Prom 63: Yuja Wang plays Rachmaninov 5.09.19

[Keraulophone]

...it was clear from the start there was absolutely no relationship, no love lost between conductor and soloist... 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...

This really was very odd stage behaviour. Myung-Whun Chung's intention may have been to give all the limelight to Yuja Wang, but I've never before seen a conductor hiding behind the piano as can be seen in this image, snapped from Choir West. All I could think of at the time was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon! They did at least embrace just after the final chord, but it seemed more like YW throwing her arms around M-WC than vice-versa.




After the Dresdeners' fabulous performance of Brahms 2 which he clearly relished, M-WC stood back from them at the edge of the stage, joining with the Prommers to applaud this great and venerable orchestra:



This was one of the most memorable Proms in my fifty years of attending, with certainly the finest Brahms 2 I've ever heard or am likely to hear again. Leipzig, Vienna, Dresden... a season for orchestra-fanciers to cherish.

[Barbirollians]

You’re on quite a run Barbs!!!!

A three Prom visit to London !