Prom 35: Yuja Wang with the Oslo Philharmonic and Klaus Mäkelä 12.08.22)

[Maclintick]

Here’s a teaser: what theme has connected Proms 31, 33, and 35?

One heard in Prom 33 Op.24 — echoed in 31 & 35…

[Andrew]

+1 to the previous comments-EPIC! Particularly the second half of the concert.

[edashtav]

One heard in Prom 33 Op.24 — echoed in 31 & 35…

Yes! Nicely answered - avoiding a ‘spoiler’!

[LHC]

As others have said, a fabulous concert.

Mäkelä and the Oslo Philharmonic are quite a team. The Sibelius was very good, but I thought that was one of the finest Heldenlebens I've heard, either live or on record, with every episode seemingly bathed in magic. The quotes from Strauss's earlier works also came over superbly, while still being integrated into the whole. Elise Båtnes solos were also very special.

Like Nick, I am usually allergic to Liszt, but in Mäkelä's and Wang's hands it was almost enjoyable (although I don't imagine I'll be rushing to hear it again). She really is quite something, and the encores were stunning too.

I was there last night, and the atmosphere in the hall was electric. I suspect a large part of the audience had come for Yuja Wang, but Mäkelä and the Oslo Philharmonic won them over, and Mäkelä had the audience eating out of his hand by the end. His management of the audience at the end of both the Sibelius and the Strauss was also very good (no premature congratulations last night). Its no surprise so many orchestras seem to be fighting over him.

Yuja Wang had the right idea with her shorts and top combo, as it was extremely hot in the hall last night. The much-vaunted ventilation system was either on the blink, or only reaches certain parts of the hall (possibly the boxes and gallery). There was certainly no evidence of any sort of air-conditioning in the stalls where I was sitting. There was also a fainting in the Arena towards the end of Heldenleben, with the poor person having to be treated and then removed by the St Johns Ambulance volunteers and the ushers.

[silvestrione]

I was listening on R3 and didn’t have that distraction. I agree she has a phenomenal technique but for me either the piece or her playing just sounded too tinkly- too much fussing around above the ledger line. I enjoyed her second encore most.

For once, unusually, I couldn't agree less! For example, in the slow section, she made so much of the left hand, the way the accompaniment was varied and elaborated on the repetition of the theme...The second encore was magic, I agree, again the left hand so expressive, more so than, e.g., in Rachmaninov's famous recording even.

I don't mean to say that the main thing in each case wasn't the beautifully expressive, cantabile melody.

[Ein Heldenleben]

For once, unusually, I couldn't agree less! For example, in the slow section, she made so much of the left hand, the way the accompaniment was varied and elaborated on the repetition of the theme...The second encore was magic, I agree, again the left hand so expressive, more so than, e.g., in Rachmaninov's famous recording even.

I don't mean to say that the main thing in each case wasn't the beautifully expressive, cantabile melody.

I think I just have a problem with the piece. There is so much Liszt I love : the etudes , the opera fantasies etc. I don’t like the opening motto theme which doesn’t help - it’s so uninspired and there is just too much Lisztian noodling around in the right hand for me. And I don’t like the Horowitz display piece either as a piece of music.

[Joseph K]

I just listened a second time and watched a first of Wang playing the Liszt. Fantastic - and I love her dress!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCgEv10kv4M

[Lordgeous]

Heldenleben, the best I've heard, live or recorded. Conductor seems to have it all including film star looks. Orchestra magnificent but would have loved more Sibelius as an encore ('famous bit' of the Karelia Suite?). Yuja was, well... Yuja, but shame she wasn't given something more meaty to play. She plays those two encores every time I've watched her. Why not some more Liszt? Nevertheless, at her best she is terrific!

[Joseph K]

Why not some more Liszt?

Agreed.

[edashtav]

Agreed.

I disagree - as another boarder has opined - I’m allergic to Liszt.

[Nick Armstrong]

Yuja was, well... Yuja, but shame she wasn't given something more meaty to play. She plays those two encores every time I've watched her. Why not some more Liszt? Nevertheless, at her best she is terrific!

Didn’t warm to her way with the Gluck encore, it seemed merely prettified to me. Never forgotten Denis Kozhukhin’s way with the same piece, a subtle, layered, very moving marvel

Still at least it wasn’t La Campa-bloody-nella

[kernelbogey]

If instant turn-offs can be graded those intervals combining TS + GM are even more instant and disliked by me.

I watched this (Wang/Makala) Prom on television. I have quite liked Clive Myrie as a Proms presenter previously, but some producer had driven him to go into a TS-like hyper mode, including a paean to the triangle in the Liszt, which when it appeared, could not be heard through the tv sound. I swiftly silenced all the interventions from him and his two guests.

A terrible dumbing-down gremlin is at work around BBC Classical Music broadcasting. (I do hope Susie Klein is not behind any of it on BBC4.)

[Serial_Apologist]

including a paean to the triangle.

Pinging? Everybody seems to be at it these days.

[jonfan]

I watched this (Wang/Makala) Prom on television.

A terrible dumbing-down gremlin is at work around BBC Classical Music broadcasting. (I do hope Susie Klein is not behind any of it on BBC4.)

Yes I hope so too. This was awful presenting. CM couldn’t think of one sensible question to put to Yuja Wang after the concert, who looked very disappointed that she’d rushed over for this utter waste of time. In defence though of Tom Service, he knows his subject and I don’t find him as annoying as I used to, but Clive Myrie couldn’t elicit one quality response from Rick Wakeman

[Nick Armstrong]

I watched this (Wang/Makala) Prom on television. I have quite liked Clive Myrie as a Proms presenter previously, but some producer had driven him to go into a TS-like hyper mode, including a paean to the triangle in the Liszt, which when it appeared, could not be heard through the tv sound. I swiftly silenced all the interventions from him and his two guests.

A terrible dumbing-down gremlin is at work around BBC Classical Music broadcasting. (I do hope Susie Klein is not behind any of it on BBC4.)

I systematically edit any TV proms I record, to eliminate all verbal intros, outros and lugubrious celebby chats in between (plus any Liszt ) - by the time I watch, just the music remains