Welcome to Vincent Chow's Homepage

My Music World, My Favorite Composers

My Piano Repertoire

My first piano lesson, photograph taken on 21 February 1985. ( The date printed on the photograph is wrong !! )

I have always thought of myself as a musical instrument -- neither violin nor piano -- but "essence" of music. I never walk or dream or go to sleep without having music in my head. Music is "my form." -- Arthur Rubinstein

Background Music -- "Etincelles" (Sparks) by Moritz Moszkowski (Click to start!!)

I would like to share my interests and insights on music as well as my experience in recorder & piano playings with all music lovers who visit this page !!
(If you are interested to know more about my background, especially in playing music, you are welcome to visit another page -- "My Profile")

My Recorder

Do you know what is a recorder ? I think most people know what it is. Yes, it is actually a very "popular" musical instrument. It is a piece of "wooden tube" (some made by plastic nowadays) with 8 holes and a whistle like mouth-piece assembled together. The whole recorders family consists of 5 members which are different in sizes, namely from the smallest sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor & bass recorders). Many people have learnt how to play it in their primary and secondary schools, but few regard it (the recorder) as one of the important instrument which can produce beautiful sound and music. A "recorder" has been widely regarding as a "toy" for children and a "musical instrument" which should be learnt by a "Beginner" in playing music. Many people think that to make an excellent performance of beautiful music in terms of artistic values and standard, one should eventually "transfer" from his/her recorder playing to other instruments such as flute, clarinet, oboe ............ In my opinion, when one has got foundation or some understanding in playing recorder or flute (say), that can be helpful for he/she to learn other instruments. It is because when one's playing technique for one instrument (recorder, say) has grown for some extent, his/her general musicianship and musical concept has also grown for certain steps. "Transferring" from playing one instrument to others will become less difficult compared with one who know nothing in playing music instrument. That's all, but misunderstanding on recorder playing, recorder music or even the recorder itself cannot be furthered !! I would like to point out some reasons (at least in my opinion) that recorders as one of the musical instrument are misunderstandingly under-valued. It is not possible to point out all what I think in this page. I just can point out a few important aspects as this is not a thesis discussing about recorder and music.

(This part is under construction !)

My Piano and Favorite Composers

(This part is under construction !)

"Taste is a negative thing. Genius affirms and always affirms." -- Franz Liszt.

(What Liszt was saying was that "taste" is defined by what it excludes, whereas genius is defined by what it includes.)

"(To play it well)..... Difficult ? Yes, but always remember the story of the man who stopped a little old lady on the street to ask the way to Carnegie Hall.
-- "Practice, Practice." " -- Raymond Lewenthal.

" Technique should create itself from spirit, not from mechanics " -- Franz Liszt.

My Piano Repertoire (Piano Music that I often play by myself):

(Actually, I would like to learn all good piano music, but I have so little time to practise them that only the following items that I constantly play. May be I am a lazy bone that my repertorie is expanding slowly !! Anyway, I will search for any sort of good piano music endlessly.)

Alkan Scherzo diabolico, Op. 39 no. 3

Bach Prelude and Fugue in F minor

Prelude and Fugue in E flat major

Barber Excursions, Op. 20 nos. 1, 2 & 4

Beethoven Sonata in C minor "Pathetique", Op. 13; Sonata in E major, Op. 14 no.1;

Sonata in C sharp minor "Moonlight", Op.27 no.2;

Sonata in C major "Waldstein", Op. 53

Chopin Etudes, Op. 10 nos. 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12

Etudes, Op. 25 nos. 1, 2 & 7

Etude in A flat major, Op. posth

Ballade in G minor, Op. 23

Scherzo in B flat major, Op. 31