The roaring applause from an audience of over a thousand echoed through Aula Simfonia Jakarta, culminating in a standing ovation that lasted more than five minutes. The performance of Johannes Brahms’ “Piano Concerto No. 1” served as the grand finale on a weekend night in late June. The man at the keys was Rueibin Chen, a Taiwan-born pianist who has spent most of his life in Austria.Alongside Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann, Brahms stands among Europe’s legendary classical music maestros, particularly within the Austro-German tradition.
For classical musicians, mastering Brahms is a formidable challenge. Stephen Tong, the conductor and founder of Aula Simfonia Jakarta, highlighted the unique demands of the composer's repertoire. Beyond immense physical energy, a pianist requires exceptional agility and finger speed to do justice to the works of a master who lived a modest life in a quiet corner of Vienna.
"Beethoven was fiery, Mozart was a genius, but Brahms reignited Beethoven's flame," Stephen remarked.
However, Stephen noted that Brahms’ greatness ultimately traces its roots back to Beethoven, whom he praised for pouring raw, explosive energy into his compositions. "A massive fire. The energy of life. A powerful force forged through personal struggle, because his life was far from easy," said Stephen, who is also widely known as a prominent pastor and evangelist.
