William Chong

18th May 2007

It was a night where three up and coming young musicians well and truly took centre stage. The combined forces of Raymond Chan on the piano, Ryan Cha on clarinet and a guest piece by classical guitarist Brian Lee gave the 100-strong crowd an evening of masterful music.

Current Macleans College student Raymond Chan already has a growing list of accolades to his name – NZ Chamber Music Contest finalist in 2006, APO and NZSO Fellowships and undoubtedly more to come.

The audience lapped up Chan’s solo work during the 1st half, but equally admired the virtuosity from Brian Lee, who opened the 2nd half of the programme with Prelude by M.M. Ponce and Morel’s Danza Brasilera. The latter showed Lee’s excellent grasp for the flamenco-style techniques on show.

Chan’s performance of Beethoven’s Sonata Pathetique was a bold choice to start the evening. His nerves showed with passages not as con brio as it could be, as well as a couple of slipped notes – but Chan was able to regroup for the rest of the movements, eventually warming up to the occasion.

Brahms’s Intermezzo was calm and composed rendition, Chan able to coax each stately step on the piano. Berkeley’s Concert Study in E Flat showcased his nimble hands with thrillseeking passages akin to some form of manic pointillism, and Ravel’s Sonatine was well-played, evoking a very pleasing French sound.

Two short movie pieces preceded the entrance of clarinettist Ryan Cha’s set: A Mozart Reincarnated by Morricone, and Romance based on a Paganini theme by Green. Both were light and perhaps a bit too easy for Chan’s abilities, though still coming across as an acceptable Schumman-like sound.

Mark these words: clarinettist Ryan Cha, learning under 175-Easter Andrew Uren, is going places. With accolades rivalling Chan’s own, his tone and technique show a dedicated and sensitive approach to the instrument. Chan proved as adept an accompanist to Cha’s animated playing: their instruments dovetailed about each other impressively during Lilburn’s Sonatina. But audience members offered a standing ovation to the excellent finale of Weber’s Concertino. Cha’s dexterous passages were matched by Chan’s sensitive accompaniment, and both players even attempted Gerald Finzi’s infamous Fugue from Five Bagatelles – no mean feat for an encore!

All in all an excellent concert with some of East Auckland’s rising musical stars.

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