The background on Debussy v. Prokofiev

Favorite Comments:

  1. •All jellyfish are spineless

  2. •Amazing show! I hadn't realized how dynamic Debussy's music is - misled by the "impressionist" label, I guess.

  3. •How about Mozart vs. Clementi again? CPE Bach vs. JC Bach. Harpsichord vs. Piano:)

  4. •I always experienced such strong imagery with Debussy, and while it was present with Prokofiev, it wasn't as strong. Yes, the Toccata absolutely blew me away! It made me want to go practice immediately!

  5. •Round 2 was an impossible choice! I expected to prefer the Debussy coming in, so I was pleasantly surprised to find my "favorite." Your voicing in the Prokofiev is spectacular!

  6. •Wow your trills are pure insanity!!

Other Comments:

  1. •Absolutely incredible. This was so much fun, thank you!

  2. •Amazing performance. Enjoyed so much. The display was incredible; lots of sounds, etc., etc. Thank you so much

  3. •Beautiful playing! We had to leave early, but I love the structure/concept of this program! Thank you for visiting NKU!

  4. •Both composers were great with beautiful, lively and fun music. However, I find Debussy to be ethereal as well and literally made me think of heaven.

  5. •Bravo! Thank you so much for being here and sharing your talent and brain with us!

  6. •cool idea!! Love the Reverie vs. Toccata

  7. •Enjoyed program. Thanks for presenting.

  8. •Enjoyed the music of both composers. Thank you!

  9. •Epic!! Awesome!!!!!

  10. •Excellent! God has given you an amazing talent. John 3:16

  11. •Fabulous concert! I love both composers. This format with you talking and playing is wonderful

  12. •Fun Format: comparing 2 composers! Appreciate learning more about the composers and the songs. Insightful way to hear the songs.

  13. •Great concert, thank you!

  14. •Great idea - especially allowing audiences to hear interesting pairings they typically wouldn't hear.

  15. •Great performance! I felt the chase in the Prokofiev pieces.

  16. •Great program with a very interesting idea

  17. •Great to see you again. All the best

  18. •How you harmonize sounds is amazing! Thank you for coming to Cincinnati!

  19. •I absolutely love your playing of the Prokofiev. The left hand is amazing in those pieces. Very powerful.

  20. •I am familiar with both of the composers, but I really liked the dynamics of Prokofiev. Debussy's Jardins sous la pluie was magical.

  21. •I deeply respect your concepts and the consistency you execute them with. It is evident you deeply consider each piece. I do wish you were a touch more romantic in Prokofiev - take more risks! Beautiful colors in Debussy. Bravo!

  22. •I enjoy the subtlety of Debussy. Prokofiev is inventive but harsh and confrontational.

  23. •I enjoyed the energetic pieces most tonight

  24. •I like Debussy's allowance of time and harmony, but tonight, Prokofiev's pieces were more memorable and entertaining with more recognizable motives and more variety and  action

  25. •I liked the bounciness of Prokofiev, the staccato. May God bless you, he has given you a tremendous gift. Music is really at your fingertips! I love classical too, but am more of a Mozart-lover. I would like some suggestions on how to loosen up and use my fingers more.

  26. •I liked your passepied very much

  27. •I live with a pianist!

  28. •I love Debussy, so I am super surprised by my own choices. He rocked it!

  29. •I love Prokofiev's Piano sonata #1 and fallen in love with your performance with YouTube!! I love both of composer's performance today!! Very beautiful and intelligent performance with perfect balanced harmony. Amazing!!

  30. •I loved it!!!!!

  31. •I loved the way you bring the music to life.

  32. •I loved the way you played Clair de Lune! I've never heard anyone else's interpretation of it before! I'm learning that piece with my teacher and I strive to play it as well as you did! Nicholas

  33. •I loved this format. Thank you for your comments in between rounds. It was very informative as well as exciting and beautiful. I chose Debussy because I am always transported by the absolute beautiful of the music. How clearly and expressive he can be in sound pictures. Prokofiev is incredibly exciting and breathtaking

  34. •I played Debussy's Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum last semester and it's one of my favorite pieces to play. I was expecting to like Debussy more because of that, but it turns out Prokofiev has more songs that match my taste - exciting and non-stop.

  35. •I prefer more relaxed, whimsical music

  36. •I prefer the more melodic Debussy

  37. •I thoroughly enjoyed the program tonight! Although I prefer Debussy's style, you introduced me to several delightful Prokofiev pieces. Thank you!

  38. •I wish Debussy could hear and watch you play Jardins. Loved the Romeo & Juliet set. I'm a violinist and have played that ballet.

  39. •I'm a freshman piano performance major here at NKU. I enjoyed seeing/hearing a lot of the things in your playing that I've been learning and working on.

  40. •I'm amazed that all these pieces were memorized Everything was interpreted very well. I love the clashing notes and harmonies.

  41. •If it was a tie, I picked the Russian, because I think Russia is cool. Thank you for performing!

  42. •if you add round 5, it going to be tie breaker

  43. •In Round 3, I felt like the piano was screaming at me in "Diabolic Suggestions"! (I might have voted for Prokofiev otherwise!) And Toccata Opus 11 was sooo intense! I am amazed at your talent and heart. What a great performance… so interesting that all pieces were played by memory. Thank you.

  44. •Just love Debussy!! Impressionists all the way :)

  45. •Love Prokofiev's sarcastic humor, rhythmic virility contrasted with poignant lyricism! However, I prefer listening to Debussy if I am NOT watching. I love Debussy's color.

  46. •Love this concept! I learned a lot about the composers and look forward to listening to more pieces by each of them. Can't wait to see the results.

  47. •Love your playing - I'd like lessons - where do you live?? Call me…

  48. •Mr. Chiu, thank you for putting this program together. I'm studying to be a pianist myself, and I really appreciated the fluidity of your technique. I'm aiming to have an understanding of styles and a precise and beautiful technique as your own.

  49. •My choices would likely change if I consider listening during the concert on stage vs. listening at home on CD. Excellent Performance!

  50. •My music director told me about this

  51. •Prokofiev sounds louder, slightly faster. Debussy has a lot of tills and some pieces sound like noise. Too many notes kind of smashed together. Debussy did have more slower and beautiful songs. Prokofiev was more action and up beat.

  52. •Public Merrymaking was probably my favorite piece! But overall Prokofiev was a bit too aggressive for me. Debussy reminded me of the soundtrack to a dream sequence!

  53. •Reverie is my favorite piece of all time. Prokofiev would have had to do perfectly win against Debussy

  54. •Round 1: I LOVE The Montague and the Capulets! Round 2: Prokofiev's mood shifts kept me very interested. 3: Debussy did a lot of quoting himself, which I like. 4. The Toccata is fun!

  55. •Round 3 and 4 were difficult! I love the many facets of Prokofiev!

  56. •Round 3 was most difficult to decide. I am far more delighted by Prokofiev and his strength than the dreaminess of Debussy.

  57. •So wonderful to hear the spirit of Karen Shaw lives on - IU 93 Masters) Your playing is always unbelievably refined and inspired. It is a great pleasure to hear you again. Your Debussy is particularly insightful.

  58. •Sorry I can't read and put a check and an x on round 2, I really tried and just like my man Prokofiev , he's fun so I meant to put the x for him. Xoxo

  59. •Sound too dry and too physical. Lack of imagination for Debussy. Lack of power in Prokofiev. Fun concert tho.

  60. •Thank you for  describing the composers and styles so vividly! Our community was blessed to hear your virtuosity and musical sensitivity.

  61. •Thank you for a beautiful performance and for making this informative as well as fun!

  62. •Thank you for a wonderful evening

  63. •Thank you for a wonderful performance. "Spineless jelly fish" what a perfect description of Debussy's music. Jellyfish are dreamy and mesmerizing when they float!

  64. •Thank you for offering great free events. You need to publicize more please. (NKU publicize). Great presentation.

  65. •Thank you for the work you have put into mastering the piano!

  66. •Thank you so much!!

  67. •Thank you! Your playing is so unconventional and full of surprises. You made my decisions so difficult because your Prokofiev was always so captivating, even if I like Debussy's pieces more.

  68. •Thank you. Best date I have had in years with my 6 year old grandson who plays piano.

  69. •The first Round, Debussy won because Clair de Lune was in the end of Oceans Eleven.

  70. •The way you paired them together for each round was brilliant! I've played some of these including Sarcasms, but you played it with so much originality and interpretive inspiration, it was SO enjoyable! Thank you so much for sharing your skills in this engaging format. Your technique is impeccable! I love both composers, but I seem to relate to Prokofiev's music more because of the humor, lyricism, tonal/not tonal aspects.

  71. •This was a thoroughly enjoyable concert. Thank you for the enthusiasm you bring to classical piano music

  72. •Ultimately, Prokofiev's amazing, but I prefer the reflective, alluringly haunting Debussy.

  73. •Um. Wowowowow! Loved it! So many different "textures" that you played. You play the piano as if it is a part of you!

  74. •Very enjoyable, great!

  75. •While Prokofiev's composition can be more interesting sometimes, Debussy's music is more of an inspiration to me as a composer, because the unique sound of Debussy's compositions is a huge inspiration and I try to reflect some of his style into my compositions

  76. •While Reverie is my favorite piece, the Toccata represents all I love about early 20th century music

  77. •Wonderful concert! Loved it all.

  78. •Wonderful recital idea! Very enjoyable and gets you thinking and comparing. Love Romeo & Juliet but unfortunately I prefer the full orchestration of it.

  79. •Wonderful rendition! I wish I can vote for both composers

  80. •Wonderful!

  81. •wow! Round 4 tough! But I love Prokofiev's percussion.

  82. •Wow! Thank you for sharing your amazing versatility with us. Appreciate your novel approach. Debussy has a more novel body of work.

  83. •You made me rethink Prokofiev. Thank you!

  84. •You made the concert a lot of fun I really enjoyed it!

  85. •You made this very difficult for me! You perform with such stylistic flair and gorgeous, colorful layers - so it really came down to my aesthetic reaction to the pieces as compared in each set. Thank you for inspiring and igniting our students and community's concert experience.

  86. •You're the best. Thank you for a phenomenal concert. It was TOUGH to choose.

  87. •Your Debussy is particularly beautiful and well played IMO. Thanks, great concert and great concept!