Homage to Ravel and Borodin

Pianist Junhui Chen from Fuzhou, China graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2019 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Juilliard School. In his graduation recital, Junhui paid homage to French composer Maurice Ravel and Russian composer Alexander Borodin because Ravel was an admirer of Borodin’s music. Junhui finished this On Stage At Curtis episode with a Chopin Étude.

Borodin: Petite Suite and Scherzo in A-flat major
Junhui Chen, piano

Petite Suite is a suite of seven piano pieces written by Alexander Borodin in 1885 along with Scherzo in A-flat major. The Petite Suite seven movements are Au couvent, Intermezzo, Mazurka I, Mazurka II, Rêverie, Serenade, Nocturne and Scherzo. An interesting fact is that Borodin was a doctor and chemist by profession not a musician.

Ravel: À la manière de Borodine
Junhui Chen, piano

This piece was meant to pay tribute to Borodin’s style. Ravel considered Borodin an early pioneer of the impressionist style.

Chopin: Ètude in G-flat major, Op. 25, No.9
Junhui Chen, piano

Chopin’s Ètude in G-flat major, Op. 25, No.9 is known as the Butterfly étude, however, Chopin did not give it the name. Chopin’s études are a total of twenty-seven compositions, consist of a set of three, two collections of twelve and a set of three without opus numbers.