David Ding ’12 showcased his musical talents on the violin and piano in his Senior Recital on Friday, May 4, in front of a large crowd in the Timken Room of Graves Hall.
After entering to the rousing applause Ding started off the recital with “Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64,” a violin piece by Felix Mendelssohn. Mana Tokuno, Instructor in Music, accompanied Ding on piano.
The violin piece showcased a moderate tempo and quick scales. Tokuno skillfully accompanied Ding on the piano and played her piece in perfect harmony with Ding’s violin.
After setting down his violin and taking a seat at the piano bench, Ding performed “Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 14 No. 2” by Ludwig Van Beethoven. The piece started off with jumpy chords and a rather brisk tempo.
Miki Nagahara ’13 said, “My favorite part of the recital was the Beethoven sonata. The piece really suited David’s style, and he brought out the nuances in the piece. David has a really graceful touch, and his precision brought a lot to the Beethoven.”
Ding’s two hands combined for quick long scales at one point before the piece returned back to its original tempo and concluded.
Ding then played Mendelssohn’s “Songs without Words, Op. 53.” The piece, which began slowly, accented the end of each phrase with a pronounced forte.
“I really enjoyed playing all pieces, perhaps the Mendelssohn’s ‘Songs without Words’ is my favorite, but it is really hard to say,” said Ding.
Ding next played “French Suite II in C minor, BWV 813” by Johann Sebastian Bach. The piece really brought out the best in Ding’s musical abilities as he switched from quick and jumpy chords to powerful low notes to quick scales and back again to the upbeat chords. These quick changes in feel never ceased to surprise the audience and left them feeling a sense of excitement.
To finish off his performance, Ding chose to play “Polichinelle in F Sharp Minor, Op. 3 No. 4” by Sergei Rachmaninoff. This piece highlighted Ding’s musical skills as he created an elegant melody, playing different chords on left and right hands while simultaneously using the piano pedal to elongate the tones.
As Ding stood up to take a bow at the end of his performance, the audience was so impressed by Ding’s performance that it gave him a standing ovation. As Ding left the stage, the audience continued clapping, beckoning Ding to return for another bow.
Ding has played the piano and violin for eight years. Tokuno has taught him piano for Ding’s two years at Andover.
