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his right hand in 1992,<br />
that caused neurological<br />
damage, resulting, eventually,<br />
in focal dystonia, a<br />
disorder consisting of confused<br />
motor commands.<br />
In an article Chen penned,<br />
he describes the disorder:<br />
“When the brain is sending<br />
overly complex and<br />
conflicting messages, the<br />
commands are conflicting<br />
and the fingers become<br />
stiff in the process. A fitting<br />
visual analogy would<br />
be the old style telephone<br />
switchboard with tangled-up<br />
wires.” Read more<br />
about Chen’s journey at<br />
focaldystonia.co.uk/#/<br />
piano/4563030880.<br />
Like Fialkowska’s, Chen’s<br />
return to the stage, in<br />
1998, was met with rave<br />
janina Fialkowska.<br />
reviews and he has gone<br />
on to a celebrated career.<br />
A reviewer for the Boston Globe had this to say in 2006: “Hung-Kuan<br />
Chen is back in prime technical form ... This man plays music with<br />
uncommon understanding and the instrument with uncommon<br />
imagination.”<br />
And it is our uncommon good fortune to have the choice<br />
between Lisiecki and Chen. Perhaps it will all come down to études<br />
vs. préludes.<br />
A LITTLE MORE LOVE AND ROMANCE:<br />
SOME hEART-WARMING QUICk PICkS<br />
! Feb 01 8:00: Aurora Culture Centre. Great Artist Piano Series:<br />
Chu-Fang Huang, piano. Haydn, Chopin, Wanghua Chu and others.<br />
! Feb 07 8:00: Toronto Masque Theatre. Les Roses de la Vie: A<br />
Parisian Soirée. Music by Marais, Couperin, Chopin, Fauré, Debussy,<br />
Poulenc, Aznavour and others. Also Feb 8 and 9.<br />
! Feb 12 8:00: Music Toronto. Piano Series: Gabriela Montero, piano.<br />
Brahms: Three Intermezzos Op.117; Schumann: Fantasie in C Op.17;<br />
Montero: improvisations.<br />
! Feb 14 8:00: Hart House Orchestra. Violins and Valentine’s Day:<br />
A Perfect Match. Schumann: Second Symphony; Beethoven: King<br />
Stephen Overture; Copland: Clarinet Concerto.<br />
! Feb 14 8:00: LUSH Cello Quartet. An Evening with LUSH Cello<br />
Quartet. Love-themed songs and classical works.<br />
! Feb 14 8:00: Toronto Concert Orchestra. Love Notes. Tchaikovsky:<br />
Violin Concerto; Saint Saëns: Suite in D; Gray: Introduction and<br />
Autumn Prelude. Christoph Seybold, violin; Kerry Stratton, conductor.<br />
! Feb 16 8:00: Kindred Spirits Orchestra. Beethoven, Schumann,<br />
Mendelssohn. Beethoven: Overture to Fidelio Op.72c; Schumann:<br />
Piano Concerto Op.54; Mendelssohn: Symphony No.3 Op.56 “Scottish.”<br />
! Feb 16 8:00: York Symphony Orchestra. Romantic Legends.<br />
Tchaikovsky: Polonaise from Eugene Onegin; Romeo and Juliet<br />
Overture; Capriccio Italien; Chopin: Piano Concerto No.1; also Feb 17.<br />
! Feb 19 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Love Will Keep Us<br />
Together. Songs by Porter, Berlin, Mancini and others. Betsy Wolfe,<br />
soprano; Mike Eldred, tenor; Steven Reineke, conductor. Also Feb 20<br />
(mat and eve).<br />
! Feb 24 5:00: Nocturnes in the City. Anna Betka, Piano. Works by<br />
Beethoven, Bach, Schumann, Prokofiev and Smetana.<br />
May your hearts be warmed and your senses seduced. Enjoy!<br />
Sharna Searle trained as a musician and lawyer, practised a lot<br />
more piano than law and is listings editor at The WholeNote.<br />
She can be contacted at classicalbeyond@thewholenote.com.<br />
February 1 – March 7, 2013 thewholenote.com 17