The 3rd volume of Rapsodia Nusantara

I have been thinking a lot lately about virtuosity. What is it exactly? If you google or search that term in the dictionary, mostly they will give the definition : great technical skill (as in the practice of a fine art). But what is "skill" in piano playing? Is it fast fingers, powerful thunderous chords and accurate landing jumps? .............................................................................................................................................. The history of composing for the piano has gone so far since the virtuosity of Scarlatti in the beginning of 18th century. Octaves run around in the romantic composers' scores, and the piano can produce the sound of the storm through the accumulation of chords. The 20th century reinvented the piano into its origin: a percussive (and even percussion) instrument. It seems like each period had invented its own technique. When the new techniques were established and developed, they seemed to replace the previous ones, but only for the ignorant observer: They augmented each other. Today we need to acquire all techniques in order to be able to play repertoire ranging from Bach to Britten, Scarlatti to Shostakovich (and therefore, ... ehm ... Sukarlan!). Apart from finger techniques, it now extends to polyrhythms, a refined ability to discriminate varied layers of sonorities, sophisticated pedal combinations, different ways to produce the sound: from the most tender that gives the illusion of a "hammerless piano" to the most percussive and superior control of complex metric and rhythmic passages. In other words, virtuosity now exists in the ability of the brain to perform the intricacies of the music, which doesn't always mean fast, powerful and loud music. .............................................................................................................................................. One should also be familiar with complex chord progressions, and playing different elements with the left hand only, such as in my Rapsodia Nusantara no. 15. Therefore, one can see that at this stage of my composition of the Rapsodias, the perception of virtuosity has changed. Polyphonic writing abound, and thick textures that ruled many of my previous Rapsodias have given way to more transparent ones. "Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art" - Frederic Chopin