Yim Wan
At Fazioli Concert Hall
Modern Records (Hong Kong)
Yim Wan was the first local pianist invited by renowned Italian grand piano maker Fazioli to record at its famous concert hall in Sacile.
The hall's warm acoustics blend well with the delicate sound of the trademark long piano, and Yim's sensitive playing proves to be more than icing on the cake.
The 12 piano gems featured on this album, from Bach to Debussy, showcase the versatility of the diminutive Juilliard-trained pianist. The two Bach pieces, the famous Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and Sheep May Safely Graze, are harmonically rich and played with poise. The serene rhythm turns vigorous in Scarlatti's G major Sonata.
Into the Romantic period, Yim brings out the urgency of Schubert's Three Piano Pieces, composed during his final months. The playing turns elegant in the ill-fated composer's melodic G-flat major Impromptu. Her flow in Chopin's D-flat major Waltz is equally natural.
The three Schumann works show Yim's affinity for the romantic German composer. There is much vitality in both Soaring and Dream's Confusions from Fantasiestucke. The finger work in the latter, and also in Dedication transcribed by Liszt, shows Yim's solid technique.