“Fanfare: Your new CD includes works for piano and orchestra that are not piano concertos, including music by well-known composers in material that is not very well known. How did you discover this repertoire?
Joel Fan: The label and I were looking for CD repertoire that would be vibrant and exciting discoveries for listeners. Works like the Chopin Krakowiak and Saint-Saëns Wedding Cake immediately appealed to me. The Chopin Krakowiak is rarely played; it’s a piece based on a Polish dance of the same name, and it’s a stunning, virtuoso romp that combines poetry with excitement. The Fantaisie-Ballet by Pierne, the Vals-Capricho by Ricardo Castro Herrera, and the Polonaise brilliante by Weber (with some help from Liszt) show a range of piano writing from the intimate to the exuberant. And the Gottschalk Grand Tarantella and the Cadman Dark Dancers are just fun works to play. So it really came together in a compelling package.
Fanfare: Are any of the works on the new CD new to you? How did you discover the music?
Joel Fan: Actually, the works on the CD were also new discoveries for me. The various works came up at the suggestion of the record label, and it was lots of fun to acquire such interesting repertoire.”
Labels: DancesForPianoAndOrchestra, Fanfare Magazine, Joel Fan, Joel Fan Interview