Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Coming out of COVID and playing my first full, live concert since March 2020 was a joyous occasion. I was happy to have broken the fast for my good friend Daniel Delpino at Texas Tech School of Music, where Daniel is establishing some wonderful piano traditions!
The audience was sparse but enthusiastic, due to the restrictions, but it was also livestreamed, and votes came in from remote audience members as well.
The vote looked very similar to others - Chopin wins (54% to 43%, but Mendelssohn overwhelms somewhere (Round 3), and generally garners more votes overall in the rounds - 52% over Chopin 46%.
There was a super majority of piano players in the room tonight, and we can see that there is more appreciation of Mendelssohn by those who play - a pianist’s composer!
This Smackdown definitely needs more data to figure out what’s going on!
sThank you for voting!
Frederic
Friday, January 21, 2022
Selected Comments:
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•Loved the contrast across the Chopin selections! Mendelssohn - Never heard this sonata before - fantastic. Chopin's influence is tremendous. Mendelssohn has a power that deepens
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•very interesting
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•I thoroughly enjoyed your performance and presentation. Very educational and eye-opening. Look forward to tomorrow's workshop. Your playing is extremely impressive, inspirational
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•It was an honor and pleasure to see you perform!
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•thank you for a great concert! Really enjoyed getting to listen to new music by Mendelssohn!
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•Wow, what a great program - and a difficult choice! Mendelssohn's Sonata in E amazed and delighted me
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•It's hard to make choice, from various sides, their styles are so different. But, you are so awesome!! Wonderful pianist!
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•We LOVE the way you guide your recital for inspiring us to think so much more! It's awesome! Love your control over the bass register!
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•Thank you for this great concept in presenting these two composers. I'm a longtime lover of Chopin - the variety, refinement, charisma!
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•Chopin's sombre nature attracts me. Mendelssohn's last one was complex, evoked a variety of feelings. More so than Chopin's
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•Amazing performance!!! Thank you for coming to Lubbock!
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•Mendelssohn - as you said, perfection. Chopin - speaks to one's soul
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•Really enjoyed listening to music with the smackdown as a guide.
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•Very interesting program! Especially enjoyed the Nocturne
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•Excellent, engaging program! Fabulous performance!
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•I chose the music based on whether or not I would actually listen to it at home. In other words, I would have to like the music enough to look it up on Spotify. I know my choices aren't the most technically demanding pieces. Thanks, I enjoyed this!
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•Chopin's work is close to my mind, and his work calms me down, too. Chopin is my overall choice. I highly appreciate your wonderful work, Mr. Chiu! Thank you for your hard work!!
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•Chopin is a favorite composer of mine, but I really enjoyed Mendelssohn's tunes in these pieces
