American Concert Pianist, Steinway Artist, Susan Merdinger
Merdinger's Musings
The Five Greenes
Pianissimo!
Mercury Piano Duo
Susan Merdinger
"Emotion-filled Pianist"
"Saxon Variations", by Latino Music Festival Co-Director Elbio Barilari of Uruguay; a playful homage to Eric Satie, beautifully performed by Special Guest pianist Susan Merdinger. The work can be described as an experiment in timing, the harmonic language expressed in a series of treatments on a theme. Some of the variations were rhapsodic, some cunning, some deeply stirring- all were technically profound.
Splash Magazine
"A genuinely honest virtuoso..."
Audiophile Audition
"Ethereal and atmospheric performance"
American Record Guide
"Excellent Pianist"
Robert Sherman, The New York Times
"World-Class Pianist"
Highland Park News/Sun-Times Media
"Merdinger casts her spell"
Certain passages simply run under her fingers as if the notes were being pulled out by some wonderful but invisible force beyond her control. I almost got the impression that, in some mysterious way, Schumann was being channeled through Merdinger: it's that good.
Lynn Rene Bayley
Fanfare Magazine, April 2014
"Virtuosic, Refined, Statuesque"
Her playing, regardless of the composer, is always so deeply expressive, so strongly animated and driven forward by the power of the music itself....Best of all is that the quality behind her interpretations seems spontaneous and instinctive, and never fabricated.
Jean-Yves Duperron
Classical Music Sentinel, September 2014
"Radiant, energetic, aesthetically poised"
I would now have to count Ms. Merdinger's account of Carnaval among the outstanding recordings of the score, recordings that include in my experience those of Alicia De Larrocha, Cecile Licad, Mitsuko Uchida, Nelson Freire, Claudio Arrau, and a few others I've probably forgot.....Ms. Merdinger's playing is from the outset radiant, energetic, and aesthetically poised. When she needs to apply bravura showmanship, she's ready; when she needs a delicate touch, she's there; when she needs charisma or charm or poignancy, she's on top of the game. These portrayals of Schumann's characters and events sound beautiful, precise, and exciting. The big moments come through with enthusiasm and the soft moments are heartfelt. I loved every minute of her presentation.
John J. Puccio
Classical Candor, January 2014
"Schumann playing of eloquent expression and exquisite beauty"
Schumann's romantically-fancied dual personalities, whether of the passionate, outgoing Florestan or of the self-reflecting Eusebius, are met by Susan Merdinger with the unerring instincts of an artist, who one senses, has herself experienced the composer's emotional impulses. This is Schumann playing of eloquent expression and exquisite beauty, captured in a recording of distinction befitting this milestone achievement in Susan's career.
Jerry Dubins
"Merdinger has the magic touch"
…a fine sense of rubato which makes the plasticity of the music's unfolding sound quite natural and unforced, yet constantly intriguing the listener with it subtle "teasing" of the phrases. In short, she sounds completely inside the music here, giving a performance both joyous and reflective at the same time....Not a single moment in this suite passes by the listener unattentively; everything is exquisitely detailed and full of life. In this suite, often so difficult to pull off, Merdinger has the magic touch."
FRENCH FANTASY: MUSIC FOR PIANO FOUR HANDS
"Flair and verve...Intimate and touching. Strongly Recommended"
..All in the spirit of good fun is exactly how Merdinger and Greene play it.....If Carnival of the Animals performed on piano four hands intrigues you, Merdinger and Greene certainly play it with the flair and verve it deserves.
Susan Merdinger and Steven Greene are competing in Dolly with a couple of classic recordings, one by Robert and Gaby Casadesus on a 1959 CBS Masterworks disc, and the other by the Labèque Sisters (Katia and Marielle) on a mid-1980s Philips CD. I'm fond of them both, but Merdinger and Greene are equally intimate and touching in these brief portraits of proud parents admiring their beautiful young child....This is an appealing program that can be equally enjoyed and appreciated by both children and adults, and it's beautifully played by Merdinger and Greene. The recording, too, engineered by Edward Ingold, captures the players' Steinway model B in a most pleasing acoustic setting. Strongly recommended.
Fanfare Magazine, October 2014
"Delightful playing superbly matched to the musical storytelling"
I've recently been listening to another Greene — Steven Greene. He and his wife Susan Merdinger have a new recording of music for piano four hands under the title "French Fantasy." The disc, which contains a trim 50 minutes of music, finds Merdinger (prima) and Greene (seconda) taking on some famous and engaging compositions. They have a soft, gentle approach with the "Carnival of the Animals" by Saint-Saëns (transcription for one piano, four hands by Lucien Garban), and a child-like innocence with the "Dolly Suite" by Fauré. But my favorite work on the disc is Ravel's "Mother Goose Suite," which features delightful playing superbly matched to the musical storytelling.
M.L Rantala, January 2016
Hyde Park Herald
Rosen could not have asked for a better champion of his book that has profoundly influenced pianists and scholars over the past forty years. As did Rosen before her, Merdinger avidly explores the many fascinating ways in which the three great figures of the era – Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven – challenged one another and built on each other's discoveries.
"The Classical Style"
Phil Muse, Audio-Video Club of Atlanta
"Ebullient...Joie de vivre"
The Chicago-based pianist Susan Merdinger's 2011–12 performances of Schumann's Carnaval and Faschingsshwank aus Wien—appropriate discmates—communicate a sense of her excited engagement with the music, as if encountering it for the first time. Her phrasing is notably free and elastic, with rubatos that are sometimes quite original and exaggerated but never disruptive. Most of Carnaval's 20 pieces are fast, and many are loud, which plays to Merdinger's strengths; she's a bold player with a big sound. Even In the second half of the most delicate piece, "Eusebius," she doesn't hesitate to play with a generous, full sonority. Carnaval is, in large part, a set of dances—Schubert's waltzes were Schumann's biggest influence—and Merdinger's playing really dances. Technically, she's up to the challenges of the work's most difficult sections, such as the treacherous jumps in "Paganini"—handled unflinchingly—or the repeated notes of "Reconnaissance" a piece that Merdinger doesn't just rattle off, but phrases with careful shape. But technique is somewhat beside the point when there are well over 100 technically competent recordings of the work. Merdinger's Carnaval, like Rachmaninoff's, Cortot's, Hess's, or Rubinstein's, succeeds in presenting Schumann's kaleidoscopic collection of short pieces as a coherent structure that becomes a showpiece for a personal take on the music. (Incidentally, she wisely doesn't play the musical anagrams called "Sphinxes" that Schumann has in the score, meant for the eyes only).
Her performance of Faschingsshwank aus Wien (the title is usually translated—awkwardly—as "Carnival Jest from Vienna"), a set of five pieces, three of which are longer and more extended than any of Carnaval's, is equally fine. The extended opening and closing movements have the swagger and caprice that they need, and Merdinger takes more opportunity to stretch and savor lyrical lines with flexible rubato where most pianists are much more straight.
Retrospection is a compilation of remastered recordings of concert performances from 1983–84, when Merdinger was a student at the Yale School of Music. My favorite performance among them is the opening selection, Bach's cheerful Toccata in G, in a buoyant reading that introduces the high spirits of Merdinger's musical personality. Another highlight is the Mendelssohn Rondo Capriccioso that concludes the disc, in which Merdinger delivers a fervent, high-powered introduction and an ebullient Scherzo that suggests the joie de vivre of her Schumann decades later. In between are some other fine performances, notably a fleet, committed sounding "Jardins sous la pluie" from Debussy's Estampes, but the Schumann disc represents the special achievement of a mature pianist fully in her element.
Paul Orgel, Fanfare Magazine
"Perfection..Passion
..Power"
Soiree includes music by Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy, and Franz Liszt - a formidable combination that works beautifully as separate tracks and as a complete album. The opening tracks are the four-movement Schubert Sonata in B major, D. 575, K. 147. Schubert is one of my favorite classical composers, but I've never attempted this sonata, which is lighter and more upbeat than much of his music. Composed when Schubert was only twenty, Merdinger imbues the music with youthful zest and playfulness. The two Brahms Rhapsodies (Op. 79) are pieces I dearly love and have worked on with a couple of my advanced students over the years. I have never heard them played to such perfection, with passion and power as well as tenderness where the music calls for it. Brava! Debussy's three-movement "Estampes" is a colorful and very challenging work very different from Schubert's or Brahms' music, but Merdinger makes it her own with precision and energy. The two Liszt pieces are his "Concert Paraphrase on Rigoletto" and his "Hungarian Rhapsody #12 in C# minor," and both are breathtaking!
If you are a fan of masterful classical piano music, Soiree is a must-have! I look forward to exploring some of Susan Merdinger's other releases, as I believe I have found a new musical hero(ine)! Soiree is available from SusanMerdinger.com, Amazon, iTunes, and CD Baby.
Very highly recommended! Kathy Parsons, Mainly Piano
"Courageous Debut"
Susan Merdinger offered a daring, enormously joyous presentation of Schumann's Carnaval, which captured and transfixed the audience…Her fast, strong technique was unbelievable…Her grasp of the large structural sweep of Beethoven's Op. 109 was truly amazing, and her well thought out shaping of the multi-layered variations demonstrated great insight...Breathtaking..Refreshing. Cries of bravo and enthusiastic applause were the thanks this musician received for her generously endowed gifts."
Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung, Germany
"Impressive Young Artist"
A spectacular piano concert…Susan Merdinger combines great musical sensibility with enormous technical facility…
Saarbrucken Zeitung, Germany
"Tender and impassioned"
…Plenty of youthful vigor and commitment…
An exhilarating, whirlwind performance.
The Glasgow Herald, Scotland
"Stylish, Elegant Mozart, Exciting Gershwin"
Miss Merdinger commands a surprising power at the piano…quick and spiritual reaction, the highest ability and experience….
Frankfurter Neue Presse, Germany
"Honesty Honored"
In this era of pianists we have pianists galore, but pianists who are real artists at the same time are very rare indeed. Susan Merdinger is one of them, I am sure… (she) shows her mastery of the piano in endless differentiation. Her musicality and her intuition originate directly from her pure heart… Susan Merdinger is a most promising pianist whose honesty will be honored with a magnificent future.
Het Vaderland, Holland
With 40 years of experience as a concert manager, and having heard thousands of pianists, and having accepted only two hundred of them, I may tell you that Ms. Merdinger's playing is so special since it not only has the refined musicality and astounding technique, but also the maturity and the phantasy which makes her music so sparkling…We feel that she is the top among the American pianists of her generation.
Harry de Freese, International Concert Administration
"One of the great pianists of all time"
...Susan's playing of the piece radiates the inner glow of real warmth and well-being that spring from the pages of one of Schubert's more optimistic and playful works, a score free of the dark and disturbing currents that swirl menacingly though much of his music. Schubert sounds genuinely happy in this sonata, and so does Susan Merdinger.
Moving on to the Brahms Rhapsodies, I can truly say that I am agape at the declamatory power with which Susan delivers these works. The only word I can think of to describe her readings and her playing is volcanic. Her tempos in both Rhapsodies are fast, faster than I think I've ever heard these pieces played before. But it's not just the energy and thrust with which she launches into these scores that make her performances so gripping; from bar one, the listener is plunged into a boiling, roiling, white-hot cauldron of emotional turmoil. It's as if we've been dropped into the midst of Jupiter's storm that has already been raging for hundreds of years without end before we got there.... I spoke above of Susan's gripping intensity from bar one; I'll also say that bar none, these are the most potent and exciting performances of Brahms's Rhapsodies I've personally ever encountered. If she never plays another note for the rest of her life— perish the thought—Susan's playing of these two works alone would make her, in my book, one of the great pianists of all time.
Jerry Dubins, Fanfare Magazine 11/2014
"Spellbound from first note to last"
My first exposure to Susan Merdinger's playing was so positive that I jumped at the chance to review this, her latest CD..... In the Debussy, Merdinger plays with a tighter style and clear sense of structure. These are simply marvelous performances of the Estampes. She sets and maintains a magical mood here; I was spellbound from first note to last.
In Liszt's overblown showstopper based on the quartet from Rigoletto, Merdinger actually makes music of it by her relaxation of tempo and imaginative phrasing. Whether Liszt himself would have played in this style is of course unknown, but although the gist of the piece is to show off one's technique Merdinger finds new and lovely things to say in it. The little flourishes at the ends of her phrases are tossed off in a way that reminded me of snowflakes falling in moonlight. Of course her paying of the theme is not in the same style or structure as the original, but neither is Liszt's music. She concludes her recital with an imaginative and surprisingly Hungarian-sounding rendition of the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12, making the music almost float in the air during the soft, slow passages, a trick I've not heard another pianist pull off.
In toto, then, an interesting and thoughtful recital by a thinking pianist who doesn't fit into a cookie-cutter style. Recommended.
Fanfare Magazine, Lynn René Bayley 11/2014
"Perfect balance and sense of timing"
Performing on a 7-foot Steinway B ideally suited for the music at hand, the team of pianists Susan Merdinger and Steven Greene give us a sparkling recital of French music for the four hands repertoire. On the program are choice works by Camille Saint-Saëns, Gabriel Fauré', and Maurice Ravel that educators have frequently used for the music appreciation of children. The smoothly integrated performances by spouses Merdinger and Greene have a perfect balance and sense of timing. As engineered by Ed Ingold, the CD sounds very beautiful.
Phil Muse, Audio-Video Club of Atlanta December 2014
"Brilliant Piano Playing"
Those fortunate enough to attend last Sunday's recital were well-rewarded...Ms. Merdinger opened her recital with three short preludes by Gershwin, all of which were rendered with the rhythmic vitality and suaveness essential to making that composer's music convincing... There then followed what was perhaps the most challenging composition on the program, the famous "Wanderer" Fantasie by Schubert. This work, in the hands of less competent pianists can sound as though it were written against, rather than for the piano. Such was not the case when Ms. Susan Merdinger brought her formidable talents to bare upon it. She was able to navigate even the most treacherous passages with a skill that made it seem deceptively easy at times, and with an interpretation that showed both intelligence and originality.
The enthusiastic response of the audience brought Ms. Merdinger back to the stage for an encore. She chose a Moskowski etude, full of "sparklers" as she said, and a lighter touch executing keyboard pyro-technics one couldn't have imagined.
It was a delightful afternoon of brilliant piano playing and the public can look forward to hearing Ms. Merdinger in the role of soloist....
Richard Karpen, Composer and Music Critic, World Art and Craft Magazine
"Considerable Virtuosity"
Merdinger plays with great amounts of energy, a good feel for romantic and impressionistic repertoire, plenty of passion and power and a considerable range of tonal color and shadings…Her performance of Haydn's Sonata No. 52 in E-flat major showed her ability to get around the keys quickly and toss off lots of flashy passagework...In Debussy's "Estampes" and "L'Isle Joyeuse", the pianist summoned interesting and lovely tone colors, delicately placed cascading figuration and well-placed harmonic voicing...The Sonata in B major, Op. 147 by Schubert was played with care and pleasant touch and pedal effects...Lovely lyrical moments... Sparkle and zip!
Frances Brancaleone, Gannett Westchester/Rockland Newspapers
"Merdinger and Greene performed with charm, sensitivity and bravado"…. The playing sparkled and revealed unusual maturity and a considerable range of pianistic technique.
The New Haven Register
"Exciting performance here by Susan Merdinger"… of Debussy's "L'Isle Joyeuse"…Wow! That's quite something! Obviously, Morton Gould's "Pieces of China" has a quirky humor and flair to it that's very special and you play it that way too…The critic in the Glasgow Herald referred to "Plenty of youthful vigor and commitment and an exhilarating, whirlwind performance" and that would apply, I think, to the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in C-sharp minor we've just heard.
WQXR: The Listening Room- Robert Sherman
"Bravo - Keep making music!"
I want to express my pleasure not only of your interpretation of my work, but with your whole concert at Merkin Concert Hall. I thought your performance of my "Pieces of China" was excellent- as I did the Haydn and the rest of the program.
Morton Gould, Composer and President of ASCAP
"Heightened intensity and sense of mystery!"
Soiree CD:
Susan Merdinger presents a broad and well-rounded solo program on Soirée – Schubert, Brahms, Debussy, Liszt (Sheridan Music Studio 13434 7). Beginning with the Schubert Sonata in B Major D.575 K.147, she quickly confirms the composer's predilection for song. She phrases the two principal ideas of the opening movement beautifully as if they had lyrics ready to be sung. The second movement offers a beautiful opening that first appears in vertical hymn-like form but subsequently melts into a series of fluid variations that Merdinger plays with great affection. The final two movements are very dance-like, each offering a brief middle section where Merdinger finds lied-like material that she emphasizes before reverting to the rhythmic drive that concludes them both.
Having both Brahms Rhapsodies on the same disc makes for interesting comparisons. Here too, Merdinger finds the two principal ideas in each work and carefully follows their course through Brahms' dense harmonies. The Rhapsody in B Minor Op.79 No.1's middle section is significantly shorter than the G Minor Op.79 No.2's and offers less time to linger with the material. But Merdinger counters this brevity with heightened intensity and sense of mystery.
Merdinger's performance of the Debussy Estampes is a credit to her stylistic versatility, moving convincingly from Schubert and Brahms into the impressionistic tonalities of Pagodes and Jardins sous la pluie. The closing tracks with Concert Paraphrase on Verdi's Rigoletto and the Hungarian Rhapsody No.12 reveal a pianist unbound, exercising the virtuosity and disciplined abandon required by Liszt.
French Fantasy CD:
There's a good deal of serious stuff in the body of works for piano four hands. There's also a more light-hearted tradition that is written with children in mind. It's here that we find the popular works by Ravel, Saint-Saëns and Fauré that appear on French Fantasy – Saint-Saëns, Fauré, Ravel (Sheridan Music Studio 16129 9). Pianists Steven Greene and Susan Merdinger clearly enjoy playing this material. While set against a background of childlike simplicity, there are plenty of moments where the composers speak profoundly.
Carnival of the Animals is replete with colourful imagery. Merdinger and Greene have a great deal of fun with this, romping through Saint-Saëns' pages with energy and style. Their performance of Aquarium is noteworthy for its mystical fluidity while the Finale delivers the entertaining pulse of a high-stepping chorus line. Tortoises, Kangaroos and The Elephant also offer a generous dose of good keyboard humour – a reminder of why this set is so enduringly popular.
Fauré's Dolly Suite is a more introspective and tender work and the pianists explore this change of character effectively in Berceuse and Tendresse. Pas Espagnol and Kitty-Valse balance the suite with optimism and sparkle.
The disc concludes with Ravel's Mother Goose Suite. Ravel's harmonic language sets the suite apart from the other two works. It gives Merdinger and Greene the opportunity to approach the music with more attention to its subtleties. They are more seriously engaged in this music but never at the expense of its youthful focus.
Alex Baran for "Keyed In", Whole Note Magazine, September 2016
Brahms' Piano Concerto No.2 with Lawrence Rapchak and the NSO! Order tickets now!
NorthShore Weekend October 13, 2018 NorthShore Weekend (p.2)
GRAB Magazine October 2, 2018
The Highland Park Patch September 21, 2018
The Daily Telescope March 5, 2018
Chicago Patch December 12, 2017 Natalia Dagenhart
Chicago Musical Guide Dec. 12. 2017 Roman Sobus
The Daily Herald Dec. 13. 2017
Splash Magazine Chicago October 24, 2017
John von Rhein's Classical Picks of the Week - March 24, 2017
John von Rhein's Classical Picks of the Week - Dec. 30, 2015
Chicago Tribune Announcement for Northbrook Public Library Concert 1/2016 1/3/2016
Whole Note Magazine- Strings Attached- Review of Four Centuries CD Nov. 2015 (Canada)
Classical Candor 10/2015
Mainly Piano- Kathy Parsons 10/2015
Chicago Tribune/Highland Park News
Musical America News Story
Global Music Awards Announcement
Mainly Piano by Kathy Parsons
CSO Chamber Music Series- Rivers Festival
Latino Music Festival Announcement
Arte e Vida Chicago
WFMT Fiesta! Fresh Ink Blog
Harris Theater Chicago
Robotics Institute Concert Event
North Suburban Symphony Article
Susan Merdinger and the Elaris Duo
Northbrook Public Library- Pikler and Merdinger
NY Times- Susan Merdinger to marry in June
Merdinger's Newspaper Concert Reviews 1986-1990
"How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall"- Gannett Westchester/Rockland Newspaper
Susan Merdinger, Pianist ©SusanMerdinger 2019 Sheridan Music Studio
susanmerdinger@gmail.com ℗SusanMerdinger 2019 Highland Park, Illinois 60035
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 I. Allegro maestoso 20:23
Albeniz- Grenada (Serenade) from Suite Espanola 5:02
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue 20:09
07 Saint - Saens - Carnival Of The Animals - VII Aquarium 2:03
Schumann Carnaval: Valse noble 1:20
Brahms - Rhapsody, Op 79 #1 In B minor 8:15
Debussy- La Puerta del Vino 3:47
Rachmaninoff: Scherzo from Six Pieces for Piano Duet Op. 11 3:13