Prom 63: Yuja Wang plays Rachmaninov 5.09.19

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Thursday 5 September 2019
Royal Albert Hall

Sergey Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No 2 in D major

Yuja Wang piano
Staatskapelle Dresden
Myung-Whun Chung conductor

Explosively virtuosic and a thrilling live performer, Yuja Wang is the soloist in Rachmaninov’s emotionally expansive and technically demanding Third Piano Concerto – one of the most challenging in the repertoire.
She joins conductor Myung-Whun Chung and the Staatskapelle Dresden – the second of this week’s visiting European orchestras – for a concert that also includes Brahms’s genial Symphony No. 2, whose freshness and spontaneity have drawn comparisons with Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A "safe" concert, but welcome nevertheless.

[jayne lee wilson]

Goodness.... try describing that one.....("safe" wouldn't be the first word to come to mind...).

The astounding Yuja Wang going her own compellingly wild and wonderful way in Rachmaninov's 3rd Concerto, doing pretty much what she wants at any given moment....
Chung doing his best to follow, shaping the accompaniment moment-to-moment around the soloist's dashing or languorous shifts of level (!) tone and direction..... Coordination inevitably suffered, but that isn't what this performance was about.
So The Staatskapelle had a relatively modest role; they'll soon get their own chance...

Technically I wasn't sure about this AAC webcast. I'd have preferred better orchestra/piano separation, and levels/perspectives seemed inconsistent....
But this can be difficult to manage if the hall is very full... let's see how the Brahms goes...

[Ein Heldenleben]

Just can’t believe she’s got the finger strength to play the Art Tatum Tea for Two after Rach 3 . Incredible ....

[jayne lee wilson]

Glory glory be to that glorious Brahms 2!

Did you ever hear a better one than that? So golden-toned, so natural in its flow, its joyful organic power, the energy and dynamics growing through and out of the so-distinctive sound of this wonderful orchestra...

Such a terrible shame they aren't here for a second night....!
(AAC Part Two - glorious sound too!)

[Barbirollians]

Glory glory be to that glorious Brahms 2!

Did you ever hear a better one than that? So golden-toned, so natural in its flow, its joyful organic power, the energy and dynamics growing through and out of the so-distinctive sound of this wonderful orchestra...

Such a terrible shame they aren't here for a second night....!
(AAC Part Two - glorious sound too!)

In the hall it did seem they were a bit uncomfortable in the Rachmaninov whether that was just trying to keep up with wonderful whirlwind playing of Yuja Wang ( great encores) or whether they don’t play much of his music I don’t know.

That, however, is what you call a Brahms orchestra ! Glorious nut brown deep string tone and such a wonderful flowing reading.

[Nick Armstrong]

In the hall it did seem they were a bit uncomfortable in the Rachmaninov whether that was just trying to keep up with wonderful whirlwind playing of Yuja Wang ( great encores) or whether they don’t play much of his music I don’t know.

That, however, is what you call a Brahms orchestra ! Glorious nut brown deep string tone and such a wonderful flowing reading.

This is the only Prom I wanted to go to... (Having spent most of the summer abroad, I only got round to trying to pick up a return this week. There was nothing until a seat popped up last night in one of my favourite listening areas in the RAH - however in the few seconds I took to double-check the exact position, someone else had nabbed it ).

So it was the radio for me: and my reactions were pretty much the same as jayne’s. The balance was heavily piano-weighted in the first half, much orchestral detail was obliterated but I still found it a thrilling ride (“whirlwind playing” indeed, Barbs. I envy you having been there!)

[PaulT]

Jayne and Caliban - perceptive of you to notice things were amiss in the Rachmaninov but there was more to it than Chung doing his best to follow.

Barbirollians - where were you sitting in the Hall? I was in the front of Upper Choir East and as I discussed with those around me after the Rach finished it was clear from the start there was absolutely no relationship, no love lost between conductor and soloist. They came onto the stage via different routes to piano and podium. Wang acknowledged the audience warmly, Chung hardly bothered. He merely beat time in the first movement with the bare minimum of effort.

Ii's interesting Jayne you commented about orchestra/piano separation and inconsistent levels. Chung had the orchestra playing too loud and it often drowned out the piano sound which definitely should not have happened at the force Wang was applying. I would think the sound engineers would have been unable to compensate.

Normally Chung is meticulous with sound balance. When he brought his South Korean band to the Proms a few years ago I was in the Hall when they were rehearsing late afternoon and he made a point of starting the orchestra playing and walking to various parts of the arena and stalls to check volume and balance between sections. He may well have done the same tonight and used it to his advantage.

At the end of the concerto, they did briefly acknowledge each other amidst the initial applause but then Wang stayed by the piano, Chung on the podium. They made no attempt to communicate or take a shared bow, they walked offstage separately with no eye or verbal contact. Wang returned to further applause and retired. They both returned, making their separate ways to piano and podium where Chung acknowledged the orchestra but not the audience. They walked offstage again separately and Wang returned for more applause and her encore routine.

The Brahms as you've all said was wonderful.

[Barbirollians]

Jayne and Caliban - perceptive of you to notice things were amiss in the Rachmaninov but there was more to it than Chung doing his best to follow.

Barbirollians - where were you sitting in the Hall? I was in the front of Upper Choir East and as I discussed with those around me after the Rach finished it was clear from the start there was absolutely no relationship, no love lost between conductor and soloist. They came onto the stage via different routes to piano and podium. Wang acknowledged the audience warmly, Chung hardly bothered. He merely beat time in the first movement with the bare minimum of effort.

Ii's interesting Jayne you commented about orchestra/piano separation and inconsistent levels. Chung had the orchestra playing too loud and it often drowned out the piano sound which definitely should not have happened at the force Wang was applying. I would think the sound engineers would have been unable to compensate.

Normally Chung is meticulous with sound balance. When he brought his South Korean band to the Proms a few years ago I was in the Hall when they were rehearsing late afternoon and he made a point of starting the orchestra playing and walking to various parts of the arena and stalls to check volume and balance between sections. He may well have done the same tonight and used it to his advantage.

At the end of the concerto, they did briefly acknowledge each other amidst the initial applause but then Wang stayed by the piano, Chung on the podium. They made no attempt to communicate or take a shared bow, they walked offstage separately with no eye or verbal contact. Wang returned to further applause and retired. They both returned, making their separate ways to piano and podium where Chung acknowledged the orchestra but not the audience. They walked offstage again separately and Wang returned for more applause and her encore routine.

The Brahms as you've all said was wonderful.

I was in Choir West and agree about the orchestra being too loud especially in much of the first movement. I did not notice the lack of rapport before they started but from choir west one is looking at their backs but I noted that Chung did not come back on for the encores.

[Keraulophone]

Wow. I had goosebumps down both arms at the end of Brahms 2. The whole thing was utterly spellbinding from my seat in Choir West. What an orchestra! I've already forgotten about the Vienna Phil from the previous evening. Those strings, those horns - just about everything was right about that performance. Chung stood there applauding them as enthusiastically as the Prommers behind him (pic to follow).

[Alison]

You’re on quite a run Barbs!!!!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Jayne and Caliban - perceptive of you to notice things were amiss in the Rachmaninov but there was more to it than Chung doing his best to follow.

Barbirollians - where were you sitting in the Hall? I was in the front of Upper Choir East and as I discussed with those around me after the Rach finished it was clear from the start there was absolutely no relationship, no love lost between conductor and soloist. They came onto the stage via different routes to piano and podium. Wang acknowledged the audience warmly, Chung hardly bothered. He merely beat time in the first movement with the bare minimum of effort.

Ii's interesting Jayne you commented about orchestra/piano separation and inconsistent levels. Chung had the orchestra playing too loud and it often drowned out the piano sound which definitely should not have happened at the force Wang was applying. I would think the sound engineers would have been unable to compensate.

Normally Chung is meticulous with sound balance. When he brought his South Korean band to the Proms a few years ago I was in the Hall when they were rehearsing late afternoon and he made a point of starting the orchestra playing and walking to various parts of the arena and stalls to check volume and balance between sections. He may well have done the same tonight and used it to his advantage.

At the end of the concerto, they did briefly acknowledge each other amidst the initial applause but then Wang stayed by the piano, Chung on the podium. They made no attempt to communicate or take a shared bow, they walked offstage separately with no eye or verbal contact. Wang returned to further applause and retired. They both returned, making their separate ways to piano and podium where Chung acknowledged the orchestra but not the audience. They walked offstage again separately and Wang returned for more applause and her encore routine.

The Brahms as you've all said was wonderful.

Very interesting report which probably explains the many sections of “creative asynchrony” . Just one point : it is very common in Rachmaninov for the orchestra to drown out the piano in the hall. I have heard that many times in Rach 2. In my very humble opinion he doesn’t scale down the orchestral texture enough . I can remember one perf from Yevgeny Subdin where large swathes of his magnificent pianism were inaudible. By the Rhapsody though I think Rachmaninov had sorted the problem. That is incredibly skilfully orchestrated.

[PaulT]

A good point Heldenleben. I think balance in favour of the pianist is just a bit better on the BBC Sounds relay than it was in the Albert Hall but for comparison here is Chung and his Radio France orchestra with Trifonov at the Paris Philharmonie in 2015.

Here, to me a more engaged and vital contribution from Chung who seems more at one with the occasion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBca3z7bAtE

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes on the relay they can bring the piano forward in the balance through microphones - no such luck in the hall sadly. On a related note I once “heard” Murray Perahia in the hall with the VPO and Haitink in Beethoven 4 and MP was pretty much drowned out even with a modern Steinway and reduced string desks . I’ve often thought that in the opening tutti of Rach 2 you could pretty much play any arpeggios (as long as they’re harmonically correct ) and get away with it . No hiding place in the second movt though....

[Sir Velo]

A more than acceptable balance listening via phones to the Sounds app. Nothing to suggest that soloist and conductor aren't in sympathy. In fact, the only unsympathetic moments are caused by a consumptive lady who seems to be deliberately choosing the quietest passages to ensure everyone in the hall knows of her ailments.