Two personalities, one performance
Zilan and Zhao immediately start talking about their career as a piano duo. “We started playing as a piano duo in 2011 and in 2014 we started the master’s program in Graz”, says Zhao. “Piano duo is a beautiful genre for pianists. There is an enormous repertoire available and as a duo you can do things that are impossible for a soloist.”
“We still perform as a soloist sometimes, but playing as a piano duo is actually much more fun and more interesting”, affirms Zilan. “You have to deliver one performance with two people. That requires more than only the right technique and rhythm; joint musicality is key. That can be hard sometimes, because our personalities and musical ideas differ quite a lot sometimes. My musical style allows more latitude than Zhao’s. That’s why I play the first part most of the time.”
“That leaves me the second part, which makes that I have to follow her lead. The second part is a bit like a shadow part”, agrees Zhao. “That’s how we find a good balance. Notwithstanding, you should never let go of your personality, because that’s what can make the difference in tone.”
Complicated and pathetic Russian music
Despite the differences in their musical ideas, the two pianists share their enthusiasm for Russian composers. Zhao: “Russian music derives from a long tradition and is closely related to the history of the country. You can hear that, for example, in Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dance no. 1, that we will play during the festival. When Rachmaninoff composed this piece, he lived abroad while in Russia a revolution was happening. You can almost feel the desire to the homeland in this music: it is very pathetic. Nevertheless, the piece is comfortable to play, especially in comparison with Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps, that we will play during the Russian Master Marathon.
“That’s a complicated piece to play,” continues Zilan. “The rhythm is challenging and is requires a very good technique. We fell in love with Le Sacre. During our rehearsals we have had a lot of discussion about what it should sound like. That development makes up an important part of our joy during a performance. In general, Russian music has a level of power, rhythm and romance that you won’t find in the music of, for example, German of French composers. You can hear that clearly in these pieces.”
“It’s a pity that this beautiful music is not well known in China, where we come from”, continues Zilan with an expression of disappointment. “Piano duo music is not very popular there. An event like the Pianoduo Festival Amsterdam wouldn’t stand a chance in China. Hopefully, we will be able turn that tide someday.”
