Déjà Review: this review was first published in August 2000 and the recording is still available.

Chinoiserie
Jenny Lin (piano)
rec. 2000, Danderyd Grammar School, Sweden
BIS BISCD1110 [80]

Throughout the centuries, the Orient has exerted a strong pull of the imagination of Western composers. One need only think of Mahlers ‘Das Lied von der Erde’ and Puccini’s ‘Turandot’, for example. Jenny Lin is a powerful advocate of a selection of smaller pieces of Chinoiserie, with hardly a dud among them.

The first piece on the disc exemplifies the conception of the whole. Rossini’s Petite Polka chinoise (from Album de chaumière) is five minutes of charm and wit, winningly brought off by Lin. She includes Grainger’s short setting of Beautiful Fresh Flower (the essence of Chinoiserie) and immediately follows it with Arensky’s Etude sur une thème chinois, Op 25 No 3 on the same theme. Arensky’s glitteringly virtuoso setting is the highlight of a disc full of highlights.

Turandot’s Frauengemach by Busoni offers a surprise, being based on Greensleeves (which the composer thought to be Oriental!). Lin evokes a delicate, flowing texture in the closing section, which seems to link it with Weber-Diaz’ Improvisation on a Chinese Folk Song, itself reminiscent of Ravel’s Jeux d’eau. Abram Chasins’ Rush Hour in Hong Kong would make a delightful encore piece.

There are too many felicities of touch and too many discoveries to fit an appraisal of each piece into a single review. The variety of styles under the umbrella title ‘Chinoiserie’ is really quite breathtaking. The surprising ‘dud’ of the collection is Martinu’s The Fifth Day of the Fifth Moon, a nondescript doodle of a piece.

A nice touch in the final item, Ketèlby’s In a Chinese Temple Garden is the inclusion of a gong (if it’s played by Miss Lin, I suspect she must pack quite a punch!). Lin plays cleanly and exceptionally musically throughout, responding to every textural change.

Enthusiastically recommended. A veritable treasure trove of delights!!

Colin Clarke

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Contents

ROSSINI Petite Polka chinoise
CHASINS Rush Hour in Hong Kong
GRAINGER Beautiful Fresh Flower
ARENSKY Etude sur un thème chinois
TCHEREPNIN Five ‘Chinese’ Concert Etudes
SCOTT Lotus Land
BUSONI Turandot’s Frauengemach
GOULD Pieces of China
WEBER-DIAZ Imporvisation on a Chinese Folk Song
ADAMS China Gates
ORNSTEIN A la Chinoise
MARTINU The Fifth Day of the Fifth moon
KETELBY In a Chinese Temple Garden.