Humans are sentimental. We change the state of mind due to the ambience and atmosphere. The twelve études were inspired by the composer's life experiences, musical cultivation, glimpses of whim, and of course, states of mind. When the composer initially composed each étude, he decided on the key, tempo, and theme, then proceeded to embellish the aspects of creativity and aesthetics, and finally devised the song title and its description. Although detailed descriptions are provided, performers are encouraged to interpret the études freely. The twelve études represent different people with different states of mind. The compositions are meant to be unique, set in different keys and styles. They are as passionate as Chopin and Liszt, as untrammeled as Scriabin, and as exquisitely rational as Ravel. They are not in the rigorous musical styles of Beethoven or Bach; they, however, exhibit the form of fantasia. The composer hoped to emulate the form of Chopin's études: well-composed length and repertoire that inspires performers' imaginations. In the repertoire, many of the compositions are to demonstrate piano skills; they challenge a performer's precision, finger strength, and extension. Performers are meant to perform the States of Mind in a way that is similar to presenting masterpieces from the romanticism genre. States of Mind is the composer's first publication, including twelve études in twelve keys. In the near future, the composer hopes to complete the second publication that includes études in the rest of the other twelve keys.
About the Author: SU, Chen-Hsin was born in Chiayi, Taiwan, in 1989. He graduated from the Department of Medicine at China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, in 2015, and is a licensed doctor. He is currently doing his one-year compulsory military service (2015-2016). Dr. Su started his learning of piano performance at a class of musical instrument performance at the fifth grade of elementary school. He began to play Mozart's piano sonata after taking piano lessons for a year. He received a great deal of praise from his teacher of the class because of a talent for music. Since then he has been greatly interested in piano performance. However, as a middle school student in the following six years, he had relatively little time for playing piano due to heavy schoolwork loads. During the seven years of university life, he had spent much time on piano-related study. He read books of musicology, attended concerts and seminars, requested advices from teachers, masters and friends, drilled performance skills, as well as studied composing. He participated in The Fifth Digital Music Writing Competition held by the China Medical University, and won the second place (2010). He held a piano solo performance-Liszt's Night sponsored by the China Medical University (2012). Dr. Su especially likes the master works of Liszt, Chopin, Faure, Ravel, Debussy, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff and Kapustin. He anticipates to have more piano performances and music writings to share his joys from music with people while practicing medicine in the future.