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" Inner passion paired with Rubinstein's Nonchalance"
Posted on December 17th 2021
The second piano concerto by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns was one of the favorite stage works of the the legendary pianist
Arthur Rubinstein.
On the 100th anniversary of Saint-Saëns's death, Cai approached the romantic opus with a fine sense of sound, crystal clear touch and lyrical ease. In the dance-like second movement his virtuoso runs pearled, pattered or trickled, while he played the impressionistic motif scraps and melodies back and forth like shuttlecocks with the highly motivated orchestra. Sheng Cai had to play against the rather dry acoustic in the rebound thrills of the Presto... revealed his inner passion paired with Rubinstein's nonchalance in his encore of "Men's Dance" from Rachmaninov's Opera " Aleko"
Jan Kreyßig ---Thüringer Allgemeine, Germany
On the 100th anniversary of Saint-Saëns's death, Cai approached the romantic opus with a fine sense of sound, crystal clear touch and lyrical ease. In the dance-like second movement his virtuoso runs pearled, pattered or trickled, while he played the impressionistic motif scraps and melodies back and forth like shuttlecocks with the highly motivated orchestra. Sheng Cai had to play against the rather dry acoustic in the rebound thrills of the Presto... revealed his inner passion paired with Rubinstein's nonchalance in his encore of "Men's Dance" from Rachmaninov's Opera " Aleko"
Jan Kreyßig ---Thüringer Allgemeine, Germany
Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite is more usually heard in the orchestral version and this arrangement is most familiar to listeners. However, in the piano transcription we hear new subtleties, textures and effects not always obvious in the orchestra writing... Sheng Cai combines gusto, pacing and bravado to create a dramatic finale to this suite of pieces.
This is further confirmed in his performance of the shorter pieces on this disc. ‘Scenes of Country Life’, a set of three miniatures which elevate simple folk melodies to the status of salon pieces, display in microcosm all the characteristics which make Grieg’s larger-scale and orchestral works so appealing. And Sheng Cai handles these pieces with sensitivity and aplomb, with nuanced dynamics, sprightly rhythms and supple tempi.
Recommended.
By Frances Wilson INTERLUDE, Hongkong
This is further confirmed in his performance of the shorter pieces on this disc. ‘Scenes of Country Life’, a set of three miniatures which elevate simple folk melodies to the status of salon pieces, display in microcosm all the characteristics which make Grieg’s larger-scale and orchestral works so appealing. And Sheng Cai handles these pieces with sensitivity and aplomb, with nuanced dynamics, sprightly rhythms and supple tempi.
Recommended.
By Frances Wilson INTERLUDE, Hongkong
Sheng Cai – Grieg album
Posted on November 4th, 2021
"Jouant sur la densité et les climats, explorant ces petits riens de la vie qui passe, Sheng Cai emporte immédiatement notre adhésion. Si la Suite no 1 Perr Gynt (transcription pour piano) est certainement l’œuvre la plus connue, surtout en version orchestrale, tout est dans l’élégance ainsi que dans la richesse des sentiments exprimés. Du très beau travail que nous conclurons avec la Sonate en mi mineur. Là encore, Sheng Cai confère à son travail d’interprète, un plaisir qui se distille lentement, ce qui convient parfaitement à nos soirées automnales."
--- Christopher Rodriguez LUDWIG VAN, Montréal, Québec, Canada
--- Christopher Rodriguez LUDWIG VAN, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Le 23 octobre, 2021
" [...] on trouve plusieurs petits bijoux qui gagneraient à être davantage entendus. "
" Cai a un jeu très précis et est capable d’aller chercher des couleurs intéressantes dans la nuance piano, notamment dans la Ballade. "
---- Emmanuel Bernier La Presse, Montréal, Québec, Canada
" Cai a un jeu très précis et est capable d’aller chercher des couleurs intéressantes dans la nuance piano, notamment dans la Ballade. "
---- Emmanuel Bernier La Presse, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Le 23 octobre, 2021