Yuja Wang, The Berlin Recital – Encores Review
Connect with Yuja Wang: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Yuja Wang is a Beijing-born pianist that is awe inspiring listeners with her charismatic artistry and captivating audiences with her stage presence. She received advanced training in Canada and at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music under Gary Graffman. Wang’s international breakthrough came in 2007, when she replaced Martha Argerich as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Her dazzling performances caught the ears of Deutsche Grammophon and she was signed to an exclusive contract, which established her place among the world’s leading artists. Wang continues her succession of critically acclaimed performances and recordings as she is releasing an album of solo works, The Berlin Recital. Featuring a survey of landmark works by the late-romantic era and 20th century composers: Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Ligeti and Prokofiev. The album contains eleven tracks. In conjunction with the full recital release, a digital-only EP of encores is also available titled The Berlin Recital ENCORES. The EP features four tracks, with selections from Kapustin, Schumann, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. The album was recorded live in Berlin at the Philharmonie, as part of a North-American and European tour. The phenomenal performance by Wang can not be missed!
Positives:
Wang has an energy and passion that translates through the music which excites and entertains while bringing these great composers works to life.
Bottom Line:
Wang's philosophy of music is both simple and profoundly complex. "I want to relate all life to music," she recently told veteran British critic Fiona Maddocks. Wang certainly achieved that with her passionate and energetic performances of Kapustin, Schumann, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. The jazz- Toccatina of Kapustin especially lends to Wang’s power and clarity on the piano. The phrasing and articulation by Wang brings each phrase to life and the rich harmonic and melodic character of the piece. Earl Wild's sonorous transcription of the “Pas de Quatre” from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake is playful and colored by Wang’s outstanding phrasing and technical brilliance. Prokofiev’s rhythmically dynamic “Precipitatio” is buoyant and driving, Wang’s rhythmic clarity pushes the music forward in a manner that has a ‘feel’ and ‘groove’ that is seldom achieved in the classical genre with such authority. Wang brings these encores to life in a tactile and emotion manner, colored by her own voice and interpretation as she shares her passion for life through her music with us. BRAVO! That’s the short of it!