Gao: Piano Works

How do you bring East and West together? Ping Gao succeeds in doing so in a unique way: In his works, the poetic sense of sound from the ancient Far Eastern tradition combines with the complex structures of European music, which he was able to study intensively not least during his doctoral studies in Cincinnati. In a selection that is as colorful as it is multifaceted, the award-winning pianist Yubo Zhou presents a cross-section of Gao's oeuvre, which finds a language all its own through the interplay of the familiar and the foreign. One can sense echoes of Maurice Ravel, and here and there pentatonicism as well, far removed from any Asia clichés. The poetic titles of many pieces evoke associations and memories, fantasy and imagination, and thus seamlessly connect to German Romanticism; descriptive elements are at most relegated to the background. The four "Wanderings" were composed during the first wave of Covid. The thoughtful, elegiac, and at times melancholic atmosphere of the pieces is transformed into sun-drenched lightness by the subsequent "Little Waltz" – a wonderful conclusion to this extraordinary release! In Yubo Zhou, Ping Gao finds a kindred spirit who knows how to conjure surprising colors from the 1901 'Manfred Bürki' concert grand piano. Fragrant transparency and magnificent, virtuosic piano playing captivate throughout the entire duration of the packed album – a feast for all who have retained their curiosity!