Carol Hung Piano Journey

When you play a solo piece. You’re responsible for everything in the music. From the rythm to the voicing and phrasing of the piece. It’s more technically challenging. A solo piece is good for showing off one’s virtuosity. Whereas ensemble, it’s a teamwork. Although the technical requirement is not as demanding, the listening skill becomes more important. In order to maintain the togetherness, rythm becomes a big issue. Counting on your own without listening to the other team players will of course make it sounds like you’re just sitting by the piano and try to join the group. I found that listening to the other teamates is sometimes more important than counting on your own. The base provides the beat of the music. Following the beat will make it easier to flow with the music. The other crucial point is that knowing where the melodies are and try to voice that out. Otherwise, everyone just blast off all the notes that would sounds like a jam of noise. So I would suggest practicing the parts that you’re not in. Know who is making what sound. Once you know where the melodies are coming from, the rest of the notes will fit into the harmonies. The other thing to overcome is rushing. The most terrible situation is that the person who’s rushing doesn’t even know that he/she is rushing. That happens to me as well. Sometimes, one of us rushed then all of us rushes. Once you rushed, it’s hard to hold it back again. 

As a whole, it’s a good experience for ear trainning .

I’ve been playing piano solo for almost all my life time. I always dream about playing an ensemble music in 2 pianos with 4 to 6 people. Now that I’m working on a piano ensemble piece. It’s just too good to be true.

However, for the general public, what’s so special or what are the differences between solo vs ensemble?

For any solo music, all the spot lights are focused on one person. Some people would listen to the fluency of the music, some concentrate on the coloring ,phrasing and the technique of the piece, some would fall in love to the atmosphere or the mood that the music present. But everything is coming out from 1 performer, from 1 piano.

Piano ensemble, just like other ensemble music (or orchestral music), the 2 pianos blend in so well that sounds like only 1 big instrument. But yet there are personalities in each individual player. A lot more can be done in terms of voicing and parts crossing between 2 pianos. Imagine you’re sitting in a theatre watching movie with surround sound.  Sound could come from your left or right or from behind. Piano ensemble has such a feature similar to a surround sound system. It’s more versitile!

So don’t miss the concert on April 15 at Chan Center. You need to experience it!

Piano Cocktails is a concert presenting piano ensenble music with 2 pianos up to 16 hands! This will be the first time in Canada having such a wonderful concert with some many fingers dancing on the keys. I’m proud to be one of the performers  to play a piece with 12 hands (Wow! 120 fingers!). The concert will be on April 15, 2009 at 7pm. I will be performing at Chan Centre at UBC using either a beautiful Steinway concert grand piano or a world famous Fazioli concert grand piano.  Tickets available $20, $25 and $35 from Chan Centre Ticket Office 604-822-2279 or www.ticketmaster.ca 604-280-4444.