Marimbist Pius Cheung, a Canadian of Chinese background, has performed transcriptions of the likes of Bach’s Goldberg Variations in the past. This little disc, recorded at a church in Ann Arbor, Michigan that favors the marimba, consists entirely of his own compositions. These are in the nature of showpieces for Cheung’s artistry, to be sure, but they’re beautifully done, and they attain the elusive quality of making the sounds of the instrument into a discrete world of their own. Cheung’s brief notes (in English only) state that he chose the title Symphonic Poem because he consistently thought about the work in orchestral terms even though it is for solo marimba. The listener will have no trouble believing this. The work is predominantly tonal, but the work leaves a greater impression with its variety of textures and especially its impressive dynamic range than with its thematic and tonal organization. The four etudes and a “musical moment” that conclude the program resemble their Romantic namesakes more closely; Cheung stretches into greater originality with his eight-movement symphonic poem. Likely to be embraced by percussionists, this release is also commended to presenters looking for a soloist who can fill a big space.

by James Manheim, All Music Guide

“Bach as you’ve never heard it … [Mr. Cheung] surmounts the contrapuntal hurdles and offers a stylish, deeply expressive interpretation [of the Goldberg Variations] notable for its clear voicing, eloquent phrasing and wide range of color and dynamics …”

The New York Times  [related link]

“Tuneful, neo-Romantic yet technically difficult, these pieces not only showcased Mr. Cheung’s mastery of his instrument but also demonstrated his considerable skill and promise as a composer in his own right – one who writes the kind of music people will want to hear.”

The Washington Times [related link]

Pius Cheung, marimba
48th Young Concert Artists Series
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall
March 3, 2009

Chinese-Canadian marimbist Pius Cheung attracted a hefty crowd of music lovers in spite of what must have been the coldest evening this winter.  Mr. Cheung became a winner of the 48th Young Concert Artists International Auditions in 2008, realizing his childhood dream, as he told the audience in the concert’s conclusion.

The program opened with Variations on Japanese Children’s Songs by Keiko Abe.  The Variations were a wonderful juxtaposition of delicate and violent sonorities.  I was immediately struck by the artist’s wide expressive range and strong command of rhythmic tension.  Although marimba sound appears difficult to fill a six-hundred seat auditorium, the artist managed to paint a picture of grandeur by carefully planning all agogic moves.

Written for and dedicated to Pius Cheung. “Blowing Westward” by Zhou Tian (b. 1981) is a mesmerizing piece based on an impression of a world described by Chinese writer SuTong.  The artist seemed to own the piece technically and emotionally as well, virtually hypnotizing the audience with his reading.

The selections from J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 were conceivably the biggest challenge for the performer, both for their familiarity and the tremendous technical issues in the marimba arrangement; imagine playing the Variations on a gigantic keyboard, using only two fingers in each hand!  Mr. Cheung’s performance of his own arrangement was expressive, sensitive, and unpretentious, and left the listeners with a feeling of comfort.  The artist created perfect legato by carefully matching the reverberation and decay from one note to the next.  The fast-decaying and delicate sound was reminiscent of the clavichord, an instrument which J. S. Bach valued above all keyboard instruments for its expressive capabilities.  In some variations, Mr. Cheung decided to forego some of the original voice crossings.  Because of the technical hoops, the artist had to choreograph his body movements in a way that best accommodated the passagework, which at times made him look like a modern dancer of sorts.  This very successful rendition was another proof that Bach’s music can sound glorious on any instrument.

Mr. Cheung presented his own Three Etudes, a cycle which won him first prize in the Classical Marimba Leaque’s 2007 Compositions Competition.  The influence of Rachmaninov was clear, chiefly in Cheung’s way of utilizing harmonic gestures, rhythmic patterns, as well as textural effects.  The gusting passagework, sequences, and climatic explosions in Etude No. 1 in D minor were reminiscent of Moment musical in E minor.  In Etude No. 3 in D major, evoking the ‘possessed’ waltz from the third movement of Rachmaninov’sPiano Sonata in B-flat minor, I felt that the instrument by it’s nature seemed to lack the dynamic range to convey the tremendous tension and grand musical gestures of this particular style.  Although not very innovative in terms of musical language, the Etudes were engaging and communicated with authority.  The piece caused a roar of applause and will certainly constitute a precious addition to the standard marimba repertoire.

Mr. Cheung’s marimba arrangement of Schoenberg’s Sechs Kleine Klaverstucke, Op. 19 provided an appealing contrast to the comforting warmth of Cheung’s Etudes.  In these short pieces, the artist demonstrated remarkable understanding of Schoenberg;s free atonal style.  “Merlin” by Andrew Thomas (b. 1939) concluded the program.  Through a wide array of articulations and sonorities, Mr. Cheung presented a highly dramatic reading, giving due attention to each sonority and phrase.  By making the most of the extreme dynamics, as well as emotion-filled silences, the artist gave special meaning to the words of the poem (“out of Time…out of tune with Time…”).

Overall, Mr. Cheung conveyed the joy of music-making and true passion for the instrument, proving his ability to communicate through a wide variety of repertoire and styles.  “Somewhere over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz” was a welcome encore, bringing this very pleasant musical soiree to a close.

Magdalena Baczewska, New York Concert Review

“Absolutely incredible! Considering the complete Goldberg Variations include a theme (Aria), 30 variations and a concluding Aria, with a total performance time of about 53 minutes, the sheer volume of notes is a major feat in itself. Those thousands of notes in a classic harmonic setting are performed with amazing accuracy by young marimbist Pius Cheung.”

“One could spend pages discussing the appropriateness of transcriptions from the Baroque period, but there would be general agreement that there is some relation between the marimba, with its struck bars of wood, and the clavier or harpsichord, with strings that are plucked or struck.”

“Cheung adds a tasty amount of musical nuances that Bach would have likely approved of had he heard today’s modern marimba. The richness of tone of the instrument is clear on the recording and the bass line is especially warm and secure. It should be noted that the 30 variations are not motivic variations but based on the bass line and harmonic structure of the opening Aria. This performance brings out the bass line is a subtle but effective way that perhaps the clavier could not. Only a few adjustments were made from the original music and those are limited to taking some of the lower bass notes that were out of the marimba’s range up an octave and editing some of the ornamentations. Variation 28 is an exception with a number of adjustments from the original.”

To view the complete CD review, please see Percussive Notes – February 2007 Issue (P. 80) (Membership required)

Percussive Notes, PAS  [related link]

“The music of Bach seems to adapt well to a greater variety of instruments and styles of interpretation than that of any other classical composer. His masterpiece of the simple theme and 30 variations known as the Goldbergs has been transcribed for pipe organ, sax quartet, cello quartet, string quartet, synthesizers, you name it. The concert marimba is an excellent instrument for the performance of Bach transcriptions and this is not the first work of the master to be adapted for it. Yet adaptation is incredibly difficult due to the physical layout of the instrument, the use of the mallets, and the limited range compared to the piano or harpsichord.”

“The marimba virtuoso in this recording feels that the music of Bach doesn’t belong on any one real instrument – that it is so “pure” that it goes beyond any real instruments. That is certainly supported by the failure of Bach (and other composers of the period too) to specify exactly what instrument or instruments a particular work was written for. Cheung says further ‘In music that is so perfect formally, rhythmically, contrapuntally, and harmonically, I feel it will always be able to shine in different tone colors, dynamics, tempi, articulations, and phrasings.’”

“I recall the first time I heard the Goldbergs performed by a saxophone quartet. It was a revelation, and this marimba version is as well. The different voices are brought out more strongly and the clarity of the percussion instrument drives home the various melodic lines with more emphasis than on a piano or harpsichord keyboard. The micing picks up all the details but is not so close as to over-stress the percussive hits of the bars. An excellent alternative to the usual keyboard version of this Bach masterpiece. As Charles Ives would have said, ‘A real ear-stretcher.’”

Audiophile Audition [related link]