Music / “Europe’s Greatest Composers and I”. Bernice Chua. At  Wesley Uniting Church, March 20. Reviewed by IAN McLEAN

WHAT an amazingly talented young performer is Canberra’s Bernice Chua! 

At just 18 years old she played with outstanding finesse and grace complemented by energetic fire and passion during her most entertaining solo piano recital – “Europe’s Greatest Composers and I”.

Bernice gained her diploma in music performance at just 13, in 2015 won the Artsound Young Virtuoso of the Year Award as well as being selected to participate in the Beethoven series of the Canberra International Music Festival of that year. 

In 2018 she successfully auditioned for entry to the Mozarteum University in Salzburg where she is currently studying the Bachelor Piano Performance program, albeit at present via Zoom, thanks to the curse of COVID-19. The virus has seen her domiciled back in Canberra for 12 months but she certainly has utilised her time well.

She opened with the Bach Partita No 1 in B flat Major, a delightful set of dances. Her intense power of concentration was immediately evident as she “entered the zone” and entranced with neat, delicate and totally accurate playing balanced with fine dynamic contrast. 

The rapid 3rd movement “Corrente” allowed her wonderful dexterity to be displayed with right-hand control quite astounding. 

The “Sarabande” was meditative in the extreme with elongated graceful arm movements amplifying the peace and serenity she had created. By contrast the two “Menuets” were utterly precise in rhythmic control and the “Gigue” finale a rapture of right-hand wizardry.

As if on cue, rain began and rattled on the church windows and interrupted the peacefulness Bernice had set up as she commenced the Beethoven Sonata in D Minor, “The Tempest”.

Her low, left-hand register was sinister and created a foreboding atmosphere before dynamic build in the adagio movement suddenly melted away to nothing, just as a storm might do. The rolling rhythms of the finale allegretto were perfectly executed as again predominantly left hand urged along the rhythm of the rain.

A treat was in store after interval with a fine interpretation of the famed Chopin “Polonaise Brilliante”. The rain suddenly seemed to abate during the sonorous introduction, which led to the triumphant fanfare then, once again, dexterity was the feature with a lightness of touch suddenly contrasted by transition into an explosion of sound. The polonaise demands a mastery of contrasting styles and all demands were met with seeming ease.

The concert ended with the Mendelssohn “Variations Serieuses”. These also feature a cavalcade of contrasting styles built on a simple melody and again the artist moved through calm reflection to genuine excitement with consummate ease.

By way of concert presentation it would have been more appropriate for the artist to have been formally introduced rather than simply appear via a side door but, that quibble apart, this was a concert of sublime music written by four of Europe’s greatest composers. 

As they looked down through the tempest of a rainy night they would surely have been most proud of the interpretation of their work by an 18 year old from Canberra. She has a big future ahead.