She does dawn some risque outfits that's for sure ,never heard her play though.

EDIT
I just listened to her ,I thought she was pretty good actually ,full of spirit,maybe not deep emotionally but full of spirit,very spirtited.Very talented for sure!

 

This is very much my response to her playing too

 

She is not deep emotionally but very very spirited!

 

I wonder whether that's a reflection of (a) her youth and (b) what she currently plays, as much as one of intrinsic musical quality or lack of it. There's no question that technically she's the real deal, so I'm reserving judgment on the depth of her interpretations until I've heard her in more musically demanding repertoire.

 

In my limited experiences so far with her recordings, the best thing I have heard her play was a Scarlatti piano sonata.

 

I'm a of Yuja so much love for her. She's great, playful, a breath of fresh air. She puts on a show. Her showmanship is off the charts. I understand that some people are going to be turned off by the flashy stuff and that's fine. Not me. I'm loving it. She's the one pianist I would consider paying extra $$ just to sit close enough to the stage to toss a bouquet of flowers to her.

 

Her playing has a no-bs attitude to it that might go well with some composers like Rach (who has his own share of bs). I`m not necessarily a fan (yet) but she is well ahead of LL both at pianism and showmanship.

 

She is at her best in extremely technically demanding repertoire, where the most important aspect of the music is clearly delineating complex part writing, and/or just powering through incredibly virtuosic passages.

Witness her absolutely jaw dropping version of Prokofiev's 2nd Piano Concerto. Never before has the 1st movement cadenza been played with such power, speed, and clarity. It is almost beyond belief.

(See also Bartok's 2nd, and similarly "extreme" works)

In works with "normal" levels of technical requirements, (Chopin Ballades, Waltzes, the Liszt Sonata, etc.) where a more singing line, or bare emotional delivery is called for, she seems much colder, or flat, or perhaps to put it more nicely, pedagogical.

She is still young though. I anticipate enjoying her more in the "standard" literature someday.

 

She is at her best in extremely technically demanding repertoire, where the most important aspect of the music is clearly delineating complex part writing, and/or just powering through incredibly virtuosic passages.
Witness her absolutely jaw dropping version of Prokofiev's 2nd Piano Concerto. Never before has the 1st movement cadenza been played with such power, speed, and clarity. It is almost beyond belief.
(See also Bartok's 2nd, and similarly "extreme" works)

Hell yes, that cadenza in particular is immensely powerful under her fingers. She's also on YT playing his Toccata with superb clarity and precision for an encore. If you're in the mood also check out her 'Three Movements from Petrushka'. Her playing in the Stravinsky displays the usual precision, lots of sensitivity and a wonderful 'orchestral' awareness in how she balances the various layers of sound, as clearly heard in the canon at 12'54". (There are a 2 or 3 wrong notes in this section which is extremely rare for her).
For me, she is one of the most accomplished pianists alive.

 

I think she's amazing. It frustrates me that a lot of people (not people here) can't hear past her clothes. She doesn't just pay the super flashy stuff. She plays chamber music and lieder. She played the Hammerklavier Sonata at Carnegie Hall (how's that for nerve). Her Rachmaninoff concerto's are my favourite recordings. She may not have quite the depth of Argerich or Zimmerman but I think we're bloody lucky to have her.

 

Yes, Petruschka is another excellent example.

When pure technical virtuosity is part and parcel to making a piece musically appealing she is at her best.

 

This video was in my recommendations just now - I had not seen it before.

The Evolution of Yuja Wang (9 to 33 years old)

EDIT: Video deleted.

 

I feel the same way! I thought maybe I was just jealous --(which maybe I am but still) Her playing does not not transport me to that "sublime place" as you describe it. We seem to be in the minority. (or are others just faking it?)

 

I think she’s great! Beautiful, full of spirit, and I even enjoy her in softer moments. I’ve listened to a disc she did of Ravel and found it brilliant.

In slower music, she keeps you on the edge of your seat, awaiting for the conclusion of the dark tale.

Very gifted!

 

I saw Yuja Wang play in Pittsburgh in June of 2013. She provided the opening work of the evening, the Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1, which I enjoyed immensely. It was followed after the intermission by the Shostakovich Fifth. Both works, under the baton of Manfred Honeck, were stunning in Heinz Hall with the PSO. I'd say the concert was a Yuja Success. For you fashionistas out there, I don't remember what the pianist was wearing, but I do recall watching her intently.

The above photo is posted on the PSO website page referencing the June 2013 concert: A Grand Finale with Yuja Wang - Pittsburgh | Official Ticket Source | Heinz Hall | Fri, Jun 7 - Sun, Jun 9, 2013 | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

And this: Yuja Wang (pittsburghsymphony.org)

 

I don't listen to many pianists as a rule of thumb but I do own recordings by Kempff, Rubenstein, and Horowitz which I play often and enjoy. However, since Yuja is creating such a stir with her dress at performances, I listened to some of her works recently, and here's my take as a lifelong musician: Yuja is a superb technician and performer. Her forte is her technical prowess but, for me, she lacks the warmth and vision that a truly great "artist" possesses. How so? A trained musician has the ability to transform the dots, spaces, and dynamic markings on a score into something intelligible and faithful to the written page. However, this is great musicianship . . . not artistry. An artist is capable of the former with the exception he/she puts a personal touch on the music that is a compilation of who they are as a sentient being traveling through life and using this extra gift transformationally in their music. It is the nuance, breathing, and motion that separates the artist from the musician. Yuja is young and perhaps she will evolve in the future. However, for me, she is a very gifted musician that lacks personal warmth and a unique voice.
Viajero

 

I don't listen to many pianists as a rule of thumb but I do own recordings by Kempff, Rubenstein, and Horowitz which I play often and enjoy. However, since Yuja is creating such a stir with her dress at performances, I listened to some of her works recently, and here's my take as a lifelong musician: Yuja is a superb technician and performer. Her forte is her technical prowess but, for me, she lacks the warmth and vision that a truly great "artist" possesses. How so? A trained musician has the ability to transform the dots, spaces, and dynamic markings on a score into something intelligible and faithful to the written page. However, this is great musicianship . . . not artistry. An artist is capable of the former with the exception he/she puts a personal touch on the music that is a compilation of who they are as a sentient being traveling through life and using this extra gift transformationally in their music. It is the nuance, breathing, and motion that separates the artist from the musician. Yuja is young and perhaps she will evolve in the future. However, for me, she is a very gifted musician that lacks personal warmth and a unique voice.
Viajero

...which is just a convoluted way of saying the the person's musical & artistic decisions conform (or at least don't conflict) with your own.

 

I saw her TV broadcast performance from the Proms of the Rachmaninov Paganini Rhapsody and I was impressed: her subtlety of touch in the quieter moments, her technical expertise, and the obvious sincerity of her playing. The two encores were also well done and idiomatic.

 

Wang is truly a virtuoso. You don't have to agree with her artistic, interpretive, or fashion choices to be able to recognize her pianistic skills.

 

A technical virtuoso who dazzles and provokes (mostly because of her risqué attires) but with little emotional depth and profound thought. She is a ChatgPT musician. I do not have much hope of her growing into being an emotionally engaging pianist as she is very successful with he current gig.

 

"
Would you compare guitarists Segovia, John Williams, and Julian Bream to Jimi Hendrix? Of course Hendrix could never play like Segovia, nor could Segovia play like Hendrix." pianozach

Hi, P,
Yes, I do it all the time. My ranking from the above musicians(discounting Jimi as not belonging to the group) Segovia, Bream, and Williams in that order. Williams, for me, is much like Yuja--great chops but a rather cold, impersonal voice. However, I'm not the only guitarist who feels that way and this has been Williams' problem throughout his career. Today, my favorite guitarist is Pavel Steidl--a real soulman on the instrument.

"Can Kempff and Rubinstein play the way Wang does? Who knows? But she can play the pants off Rubinstein. "
pianozach

Well, that's your opinion. If playing fast is the litmus test of a musician . . . well, maybe, but as a poetic interpreter of Classical piano repertoire with a personal voice and the seasoning of a certified artist . . . absolutely not. That's Yuja's problem. She will never appeal to a certain class of musician or audience.

"one of her interesting strengths as a pianist is how very cleanly she plays . . . " pianozach

No argument here. She is a master technician.
Finally, I'd like to get back to you on the video when I have some time to listen to it objectively. Thanks for your, always, interesting and thought-provoking remarks.
Viajero

 

Hi, Pianozach,
Back to Yuja . . . well, I feel like I've just received a homework assignment from Miss May's first year Algebra class and she was a taskmaster. So, A few prefatory comments ,in general, and then some specifics:

1. Yuja is a master technician with complete control of her instrument
2. She prefers to play Presto and Forte. . . rarely pianissimo . . . It's her trademark.
3. The "Adagio" at roughly 9:59-13:01 is a faithful performance of the music following the written dynamics
and pacing inherent/written in the music. However, for me, there is little personality in the adagio . . . merely a
accurate reproduction of the written music that any classically trained pianist at that level could play.
So, with that out of the way, I'd like to make some personal remarks about Music using an example from Jazz that provides a faithful rendering of music personality as it effects performance.
Two renowned saxophonists, Dexter Gordon and Charlie Parker, and two superb Jazz guitarists are Pat Martino and Kenny Burrell. They, for me, represent different spectrums of the music we call Jazz while performing on the same instrument. Parker, by nature, was called "The Bird" because of his uptempo, frentic flights of improvisation that few saxophonists could imitate. Gordon, although a master technician, could play adagio ballads like few other musicians on the planet. Their music was the music of their innate personalities and as they developed as musicians and found their voices they also found how their voices would speak to their audience. The same parallel can be found with Martino and Burrell. Pat Martino could burn a guitar like few guitarists and that was his specialty. While Burrell was a master storyteller that could whisper a melody and invoke the feelings of loss and love like few musicians. However, if I had some time to listen to music and reflect, I would choose Dexter and Kenny as my choices since their music reflects what I want from music which, however, does not discount Bird and Pat's artistry. So, how does this relate to Yuja? Yuja's gift, to me, is much like Bird's and Martino's with an ability to play their instruments requiring a superlative level of technique albeit, in her case, without the true interpretative nuances of Bird and Martino that are evident in their music.
So, when we listen to music, we all bring a different set of values to the table based on our tastes, background, and personalities. I think people should listen to artists that give meaning to their life . . . not just musicians that parade pyrotechnic technique and fortissimo assaults that although can be quite impressive-- for me, have nothing to do with communicating human passion on deeper levels . But, that's me and my reason to enjoy Music-- as an escape from the banalities of human existence and to transport me to those special moments/people/places in my life for which I can never return . . . only through the magic of Music.
Viajero

 

Hi, Pianozach,
Back to Yuja . . . well, I feel like I've just received a homework assignment from Miss May's first year Algebra class and she was a taskmaster. So, A few prefatory comments ,in general, and then some specifics:

1. Yuja is a master technician with complete control of her instrument
2. She prefers to play Presto and Forte. . . rarely pianissimo . . . It's her trademark.
3. The "Adagio" at roughly 9:59-13:01 is a faithful performance of the music following the written dynamics
and pacing inherent/written in the music. However, for me, there is little personality in the adagio . . . merely a
accurate reproduction of the written music that any classically trained pianist at that level could play.
So, with that out of the way, I'd like to make some personal remarks about Music using an example from Jazz that provides a faithful rendering of music personality as it effects performance.
Two renowned saxophonists, Dexter Gordon and Charlie Parker, and two superb Jazz guitarists are Pat Martino and Kenny Burrell. They, for me, represent different spectrums of the music we call Jazz while performing on the same instrument. Parker, by nature, was called "The Bird" because of his uptempo, frentic flights of improvisation that few saxophonists could imitate. Gordon, although a master technician, could play adagio ballads like few other musicians on the planet. Their music was the music of their innate personalities and as they developed as musicians and found their voices they also found how their voices would speak to their audience. The same parallel can be found with Martino and Burrell. Pat Martino could burn a guitar like few guitarists and that was his specialty. While Burrell was a master storyteller that could whisper a melody and invoke the feelings of loss and love like few musicians. However, if I had some time to listen to music and reflect, I would choose Dexter and Kenny as my choices since their music reflects what I want from music which, however, does not discount Bird and Pat's artistry. So, how does this relate to Yuja? Yuja's gift, to me, is much like Bird's and Martino's with an ability to play their instruments requiring a superlative level of technique albeit, in her case, without the true interpretative nuances of Bird and Martino that are evident in their music.
So, when we listen to music, we all bring a different set of values to the table based on our tastes, background, and personalities. I think people should listen to artists that give meaning to their life . . . not just musicians that parade pyrotechnic technique and fortissimo assaults that although can be quite impressive-- for me, have nothing to do with communicating human passion on deeper levels . But, that's me and my reason to enjoy Music-- as an escape from the banalities of human existence and to transport me to those special moments/people/places in my life for which I can never return . . . only through the magic of Music.
Viajero

Just to say you would do very well to listen to Yuja’s performance of the Paganini Rhapsody from the recent Prom performance which contradicts everything you say in your points 1 2 and 3.

 

Thanks, Marlo,
I'll play it sometime today and get back to you with my reponse.
Viajero

 

"Just to say you would do very well to listen to Yuja’s performance of the Paganini Rhapsody from the recent Prom performance which contradicts everything you say in your points 1 2 and 3. " Marlow

Well, Marlow,
One of my favorite plays was the "Tragical History of Dr. Faustus" but you need an "e" at the end to make it official. So, it's interesting you chose the Ferrari of Composers--Paganini who I happen to enjoy very much especially some of his Classical guitar transcriptions like his "Romance" in A major Opus 39. And, in 23 minutes of performance, there's about 6 minutes 45 seconds of what I would call Adagio--so that's about 25% and seems to fit the bill.
So, some brief comments in lieu of a doctoral dissertation on Yuja's performance that you can like or dislike at your pleasure.
1. Yuja is a masterful pianist who is faithful to the score. She chooses pieces to display her impressive technique
but lacks personal warmth.
2. Here's some moments for expression:
3:00 - 3:19 hardly enough to judge a musician's personality
4:06-5:04 block chords progressing from piano to forte
7:11-8:04 scales/arpeggios
8:38-9:48 piano to forte chords with a faithful performance however nothing here for me except the
beautiful theme and the oboes
12:33-15:28 largely accompaniment of orchestra
15:32-16:13 most lyrical playing however nothing earth shattering or beyond the score
17:40-18:00 simply piano/adagio with nothing remarkable but faithful to the score
So(didn't I say that already?), nothing has changed my opinion of Yuja. Perhaps one of Chopin's "Nocturnes" would be a good test but I'm not looking since there's nothing here for me. However, I would like to say that despite her technical prowess which is impressive, her choice of clothing is just silly . . . just plain silly.
Finally, arguing about an artist is similiar to arguing whether you enjoy escargot or Bluepoints on the half shell. Your opinion is based on who you are as a person and what your experience and tastes are in life. There's no right or wrong in a cosmic sense . . . just differences.
Viajero

 

"Just to say you would do very well to listen to Yuja’s performance of the Paganini Rhapsody from the recent Prom performance which contradicts everything you say in your points 1 2 and 3. " Marlow

Well, Marlow,
One of my favorite plays was the "Tragical History of Dr. Faustus" but you need an "e" at the end to make it official. So, it's interesting you chose the Ferrari of Composers--Paganini who I happen to enjoy very much especially some of his Classical guitar transcriptions like his "Romance" in A major Opus 39. And, in 23 minutes of performance, there's about 6 minutes 45 seconds of what I would call Adagio--so that's about 25% and seems to fit the bill.
So, some brief comments in lieu of a doctoral dissertation on Yuja's performance that you can like or dislike at your pleasure.
1. Yuja is a masterful pianist who is faithful to the score. She chooses pieces to display her impressive technique
but lacks personal warmth.
2. Here's some moments for expression:
3:00 - 3:19 hardly enough to judge a musician's personality
4:06-5:04 block chords progressing from piano to forte
7:11-8:04 scales/arpeggios
8:38-9:48 piano to forte chords with a faithful performance however nothing here for me except the
beautiful theme and the oboes
12:33-15:28 largely accompaniment of orchestra
15:32-16:13 most lyrical playing however nothing earth shattering or beyond the score
17:40-18:00 simply piano/adagio with nothing remarkable but faithful to the score
So(didn't I say that already?), nothing has changed my opinion of Yuja. Perhaps one of Chopin's "Nocturnes" would be a good test but I'm not looking since there's nothing here for me. However, I would like to say that despite her technical prowess which is impressive, her choice of clothing is just silly . . . just plain silly.
Finally, arguing about an artist is similiar to arguing whether you enjoy escargot or Bluepoints on the half shell. Your opinion is based on who you are as a person and what your experience and tastes are in life. There's no right or wrong in a cosmic sense . . . just differences.
Viajero

as you say, no right or wrong. Just I don’t share your opinion (cosmic or otherwise) at all. Neither did any other of the reviewers of the concert incidentally. And btw some of us listen to the music and are not taken with the dress.

 

I just listened to Yuja's Rachmaninov/Pagannini out of curiosity....bloody marvellous imo.

 

Well, thanks for your honest response, Marlow

as you say, no right or wrong. Just I don’t share your opinion (cosmic or otherwise) at all. Neither did any other of the reviewers of the concert incidentally. And btw some of us listen to the music and are not taken with the dress.

Well, thanks for your honest response, Marlow. Isn't that the benefit of these discussions where contributors can share their opinions about Music and we get a chance to look at the whole spectrum of ideas . . . not just a few? Music can be appreciated on many levels from listeners with widely diverse exposure to Music. See you in another discussion.
Viajero

 

Well, thanks for your honest response, Marlow


Well, thanks for your honest response, Marlow. Isn't that the benefit of these discussions where contributors can share their opinions about Music and we get a chance to look at the whole spectrum of ideas . . . not just a few? Music can be appreciated on many levels from listeners with widely diverse exposure to Music. See you in another discussion.
Viajero

The problem is many posters express their “opinions” as absolute facts.

 

Well, thanks for your honest response, Marlow


Well, thanks for your honest response, Marlow. Isn't that the benefit of these discussions where contributors can share their opinions about Music and we get a chance to look at the whole spectrum of ideas . . . not just a few? Music can be appreciated on many levels from listeners with widely diverse exposure to Music. See you in another discussion.
Viajero

I am in absolute agreement with you.

 

I agree to disagree with the gentleman who I agree with.

 

I used to support her outrageous outfits, but as I'm getting older, I find the more conservative look to be more pleasing. Her playing is outstanding though.