If Yuja released a recording of her live Hammerklavier I would snap it up in a breathless instant... I also like her recent release with Rach and Scriabin... I think she has actually changed the game for younger pianists, compared to the previous obsession with completiism in the industry...
What about Trifonov? I attended his live Prokofiev 3rd with Nagano and Toronto and the middle movement impressed ... the CD with the Paganini is actually more about the variation pieces for me, which are more scarce...
Of the 100 Rachmaninov, Brahms, beethoven, Beethoven has 200+ recordings,,,have you , honestly known a bad/poor recording in the entire catalogue?
I have not, All sound quite good.
But when you come to modern concertos,,here we separate the amateurs from the masters. Wang, Grimaud can not play a Henze PC with any degree of success.
they are romantic pianists.
They will readily admit it.
Look if we all give Zimmerman top honors in the Ravel, what stars should we allow to Grimaud's, 2 efforts?
3 stars?
Can 't grant 4, no way,
7 stars out of 10. Best I can do.
Look like the asians have dominated and will continue to provide the source group for new concert pianists in the distant future.
I think Wang is fully aware she may get shoved aside a bit, as new stars make their way on to the concert stages around the world, Which is why Wang is playing out the minor concertos in her early
Wang part 1
, Brahms, Rachmaninov etc,,then when her popularity starts to wane a bit,,she;ll bring out the BIG GUNS,,
Wang Part Two:
all 5 Beethoven concertos. I can predict her next move, so clearly, Smart lady for sure.
Play the system, that's what life is all about.
Her Beethoven concertos will boost her concert demands high and she;ll be right back in business.
Smart girl I tell you.
Looks like the majority are asian here in the Hilton Head international Piano Comp,,though Anna Han is from the USA.
90% of the repertoire is romantic...smart contestants,
The future of piano performers looks to be like a continuation of
Lang and Wang
https://www.hhipc.org/2019-competitors/
Last edited by paulbest; Aug-25-2019 at 00:23.
and get this, what if Huang and Wang win the 2020 Piano Comp,
Then we could have on the international concert circuit
are you ready for this
Lang, Huang, Wang, Wang
Or place in any order you choose, it could get a bit confusing
https://www.hhipc.org/2019-competitors/
Yuja Wang is no doubt watching this comp very carefully, she is not at all cheering for
*** Zitong Wang***
to win, thats for sure![]()
Last edited by paulbest; Aug-25-2019 at 00:35.
In 20 years from today, my guess is that 50% of all concert pianists will be of asian descent, although some will be born USA/canada/EU. As I say *descent* not necessarily country origin.
Yuja Wang is quite well aware of this *stiff competition* ahead, Lang is in his own little world, he could care less.
Wang knows she will just have to work harder,,and bring in the Beethoven 5, each one at the most perfect timing, Very smart girl is Yuja Wang.
But , what say ye of the asians dominating the piano keyboard.
Last edited by mmsbls; Aug-25-2019 at 19:08. Reason: Removed inappropriate reference
Competition? Where? Nevertheless, there’s still room for many many other talented pianists.
Last edited by Larkenfield; Aug-25-2019 at 02:16.
"That's all Folks!"
Yeah i am a bit out of bounds,.
Lets see, i do wish to say, thankfully we have Mitsuko Uchida in Mozart's Piano concertos and sonatas. I find her Mozart to be my 1st choice. And if you read the amazon reviews, in this case all the 5 stars had it right.
Though I wonder if Uchida would have done a better job at conducting from the piano.
I did not at all care for Perriah and Ashkanazy conducting from the piano, i really do not like either of those recordings, You can sense the difficulty both are having trying to juggle 2 tasks same time.
Uchida would have been successful, judging from her video with her at piano/conducting..
So how is this being biased.
I just do not think either Lang, nor Wang offer near the same level of performance as Uchida.
Other asian stars are on the way, and a few may trump both Lang and Wang.
Competition is a good thing.
I heard Wang in a encore at the LA Phi Orch concert on FM radio, played the Prokofiev sonata selection,
Hardly recognizing it as Prokofiev.
Of course everyone else feels she is *the greatest*. so what do I know.
Her 1st video as a young girl is impressive, Seems like every single prodigy's 1st years are so so incredible and wonderful,,,then,,,like Lang Lang, much of this magical charm,,,seems to fizzle out as years roll on,, , and you all know exactly what i am talking about here.
I don't have any opinion on the talents of either Lang or Wang, or of their abilities to play what and how, or of their excesses or shortcomings or differences from early age to later age … or of anything really about the two. Yet, I suspect I would much rather watch … er, attend a Wang concert than a Lang. Go figure!
I have Wang's piano Ravel and Faure on CD, pretty good!