2022@Montreal

Composed in 1839 during Schumann’s miraculous "Year of Song". This intimate masterpiece reflects the composer’s Romantic duality. The title "Arabeske" evokes ornamental, flowing lines—yet beneath its lyrical surface lies profound emotional depth. Written as a rondo with recurring refrains (it was written Ein-fach, zart, which means simple, tender), it interweaves dreamlike episodes of wistfulness, playfulness, and fleeting melancholy. Robert Schumann dedicated it to Frau Majorin Friederike Serre, a patron. However, its whispered intimacy suggests a deeper, personal longing, perhaps for his beloved Clara Wieck, whom Robert married in the following years. Playing the piece is a pure joy for me: shaping its spontaneous, singing lines while honoring its structural elegance, like a heartfelt conversation shifting between joy and introspection, is both a delicate and deeply expressive journey. Anna Tse, Piano Recorded: 2023 @ LIVE at Salle Claude-Champagne, Université de Montréal Program: Robert Schumann: Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 Thank you for listening! 👉 Enjoyed the performance? Please give me a thumbs up and subscribe for more piano videos! 👉 Which variation moved you most? Share your thoughts below! #Schumann #Arabeske #Op18 #Piano #ClassicalMusic #AnnaTse #Pianist #RomanticEra #RobertSchumann #PianoMusic #SoloPiano #ClassicalPiano #MusicLovers

Produced by Y Choi@Montreal

Composed in 1947 amidst post-WWII musical upheaval, while contemporaries established the very limits of viable musical expression--Boulez’s twelve-tone rigor, Messiaen’s serialism, Strauss’s neo-romanticism, and Cage’s aleatory music–Dutilleux found his path. He sought new possibilities in harmonic sonorities and compositional techniques. In Chorale et Variations, the Chorale evokes ancient chant and unfolds with cathedral-like resonance. The dissonance in the music serves as a special color. We could hear Dutilleux's orchestral thinking at the piano, where harmonics shimmer, bass registers resonate like gongs, and pedal creates the effect of acoustic halos. For me, realizing this tactile sound-world--balancing structural rigor with sensual immediacy--is to touch Dutilleux’s manifesto: modernism need not abandon beauty. Anna Tse, Piano Recorded: 2023 @ LIVE at Salle Serge-Garant Program: Henri Dutilleux(1916–2013): Chorale et Variations (1947) Chorale 0:00 Variation I (Vivace) 1:51 Variation II (Un poco più vivo) 3:09 Variation III (Calmo) 5:50 Variation IV (Prestissimo) 7:37 Coda (Poco allargando) 9:47 Thank you for listening! 👉 Enjoyed my performance? Please give me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel for more piano videos! Thank you!!! 👉 How do you find the music of Dutilleux? Tell me below! #Dutilleux #ChoraleEtVariations #Piano #ContemporaryClassical #AnnaTse #HongKongPianist #FrenchModernism #PostwarMusic #OrchestralPiano #HenriDutilleux #Paris1947 #20thcenturyMusic #20thcenturyFrenchMusic #20thCenturyPianoMusic

Produced by Y Choi@Montreal

This music is such an exquisite gem of early 20th-century French music. Composed between 1914 -1917 as part of a six-movement suite, Le Tombeau de Couperin is Ravel's poignant homage: both a Tombeau (memorial) honoring friends lost in World War I, and a tribute to the elegant forms of François Couperin's Baroque era. The Prélude is written in neoclassical style -- a whirlwind of perpetual motion built on a toccata-like figuration. Its sparkling clarity and modal harmonies evoke ancient dances. (He later orchestrated the entire suite, making the Prélude instantly recognizable.) For me, navigating its intricate textures and achieving that delicate, shimmering sound is an endlessly rewarding challenge. It demands both Baroque discipline and Impressionist color. Anna Tse, Piano Recorded: 2022 @ LIVE from Porto Pianofest Program: Maurice Ravel: Prélude (from Le Tombeau de Couperin, M. 68) Thank you for listening! 👉 Enjoyed the performance? Please give me a thumbs up and subscribe for more piano videos! 👉 Let me know your favorite moment in the comments! #Ravel #TombeauDeCouperin #Prelude #Piano #ClassicalMusic #AnnaTse #Pianist #Impressionism #FrenchMusic #neoclassical

Composed in 1915--amid the turmoil of World War I and Debussy’s battle with cancer. This piece is part of Debussy’s profound Douze Études--a tribute to Chopin that reimagined piano technique. While deeply influenced by Chopin’s elegant style, Debussy sought new colors in these Études. Debussy saw music as an exploration beyond mere virtuosity. This étude is a magical exploration of touch and tone. The title reveals its core idea--"composite arpeggios". The music weaves in rich harmonies (with added 9ths and 11ths) across multiple registers on the keyboard. The piece demands sensitivity: from whispered pianissimos to glowing crescendos, every note shimmers with nuanced color. When I was working on this étude, I had an image in my mind that the petals floated in the air, then into the sparkling stream. The challenge for me lies in balancing weightless arpeggios with crystalline melodies, using the pedal to blend harmonies while shaping and articulating each distinct melodic note. Anna Tse, Piano Recorded: 2020 @ LIVE at Academic Community Hall, Hong Kong Baptist University Program: Claude Debussy (1862–1918): Étude pour les arpèges composés (de Douze Études) Thank you for listening! 👉 Enjoyed my performance? Please give me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel for more piano videos! Thank you!!! 👉 Can you hear the melody emerge from the arpeggios? How do you find the music of Debussy? Tell me below! #Debussy #ClaudeDebussy #Piano #Impressionism #AnnaTse #HongKongPianist #ClassicalMusic #Arpeggios #FrenchMusic #FrenchPianoMusic #Etudes #PianoÉtudes #DouzeÉtudes #ÉtudesPourPiano #20thCenturyPianoMusic

Dive into the captivating and grotesque world of Lowell Liebermann's Gargoyles, Op. 29, with my performance recorded at the Faculty of Music, Hong Kong Baptist University in 2021. This incredible 20th-century masterpiece holds a special place in my heart. I adore how Liebermann paints such vivid, contrasting characters – from playful mischief to eerie stillness and thunderous power – all inspired by the fascinating stone creatures that adorn Gothic cathedrals. Anna Tse, Piano Recorded: 2021 @ Faculty of Music, Hong Kong Baptist University Program: Lowell Liebermann: Gargoyles, Op. 29 I. 0:00 II. 1:58 III. 4:45 IV. 7:18 Thank you for listening!!! 👉 Enjoyed the performance? Please give me a thumbs up and subscribe for more piano videos! 👉 Let me know your favorite moment in the comments! #Liebermann #Gargoyles #Piano #ClassicalMusic #AnnaTse #Pianist #ContemporaryClassical #HongKong #HKBU #PianoPerformance #Music #20thcenturyPianoMusic