The piano of Martin Oei
De piano van Martin Oei
A Touch of Paris
Van Ravel zal Martin eerst de Gaspard de la Nuit laten horen, een drieluik gebaseerd op de gedichten van Aloysius Bertrand: Ondine, le Gibet en Scarbo.
"Ondine" is een waterfee; Le Gibet ('de galg') is een macaber werk, we horen gedurende het hele werk het geluid van de klokjes (ostinato bes) omgeven door donkere akkoorden. Scarbo is een klopgeest, half trol, half geest — een duivelse dwerg.
Daarna verandert de sfeer opnieuw, als Martin de pianoversie van "La Valse" (oorspronkelijk voor orkest gecomponeerd) van Ravel gaat spelen. Ravel gaat in dit werk op een speelse manier om met de wals, gecomponeerd voor een Frans publiek. Ravel wisselt in La Valse korte melodische thema's af met humoristische variaties daarop.
Lees meer, bekijk het hele programma in het artikel "A Touch of Paris".
Martin Oei will tour from March 2024 with the program "A Touch of Paris." He will bring to life the Paris of the early last century with piano compositions by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and Maurice Ravel (1875-1937).
From Ravel, Martin will first perform the Gaspard de la Nuit, a triptych based on the poems of Aloysius Bertrand: Ondine, le Gibet and Scarbo.
"Ondine" is a water fairy; Le Gibet ("the gallows") is a macabre work, we hear throughout the work the sound of bells (ostinato bes) surrounded by dark chords. Scarbo is a poltergeist, half troll, half ghost - a demonic dwarf.
Then the mood changes again, when Martin starts playing Ravel's piano version of "La Valse" (originally composed for orchestra). Ravel takes a playful approach to the waltz in this work, composed for a French audience. In La Valse, Ravel alternates short melodic themes with humorous variations on them.
Read more, see the whole programme in the article "A Touch of Paris".
Nederlands Dagblad: 17-year-old Oei launches his pianoforte CD
Third CD by Martin received a good review in the Nederlands Dagblad:
…Interestingly, Oei is fascinated by the fortepiano and enjoys playing this instrument…Sparkling, heady, and then sometimes hushed piano playing, beautifully recorded spatially in the Zeeuwse Concertzaal in Middelburg.(Roel Sikkema)
Before me is pianist Martin Oei's third CD. His CD debut appeared at the age of 14, and it was clearly to his liking. On the second disc he plays a 20th century Bösendorfer (2012), and on the most recent release a Rosenberger fortepiano from 1800 can be heard. All releases bear interesting similarities to, among others, the first performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fantasia Sonata in D. In three years, Martin is already in the spotlight with his uncommon piano interpretation. These three CDs are an important measure of his pianistic career. It would be nice if from now on tracks and duration would be listed on the covers, as well as an extension to 80 min. playing time, instead of 58 min.; because that is on the skinny side!
De voorliefde voor historische klavierinstrumenten kan men in Martins vertolking van de Mozart- en Beethoven-sonates duidelijk horen! Ook de transparante klank van de fortepiano maakt dat Beethovens Fantasia in D ritmischer klinkt dan Oei’s vertolking op de 20ste eeuwse Bösendorfer. In dit driedelige jeugdwerk (1792) mis ik enige speelvisie van de uitvoerder; mijn indruk is dat aan diepgang en stijlexpressie nog kan worden gewerkt. Musicoloog Cees Nieuwenhuizen tekende voor de reconstructies van Beethovens Fantasia Sonate alsook de 11 slotmaten van Mozarts Fantasia in d mineur. De onstuimige vertolking van de Pathétique Sonate nr. 8 vind ik verdedigbaar en Mozarts KV 397 sprak mij aan door het legato spel van de pianist.
Too bad Mozart's sonata in A minor sounds too rushed, overplaying the beauty of melodic lines. This was certainly not Mozart's intention! Therefore a heartfelt advice: listen especially to keyboard masters who also have musicological knowledge. They usually do justice to the authentic performance requirements on historical instruments. Another suggestion: record the lesser known keyboard compositions of Russian tone poets, the latter in close cooperation with a teacher. This would allow this pianist to do pioneering work in the Netherlands. It could also be seen as a small tribute to his teacher Yelena Bazova, who herself comes from the Russian piano school. She has mentored Martin Oei for many years alongside other piano talents at the Fontys Conservatory in Tilburg. Conclusion: Martin's first fortepiano CD is already receiving ample attention at Radio 4. In short: listening to this CD is definitely worthwhile!
Pieter Vis
Martin Oei
Born in 1996. From the age of nine, Martin Oei's life has revolved around piano playing. At 16 he gave his first solo recital as a concert pianist and since then he has a loyal fan base of admirers that is still growing. This website gives the latest news, all the information where and when Martin performs, his repertoire, his CDs and where performances can be seen on video, and you can subscribe to his newsletter so you don't miss a performance. And you can also contact Martin Oei through this website, for example to book a performance.
Upcoming concerts
- A Touch of Paris Huize Spoorzicht
- Utrecht, Utrecht, Nederland
- Huiskamerconcert in Utrecht
- Those who sign up will receive information on exactly where the concert in Utrecht will be held. (Note: it concerns Huize Spoorzicht in UTRECHT, and not in Rhenen!). Walk-in from 2:00 pm.
- Martin Oei plays "A Touch of Paris" at Maison Erard in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands
- Enkhuizen, NH, The Netherlands
- Maison Erard Enkhuizen
- Martin Oei performs the abbreviated version of his program "A Touch of Paris" this afternoon.
- Martin Oei plays "A Touch of Paris" at Maison Erard in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands
- Enkhuizen, NH, The Netherlands
- Maison Erard Enkhuizen
- Martin Oei performs the abbreviated version of his program "A Touch of Paris" this afternoon.
- Martin Oei performs with program "A Touch of Paris" in Goirle
- Goirle, NB, The Netherlands
- Cultureel Centrum Jan van Besouw - Goirle
- Martin Oei performs the abbreviated version of his program "A Touch of Paris" this afternoon.
Featured Video
Franz Liszt - Tarantella door Martin Oei recorded at Maison Erard in Enkhuizen.
Latest Release
For the first time on CD: Chopin's famous piano concertos, played on two authentic Erard grand pianos. Master pianist Daniel Wayenberg, 87, normally prefers to play on modern instruments. It is small wonder that the 20-year-old Martin Oei has managed to get him to play on original instruments from Chopin's time. The transparent performance on two pianos highlights new aspects of these well-known compositions..