Listeners are taken to the edge of their seat upon listening to these artistically interpreted piano works by genius composers J.S Bach, Messiaen, and Chopin. The recording is all-natural. No edits. Each piece was recorded in its entirety.

6 MP3 Songs in this album (30:06) !
Related styles: Classical: Piano solo, Classical: Chopin, Featuring Piano

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Details:
Artist's notes:
Johannes Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor (BWV 903) (composed 1723)
A dark and dramatic piece in two parts (Fantasy, then Fugue) performed centuries after its creation on a modern piano that did not exist in Bach's time. Listen to how the grand piano captures the essence of friction through the dark chromatic tension illustrated by whirling scalar figures...imagine a dramatic opera in the recitative and aria like passage of the Fantasy. After a grand pause, the fugue is introduced, and gradually texture becomes thicker as more and more voices are introduced. Listen to the grandeur, tension and suspense illustrated through chromatic harmonic passages and a sense of drive illustrated by sequences elaborately decorated by chromatic notes.

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849): étude in A minor, "Winter Wind", Op. 25 no 11, (composed between 1832-1836)
Difficult sounding alternating chromatic figures are necessary to play with a flexible and limber right hand in order to illustrate the pale color of the winter wind and its oscillating, unpredictably fierce nature. The left hand accompanies the right hand as though it were a fallen leaf taken on a perilous adventure by the winter wind.

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) Huit Préludes (selections), (composed 1928-1929)
Prélude I - La colombe (The Dove)
Messiaen was known to be religious. Here he illustrates the supernatural...the dove, a bird symbolizing the Holy Spirit in Catholicism. The mysteriousness and beauty of the dove is conveyed by a singing mid-range melody while complemented by a shimmering high note figure played by the right hand.

Prélude V - Les sons impalpables du rêve (The intangible sounds of dreaming)
Like one finds it almost impossible to recall the beginning of a dream, here in "Les sons impalpables du rêve" it sounds as though
there is no clear introduction to the piece as the right hand begins the piece with a repetitive, trance-like figure. Like in a dream of
unrelated events happening in juxtaposition to each other, the listener can pick out each contrasting theme. Themes are placed in
juxtaposition to each other like a collage, and together they shape a musical form easily picked up by the ear.

Prélude VII - Plainte calme (Calm lamentation)
To me this is a song of woe, yet subdued in its lamenting cry. The lamentation seems unresolved.

Préludes - VIII. Un reflet dans le vent (A reflection in the wind)
Unlike Chopin's etude in A minor, "winter wind" op. 25, no.11, I imagine the wind illustrated more abstractly in this piece. Rather
than the wind in and of itself, I imagine how the varying strength of a wind affects its surroundings. The first theme invites me to imagine a shiny gleam reflected off an indentation of a thin copper sheet that was produced upon being struck by a strong wind. I also imagine this copper sheet wavering after the force of the wind blows on it. A different kind of glimmering light is reflected in this way. Overall, when the range of the piano is exploited from very low register to high register, I imagine the wind is aggressive and has more force. Contrastingly, as the range of the piano sticks to a closer range, a
clear melody is sounded out and this to me illustrates that the wind has less force and therefore travels a closer distance before it picks
up again in speed.

Biography:
Canadian pianist Jacqueline Ching-Ling Leung (M. Music Performance, McGill University) has performed in Holland, Germany, USA, and China. She was a national finalist at the Elora TD Canada Trust Competition. She was awarded 17 prizes from Kiwanis Festivals and scholarships for excellence in musical performance â including The Heather Hamlin scholarship and multiple scholarships from The Toronto Summer Music Festival Academy. With travel assistance and The Mary H. Beatty Scholarship, she presented her paper upon invitation at the International 19th Century European Folk Revival Conference (UK). She was the youngest delegate that year and her paper was titled âA cry for Lithuania: Alfred Cortotâs edition of Chopinâs fourth Ballade.â

Jacqueline studied with Kyoko Hashimoto and Thomas Davidson at The Schulich School of Music. Other former teachers include Henri-Paul Sicsic, Andrew Markow and Connie Lam. She has performed in masterclasses/private for many distinguished pianistsâ most notably André Laplante, Anton Kuerti, Jacques Rouvier, Menahem Pressler, Matti Raekallio, Michael McMahon and Dang Thai Son. She was also invited to prestigious festivals such as The International Holland Music Sessions, and Orford Music Festival for solo and collaborative piano.

Jacqueline is an advocate for music education. From 2006-2009, she was on faculty at McGill University teaching Keyboard Lab. She
currently teaches piano at The Bishop Strachan School and The Hawthorn School for girls in Toronto, Ontario. Her students have received first class
honors with distinction from Royal Conservatory of Music Exams.

Jacqueline is passionate about social change through music. While studying at McGill, she co-directed two Benefit Concerts (Montreal Heart of The City Piano Program, and Save Darfur Canada). In 2010, she volunteered for the Musicbox program at the Yonge Street Mission â teaching piano to underprivileged children.

Jacqueline is a founding member of The Oriole Duo, and pianist for The Heliconian Chamber Orchestra and Choir.

About the album:
The album "Pianistry" is performed by Canadian pianist Jacqueline Ching-Ling Leung. Recorded in 2009. Album was self-produced in 2011.
Tracks 1 and 5 were recorded on a concert Steinway in a live concert by recording engineer Jemi Sitanayah.
Tracks 2, 3, 4, 6 were recorded on a concert Yamaha in session by recording engineer Alejandra Bernal Ricault.