16.02.14 -Yuja Wang - Prokofiev, Chopin, Kapustin, Stravinsky

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yuja Wang, the celebrated young pianist who breaks all moulds and leaves every critic dazzled, brings a typically virtuoso programme to London for her LSO Artist Portrait recital. Music by Prokofiev, Chopin, Kapustin and Stravinsky.


Prokofiev: Sonata No 3 in A minor, Op 28
Chopin: Sonata No 3 in B minor, Op 58
Kapustin: Variations for Piano, Op 41
Chopin: Nocturne No 1 in C minor, Op 48
Chopin: Ballade No 3 In A-Flat Major, Op 47
Stravinsky: Three Movements from Petrushka

Yuja Wang piano.

[amateur51]

Yuja Wang, the celebrated young pianist who breaks all moulds and leaves every critic dazzled, brings a typically virtuoso programme to London for her LSO Artist Portrait recital. Music by Prokofiev, Chopin, Kapustin and Stravinsky.


Prokofiev: Sonata No 3 in A minor, Op 28
Chopin: Sonata No 3 in B minor, Op 58
Kapustin: Variations for Piano, Op 41
Chopin: Nocturne No 1 in C minor, Op 48
Chopin: Ballade No 3 In A-Flat Major, Op 47
Stravinsky: Three Movements from Petrushka

Yuja Wang piano.

I was thinking of going to this - that's ££ saved

[edashtav]

Yuga Wang, Velociraptor

Yuja Wang, the celebrated young pianist who breaks all moulds and leaves every critic dazzled, brings a typically virtuoso programme to London for her LSO Artist Portrait recital. Music by Prokofiev, Chopin, Kapustin and Stravinsky.

.

May I show dissent from "leaves every critic dazzled" or will I be sent to a re-education camp? I like Yuja Wang as a human being - she's unassuming but full of effervescent charm. There so much to admire in her pianism, also, but ... I find much that irritates me, too. She is the pianistic velociraptor of the 21st century - her ability to play very many notes with rhythm and accuracy in no time at all is very high, but she is capable of, and does from time to time, play those notes at very high volume - so that their tone and the sense of line is diminished.

I felt that she played Prokofiev's 3rd sonata as if it were a latterday Hammerklavier - I missed its moments of charm and repose. I admire Yuja's sturdy independence - she brings her own interpretation to the fore in her playing, but am I alone in finding some of her "versions" unidiomatic and over-forceful ? The most successful piece in the programme, for me, was Kapustin's light-weight Jazz Variations on a theme fom Le Sacre.

Where there were emotional depths to be explored and the need for finesse, light and shade, grace and humour ... I found Yuja too driven and machine-like.

Huge potential, but, for me, not yet the fully-fledged artiste. I await for Yuja, velociraptor, to sprout wings and to fly, free as a bird...

[DracoM]

Gosh, yes, yes, yes! Talk about hammering the klavier. Maybe fantastic technique, but as yet not so closely allied to insight or 'less is more' that makes Prokofiev so alluring, and what about the HUMOUR????

And, sorry, but the Stravinsky was simply awful!

All very, very tiring.

[edashtav]

Gosh, yes, yes, yes! Talk about hammering the klavier. Maybe fantastic technique, but as yet not so closely allied to insight or 'less is more' that makes Prokofiev so alluring, and what about the HUMOUR????

And, sorry, but the Stravinsky was simply awful!

All very, very tiring.

It's a relief to me to read your views, DracoM!

You've cheered me up!

[Alison]

The Chopin Sonata was boringly one dimensional. I enjoyed the Kapustin too and most of the encores.

[Quarky]

Interesting comments. My overall view is that it's nice to have something to get teeth stuck into on Sunday evening.
But she is apparently incapable of stopping.

[mercia]

I await for Yuja, velociraptor, to sprout wings and to fly, free as a bird...

would that make her a pterodactyl ?

[edashtav]

would that make her a pterodactyl ?

Perhaps, but, on the other hand, adult velociraptors possessed feathers - so Yuga may need only a little extra support to achieve lift-off, mercia.

[Boilk]

Yuja Wang, the celebrated young pianist who breaks all moulds and leaves every critic dazzled

Agree with much of the above, and she didn't leave the Guardian's critic completely dazzled.

[Barbirollians]

Yes I am afraid I agree with these reservations . A very loud pianist and it is as if she doesn't quite know what to do with her fabulous technique . So far Argerich she ain't !

[BBMmk2]

Yuja Wang, has it all for me! Saw her play a Bartok PC, a couple or so years ago. Seen a YouTube clip from Steinway, with her playing Prok's Toccata. she is not afraid of the piano at all. |IMO, she doesn't over play either.

[Barbirollians]

I am afraid I remain to be convinced . I suspect she sounds amazing in concert but not so well on repeated listening. On one of her records there is a Scarlatti sonata that used to be a favourite of Lipatti - to describe her performance as unsubtle flatters it .