Ray Chen Paints “The Dance of Fire and the Cycle of Water” at the Sydney Opera House

September 10, 2025, 1:26 PM · September 12, 2025 – Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 — especially the Chaconne — embodies the “cycle of water.” Each variation returns carrying the memory of the harmonies before it. Chen rides the hall’s resonance with expansive phrasing. In Saint-Saëns’s Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso, the lyrical flexibility of the introduction contrasts with the percussive brilliance of the rondo. Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 balances virtuosity with lyrical weight.
Space and Acoustics
The Sydney Opera House Concert Hall offers about two seconds of mid-frequency reverberation. Its slight midrange emphasis enhances projection but also exposes intonation. The wide proscenium disperses sound broadly before returning it as a halo.
In Melbourne, shorter decay allowed for more aggressive articulation. In Sydney, Chen adjusts bow speed and contact point to prevent harmonic smearing. Long legato lines ride the hall’s sustain, making the “cycle of water” physically audible.

Continuity of Philosophy
In 2023, the Play with Ray project placed young violinists alongside Chen for Bach’s Double Concerto. The message was clear: the stage is a shared space.
His pedagogical approach combined high standards with a safe environment for risk-taking, valuing clarity over perfection.

This time, the sharing is with the audience. Phrasing choices invite listeners to engage in the interpretive process. Dynamic pacing mirrors mentorship, moments of guidance followed by space for reflection.

Metaphor in Technique
The “dance of fire” emerges in spiccato ignition and rapid bow lifts, leaving a spark before the next attack. The “cycle of water” flows through long legato arcs and harmonic returns that surge like tides.

A Critical Eye
Slowing the Grave in Devil’s Trill magnifies harmonic gravity, though it risks dissipating tension before the final Allegro.

Exploiting Sydney’s reverberation enriches legato lines, but in Bach’s contrapuntal writing, too much sustain can blur the separation of voices.

The Meaning of September 12
The standard was set in Melbourne. Sydney offers the chance to test that standard in a different atmosphere.

At the point where the dance of fire meets the cycle of water, Ray Chen will seek — and perhaps find — the most compelling first note of the night.

THE VIOLIN VIRTUOSO RAYCHEN'S OPERA HOUSE RECITAL
THE VIOLIN VIRTUOSO RAYCHEN'S BRISBANE QPAC RECITAL

Ray Chen Paints “The Dance of Fire and the Cycle of Water” at the Sydney Opera House

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