LA BELLE ÉPOQUE

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Music of its composers and the Ballet Russe

This album is a celebration of an epoch when music, dance and art inspired one another in abundance. This album brings us back in time to Paris 1871-1914. Imagine reliving “La Belle Époque” through a soundscape of music and composers of this era. As a classical pianist and fashion designer, the idea of music and creativ­ity simultaneously stimulating one another resonates with my artistic voice. Ever since I picked up a pencil to sketch designs, it unlocked a creative portal in my musical mind, sparking new compositional ideas. In this album, there are three composers from this beautiful era, La Belle Époque (1871-1914) and three works from the Ballet Russe, a ballet company based in Paris that was instrumental in bringing artists across disciplines together such as Coco Chanel, Pablo Picasso and Stravinsky. As this album unfolds through this artistic journey, it finishes with my own original composition: Improvisation on Scheherazade. It is inspired by one of the magnificent productions of Ballet Russe, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a symphonic suite based on One Thousand And One Nights, also known as The Arabian Nights.

Lili Boulanger, the first woman to have won the Grand Prix de Rome composition prize and the younger sibling to composition pedagogue Nadia Boulanger, witnessed 24 years of La Belle Époque in her lifetime (1893-1918). Like Debussy, her music is associated with Symbolism, conveying abstract ideas through suggestive imagery. In her Trois Morceaux, I. d’Un Vieux Jardin (of An Old Garden) II. d’Un Jardin Clair (of A Clear Garden) III. Cortège (Procession) we can hear how she paints these images through her harmonic palette.

Robert Schumann, Papillons Op. 2 was presented in a dance production through Ballet Russe during La Belle Époque. In addition to being a musician, Schumann was also a writer and often drew inspi­ration from literature; Inspired by novelist Jean Paul’s Flegeljahre, this suite of dance like piano pieces is meant to represent a masquerade ball. The final movement starts with the 17th century Germany’s Grandfather’s Dance, a traditional folk tune which was played at the end of a wedding or celebration. Repeated notes near the end denote the striking of a clock, signaling the conclusion of the ball. Papillons, in French meaning butterflies, were at times referenced by novelist Jean Paul as symbols of transformation.

Claude Debussy (1862-1918), a pioneer of La Belle Époque whose Clair de Lune, the third movement from his Suite Bergamasque was inspired by Ver­laine’s poem of the same title. Greatly influenced by the Symbolist poetic movement in the late Nineteenth century, Debussy has written melodies based on a range of poetry, including his own.

Chopin’s Waltz in C sharp minor, Op. 64 No.2 was featured in Ballet Russe’s dance production Les Sylphides and in its original presentation, Chopini­ana - a romantic reverie about mood and dance. When it performed in New York’s Metropolitan Opera, it was paired with Schumann’s Papillons.

Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, danced by many ballet companies worldwide to this day, had its Trepak featured as a part of Ballet Russe’s Le Festin in 1909. It revolves around a child’s imagination on Christmas Eve, featuring a Nutcracker doll: I. Miniature Overture II. March III. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy IV. Russian Dance, “Trepak” V. Arabian Dance VI. Chinese Dance VII. Dance of the Reed Flutes VIII. Waltz of the Flowers. This album features a rare solo piano arrangement by Stepan Esipoff and edited by Carl Deis.

Spanish composer Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), lived through La Belle Époque and his composi­tion El Sombrero de Tres Picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) was the musical score for the identically titled dance production for the Ballet Russe, with designs by Pablo Picasso. What makes this dance production unique is that it incorporated Span­ish dance techniques instead of classical ballet. In this album, I am playing his Danza Ritual Del Fuego (Ritual Fire dance), a movement from his ballet El Amor Brujo (Love, the Sorcerer) written in 1915, in his own piano arrangement. This work is influenced by the traditional ceremonial dance to worship the Fire God.

Improvisation on Scheherazade, a fantasy of my imagination on Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade based on One Thousand and One Nights, music to another of Ballet Russe’s spectacular produc­tions. The story is based on Scheherazade, wife of a Sultan who saved her life by entertaining him with enchanting tales night after night, for a thousand and one consecutive nights. During La Belle Époque, there was a fascination with the Orient and the Far East. The rich sound and colors of this music, whisked me away on an imagina­tive carpet ride.

Weiyin Chen

WEIYIN CHEN

Lauded as “a thoughtful, lyrical and accomplished artist” (The New York Times), the Taiwanese-Ameri­can pianist Weiyin Chen stands out for her dazzling technique, above all for the sheer musicality and maturity of her playing. Her gift for getting to the musical “heart” of the scores she plays has drawn the attention and praise of such master musicians as the renowned conductor-pianist Leon Fleisher and pianists Richard Goode and Claude Frank, all of whom she studied with extensively, among a legion of other eminent figures.

A multi-faceted artist, Ms. Chen is celebrated for her ventures in the world of fashion and music. She has received acclaim for her couture design in Vogue and has presented at London Fashion Week annually, her artistically inspired creations alongside her musical performances have received high praise in London year after year; her creativity lends a unique extra musical aspect to her performances.

An internationally renowned concert artist, Weiyin Chen’s recent season includes engagements in Europe with Musicians of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, orchestral debuts in France and Italy; in USA with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Boise Phil and Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra; and in Asia with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Bangkok Sym­phony Orchestra. Notable past highlights include debuts with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra under the direction of maestro Eliahu Inbal; the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom she made her debut under Maestro Edo de Waart; National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leon Fleisher, performing Brahms’ First Piano Concerto; Bangkok Symphony Orchestra in a Royal Celebration Concert honoring the 86th Birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand; China National Symphony Orchestra; and Taiwan Phil­harmonic NSO; concert tours and a debut concerti album with the Camerata RCO - Musicians of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York; and a concerto engage­ment at the New Year Music Festival in Gstaad Switzerland, under the artistic direction of Princess Caroline Murat and the patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Ms. Chen released two albums in the USA and Europe respectively. Her debut solo CD Diary in G, which includes Schubert’s Sonata No. 18 in G Major and Schumann’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor, is a testament to her superb talents as an interpreter. The longtime critic Jerry Dubins wrote in his glowing review, “I can honestly say that no other performance and recording of this Sonata I’ve heard has won me over as this one has….”

Ms. Chen’s musical education has included The Juilliard School and the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. She holds a certificate degree in fashion design from Parsons School of Design, she is a couture designer for her concert attire and the Founder of her newly launched Ready-to-wear fashion label created from recycled, sustainable fabrics and up-cycling. Based in New York City, she performs and exhibits globally.

weiyinchen.com 

REVIEWS

Musicweb International

"Weiyin Chen’s exploration of La Belle Époque features music associated with that period of flourishing arts dating from the end of the Franco-Prussian war through to the opening of the first World War, 1871-1914. She couples composers of the period with works in the repertoire Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets russes who based their first season in Paris where they presented a saisons russes with works by Anton Arensky, Nikolai Tcherepnin, Alexander Borodin as well as short excerpts from a host of Russian composers in Le festin. [..]" - Rob Challinor

Opus Klassiek

"[..] Chens virtuositeit speelt zich op hetzelfde extreem hoge niveau af, maar die gaat zeker niet ten koste van de pure muzikaliteit. Anders gezegd: de technische beheersing stelt zij geheel ten dienste van de muziek. Dit is een musicienne die de essentie van deze partituren vlekkeloos vorm geeft en daarbij verder dan de noten kijkt. Dan is er het fenomenale cantabile-spel, de gloedvolle warmte in de lyriek, de perfecte timing en het synergetische krachtenveld dat zij door haar grote talent en haar communicatieve vaardigheden aan de luisteraar overbrengt. Mogelijk speelt daarbij een rol dat zij ook bekend staat als een bijzonder getalenteerde modeontwerpster (zelf ziet ze het ontwerpen als een vorm van visueel-muzikaal 'componeren'). [..]" - Aart van der Wal, Juni 2026

DaGoGo

"[..] The performance from this release is so much more than a showcase of her skills and musicianship, it draws you in, so much so it is as if the pieces were composed just for you. It is simply some of the most uplifting, delightful and engaging music-making I’ve heard in recent years. I enthusiastically recommend this recording if not for system demonstration as well as the periodic palate cleansing." - Constantine Soo, March 2026