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Was anyone at Yuja Wang's recital at Carnegie Hall last evening? She is one of my favorites and was curious as to how well she performed the Chopin pieces of the program.

Also, what encores did she perform?

Thanks

Sounds like it was a great concert and fun and varied program

I was there. It was my first time hearing Yuja Wang and I have to say that I was very impressed. She is one of the most polished performers around today. Her Chopin was very good, although I prefer a more romantic approach with a more highlighted luscious melodic line. She tended to bring out inner melodies at the expense of the top. Of the Chopin works, the c minor Nocturne and Third Ballade were the best; the Third Sonata good but less so. However, everything showed great artistry and perfect control. Her pianissimi were wonderful. In general, she plays Chopin with a cool warmth, although she developed some real fire in the Nocturne and, to a lesser extent, in the Ballade.

She was at her best in the Kapustin and was quite good in the Petrouchka. It was a sensational performance which she made seem easy. The Prokofiev Third Sonata, which started the program was good, but I prefer a more angular Prokofiev.

She played four encores. The first 3 were transcriptions:

Rachmaninoff's Vocalise

Tea for Two

Carmen Fantasy

The last encore was Chopin's Waltz in c-sharp minor. It was quite exquisite.

By the way, the review referenced above has some inconsistencies from what I heard. Wang ended, not started her encores with the Chopin Waltz, and there was no Prokofiev Tocatta. There was a Carmen Fantasy, however! And where that reviewer heard the Rachmaninoff Elegie, I heard the Vocalise.

What'd you think of the Carmen Fantasy? I adore this piece (on paper,) but it's so impossible to play well.

-Daniel

Yawn.

You really need to start quoting, Joel. What are you referring to? This thread? Yuja Wang? This concert? The Carmen Fantasy? The Rachmaninoff Elegie? It could be anything.

???

I assume Yuja Wang.

I don't think I'll ever go back to Carnegie Hall, but I wish I was around the weekend of Nov 7-9. I'd love to see her at the Kimmel Center in Philly. Rach 3, too.. I'm actually going to lose sleep tonight knowing I can't go.

Yuja Wang.

With very rare exceptions, I always quote, unless I'm talking about the original post.

You're not missing out on anything. She plays it pretty badly.

Really? I listened to a recording a couple times, and except for the recap (which I completely disagreed with), I can't think of any other part of the 40 or so minutes I didn't like.

What part(s) really turned you off? I'd like to go back and see if I can hear it for myself..

Really? And yet you're such a staunch defender of Bang Bang...

One things for certain. Incredible tech:

[video:youtube]vHm9ctYCudU[/video]

Damn...

I'll be seeing her perform tomorrow, quite excited! Apparently she'll be doing the Bartok sonata rather than the Petrushka set.

I was in New York this week and decided not to see Yuja Wang at Carnegie Hall. Technically she is terrific but I don't find her interpretations insightful or interesting. Hopefully in time this will change.