Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Yuja Wang interview

I can't get into his mind, so I don't know what he really thinks of other musicians.....

(I know what I think of many people, but I never say it aloud - except when I do - , and I invite anyone who claims he/she can read my mind to read it right now.....)

In fact, of all the famous musicians (and Lang Lang is probably the most famous) active today, he's the one who shows the most respect for his fellow musicians.

Sounds like there's a fair bit of cattiness, even in the classical muso scene!

Lang Lang does seem like a really nice guy though from masterclass videos and stuff, so I'm not surprised he's exempt.

I think LL's long time teacher and Yuja's long time teacher in Central Music Conservatory are husband and wife,

Don't you think it's both a blessing and a curse in her case to be a female? After all, success as a soloist in the classical world is (and probably never was) just a matter of skills and musicality. Many people will think: She's very feminine but can play all the things men can. And things like that do sell records and concerts BEFORE people have even heard her play and can assess her playing themselves... I do think there are many male pianists (whether from Asia or Europe) that are as good as her, but have had less exposure due to not having any special selling point.

I think she's wonderful. Some of her recordings/performances from several years ago that I'm not as big on, but her recent playing I like a lot more. Saw her play Rach 4 live (it was her first time performing it) and she sounded like she knew it her whole life. Brilliant pianist.

If you're going to be nitpicky, you better get it right. Otherwise you're a kangaroo with springs on your feet.

Are you a person who uses metaphors? Or are you like a person who uses similes?

I have to concur with your assessment of her!

What a fun question!


I'm like a person who is a giant tree.

They say comparisons are odious... But then how do you make a point?

Chopin etude op 10 no 2:

Kissin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oG3-fI06D0&t=1m53s
Wang - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIFwQmm2StM

Chopin etude op 10 no 8:

Sokolov - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XiH-XrIdBY
Zimerman - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0e2A4xD9Gg
Wang - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqc_yDwi3Vs

Liszt feux follets:

Kissin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsggmCF1Cys
Trifonov - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYAb2FeIlLA
Wang - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuOunGuycT4

Let's be real. If Wang is an eastern european white male, we wouldn't be having this conversation. She would already be hailed as one of the greatest pianists ever lived.

There is a lot more to being a great pianist than great technique. By making these particular comparisons you seem to be equating greatness mostly with technical prowess. There are tons of pianists who can greatly impress with these three 99% technical works. And there have been great pianists who could not greatly impress with pieces like the above.

Wang may be a very great pianist but this is not a convincing way to demonstrate it IMO.

I merely selected these pieces because "eastern europeans" are brought up, and they are known for especially excelling in this type of repertoire. And frankly what distinguishes Wang's playing in those clips from the others is not her technique.

Mozart piano concerto no 12:

Uchida - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqq_1GJwtBY
Pollini - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rN7P0VL6b8
Schiff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWoqIiDL78U
Wang (first movemebt only) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2hS2rJjk9Y

Also keep in mind Wang is 14 in these clips.

We are all entitled to our opinions... but I seriously doubt that.
I am sure we also have different ideas of what the greatest pianists sound like. And there are many pianists that I prefer over any of those above in some repertoire...

What? Since when?

I would rather judge by composers I like to listen to, such as Scriabin. Wang plays Scriabin competently, but so do a lot of other pianists and hers are not among my favorites. Same goes for her Shostakovich...

The bottom line is, you implied there are many pianists as good as Wang and Wang is only where she is now because of her looks. This is a very objectionable statement to me, and my responses are intended to show that IMO Wang has been an absolute phenomenon since the she was 14, the time when these clips were recorded.

If you believe there are pianists "as good as" Wang who is not getting deserved attention, you should list them.

I'm obviously not implying that eastern europeans only excel in technical pieces... But you can't deny they have a reputation as technical demons either.

So who are your favorites for Scriabin?

Incidentally, her recent performance of Scriabin 10 is also on that channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlG9aMVbDhU

What you think I implied and what I actually wrote are two different things. I actually tend to mean exactly what I say. There are limited number of spots on the top and agents look for something easy to promote. Being skillful never was enough to become famous.

Since no objective definition of good in this contexs exists, listing my favorite pianists makes little sense.

What you said is exactly equivalent to saying "if she were not female but male, someone else as good as her may take her place."

And my point is, if she were male, there would be even less possibility for others taking her place, since she would be hyped a genius and prodigy since she was 14 (think Kissin).

Therefore I asked you who you think are as good as her that are not getting deserved attention.