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Power and Passion, Delicacy and Refinement Paired in Reuibin Chen recital

By Eileen Wingard
jewishsightseeing.com, July 21, 2006

LA JOLLA, Calif. —From early childhood, Taiwanese pianist Rueibin Chen practiced with Beethoven’s portrait sitting on the piano. At the age of 6, the young  prodigy won a prize playing the master’s Pathetique Sonata.. In Vienna, Chen’s teacher was Lazar Berman, the Russian Jewish pianist who traced his teaching lineage directly to Beethoven. 
   
Chen’s affinity for Beethoven was evident at his July 16th recital in La Jolla’s Sherwood Hall. After three lighter introductory pieces, including
Beethoven’s Fuer Elise, Chen attacked the first movement of Beethoven’s Appasionata Sonata with uncanny visceral strength.  The Viennese-trained artist communicated all the Sturm und Drang , the storm and stress of the work. His steely fingers and furious tempi ascended to the ultimate
boundaries of power and passion.
   
The second movement projected more repose. But it was not until the second half of the program, in Chopin’s Barcarolle in F Sharp Major,
that Chen demonstrated his ability to play with great delicacy and refinement.
   
After intermission, Chen performed three excerpts from Tchaikowsky’s Nutcracker Suite: March, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Trepak. 
These were dispatched with technical finesse. His final programmed work, Chopin’s Polonaise Brillante, brought the listeners to their feet
for a standing ovation.  They were rewarded with two encores.
   
The audience included many fans who came from Los Angeles where they had attended Chen’s Disney Hall recital nine days earlier. For that performance, 2000 people came to hear the brilliant Taiwanese piano virtuoso. 
   
Chen’s recitals were sponsored by the New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), a nonprofit TV station established by overseas Chinese.
NTDTV is headquartered in New York City and transmits via satellite to North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. The Sherwood Hall recital
was video taped, probably for future broadcasting.
   
Following the recital, the lobby was crowded with audience members waiting to have their Chen CDs autographed by the artist.  Chen, winner
of five gold medals fin international competitions, has recorded under the labels of Universal, Naxos, International, KKM Austria and Jingo Record.