Yuja Wang

[Barbirollians]

What do forumites make of the latest superstar pianist . I have not bought any of her earlier recordings which are of repertoire of which I have too many recordings already . I do not , however, have a copy of the Faure Ballade for solo piano and I only have one recording of the Ravel Piano Concerto for the Left Hand .

I think her performances of both these works are quite stunning . She has a real feeling for Faure's musical language and the Ravel concerto is quite brilliant just as good and more playful than Zimerman .

The G Major Concerto on the other hand is good but a bit too brittle for my taste and she doesn't quite get the jazz inflexions in the way the Argerich/ Abbado and indeed all Martha's accounts of the work seem to do .

Worth investigating her other records ?

[richardfinegold]

I'm biased because I had the pleasure of meeting her at a dinner party when she was on the cusp of stardom. She is genuinely charming. I think that she is a serious artist, extraordinary virtuoso, and at risk for having her artistic growth stunted because of her early celebrity.
As far as her looks and fashion sense, what the heck. She is genuinely interested in fashion, she certainly is easy on the eye, no harm in that, IMO

[pastoralguy]

I rate her playing very highly indeed. My first encounter with her was in the Brahms violin sonatas with Kovakos on Decca where I found her playing to be extraordinarily clear to the extent I felt I was hearing them for the first time. Mrs. PG and I heard them play them at this years Edinburgh Festival where I felt she almost outshone the amazing violinist! I got their autographs after the concert and found Ms. Wang to be very chatty and modest.

A lovely lady!

Mrs. PG tells me her Ravel/Faure cd is in the possession of S. Claus, esq, and I can expect a visitation from him in a weeks time!

[akiralx]

I have most of her records,and rate them highly, if not actually my favourite in each work. Her Rach 3/Prokofiev 2 CD is very good, you may be interested in this if you fancy it:

http://www.rolf-musicblog.net/prokofiev-piano-concerto-no-2-op-16/

On youtube there is a good trailer for the Ravel/Faure CD. I wonder what Gieseking or others would have made of the leather trousers/iPad use during the sessions...

[BBMmk2]

I highly regard this pianist. I have also see jn her at the Proms, a couple of times and also have her early recordings. Including the fantastic, imo, recording of Prok PC3 and Rach PC3 with Dudamel.

[mikealdren]

I too have a couple of her CDs, excellent mixed programmes, she really understands wide ranging styles of different composers in a way that at least one of her virtuosic countrymen doesn't.

[Tevot]

I too have a couple of her CDs, excellent mixed programmes, she really understands wide ranging styles of different composers in a way that at least one of her virtuosic countrymen doesn't.

It is quite funny the power of celebrity isn't it? Here in China my Grade 7 class (12 to 13 year olds) weren't sure what a pianist or a piano was. The moment I mentioned Lang Lang however - the penny dropped :-)

I then mentioned that there were other well known pianists and I cited Wang Yuja - and this was met with incomprehension. None had heard of her...

@ RichardFinegold. I'd love to play chopsticks with her Not that my missus would ever allow it

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Bryn]

It is quite funny the power of celebrity isn't it? Here in China my Grade 7 class (12 to 13 year olds) weren't sure what a pianist or a piano was. The moment I mentioned Lang Lang however - the penny dropped :-)

I then mentioned that there were other well known pianists and I cited Wang Yuja - and this was met with incomprehension. None had heard of her...

@ RichardFinegold. I'd love to play chopsticks with her Not that my missus would ever allow it

Best Wishes,

Tevot

Ah, back in the days of the Little Red Book, they would all surely have known that playing the piano was all about running committees.

[David-G]

I saw her at the Queens Hall in this year's Edinburgh Festival, playing the Brahms violin sonatas. A marvellous concert. She toned her playing beautifully to complement the violin, unlike certain other accompanists at the Queens Hall, who seemed incapable of playing quietly.