last energy", using all of his music to fight against fate. Luu Hong Quang used all his strength, performing with determination and bravery, before calmly accepting his fate and entering eternity.

D.960 is not only a work about water in the literal sense, but also a "deep stream of the soul" - a pinnacle of philosophy, a spiritual connection that artist Luu Hong Quang wants to convey to his hometown audience.

The Spiritual Essence Of Water recital is not only a synthesis of three musical periods (classical, romantic, impressionistic) but also a testament to the remarkable maturity in Luu Hong Quang's performing style.

The audience gave a long round of applause, not only for Luu Hong Quang's talent but also for his courage and dedication in bringing masterpieces requiring philosophical depth like D.960 to Vietnam.

Artist Luu Hong Quang is a classically trained pianist, currently a PhD student in piano in New Zealand. He returned to his homeland with deep gratitude expressed through music.

The recital ended, but the echoes of the spiritual flow and the connection between the artist and the audience still linger. The program promises a beautiful and meaningful start to a series of high-quality classical music activities in Vietnam, as committed by VIPCF.

Ms. Kim Chi (Hanoi) shared: “This was a valuable performance, with classic music performed delicately. Artist Luu Hong Quang showed great concentration and emotion in every moment of the performance.

After the artist's time studying in New Zealand, this return marks a clear step of maturity in his art - something that audiences and fans can all feel."

Pianist Luu Hong Quang (35 years old) started playing the piano at the age of 5, under the guidance of his father, Meritorious Artist Luu Quang Minh. From 1996 to 2006, he trained at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. In 2006, he received a full scholarship to the Australian International Conservatory of Music, tutored by Professor Kyung Hee Lee.

Luu Hong Quang has received many awards at home and abroad. He has performed with famous orchestras around the world such as the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (Australia), the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (UK), the orchestra from Florence (Italy), the Szolnok Symphony Orchestra (Hungary). Recently, he has had solo concerts in New Zealand, Australia, China, Hungary and Austria.

Every year, Luu Hong Quang often returns to his hometown to participate in regular concert projects. He was once invited by his teacher - artist Dang Thai Son - to perform a duet in the program Dang Thai Son in the new sounds of the 20th century.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/nghe-si-luu-hong-quang-doc-tau-3-ban-nhac-kinh-dien-20251109094356378.htm