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Midori and Jean Yves Thibaudet this weekend in Orange County, CA. Segerstrom Concert Hall. Performing 3 Beethoven Violin/Piano sonatas, including the "Kreuzter" as part of the Beethoven 250 year celebration.
I received two free tickets as part of the KUSC giveaway!
I'll be performing the fabulous Shostakovich Piano Quintet Op. 57 with some of the best string players in the DC metropolitan area, Carrie Esko Carlson, Julia Moline, Robyn Tessin, and Valerie Matthews. The recital is part of the FMMC Concert Series at Jordan Kitt's Music of Rockville Maryland.
Anyone who lives in this neck of the woods, please join us if you can, and feel free to bring friends, family, friends of friends, family of friends, friends of family, and anyone else who might be interested in hearing some fascinating live music!
Here's a sample from the Quintet to whet your appetites:
Yuja at Disney Concert Hall tomorrow 2/18. Playing a selection of Chopin mazurkas interspersed with Brahms intermezzi, Berg sonata, "Une Barque" from Miroirs, Mompou and a Scriabin sonata. Program repeats on 20th at Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County.
Yuja at Disney Concert Hall tomorrow 2/18. Playing a selection of Chopin mazurkas interspersed with Brahms intermezzi, Berg sonata, "Une Barque" from Miroirs, Mompou and a Scriabin sonata. Program repeats on 20th at Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County.
I was there last night, incredible show. She didn't follow the program directly. She made an announcement prior to the show that should would mix it up and let the music guide her, something like that. She dressed beautifully, but I much preferred the first dress. Long, elegant, beautiful. The performance was wonderful.
She came back out 4 times at the end for encore performances, and these were the best, very virtuosic. I don't understand why people kept leaving, they thought she was done! Nothing is done until they turn up the lights.
It must be wonderful for Ms. Wang having so much music concert ready that she can let the music guide her. She's great. I've seen her in concert, but not a recital. I'd love that.
It must be wonderful for Ms. Wang having so much music concert ready that she can let the music guide her. She's great. I've seen her in concert, but not a recital. I'd love that.
Thankfully someone on FB posted the pieces she played and the encore performances. Here are 3 of them.
Wonderful Yuja Wang! Went to the Orange County recital last night at Segerstrom. An exhilarating experience! As noted, Wang did not follow the printed program, but let her feelings dictate what she should play at the moment. Yuja entered the stage in her usual fashionista style, rocking a tight sequined white cocktail dress and high heels. She began with the Galuppi, a nice warm up, then launched into "Une Barque". Her pianism and total control of the keyboard are never in doubt. The tonal colors and aural sounds she generated were wonderful, probably the highlight of the program for me. That was followed by the Mompou, also from the Impressionist school, then the Berg. She then jumped centuries and finished the 1st half of the program with the Bach Toccata. The audience ate it all up, giving ovations after each piece. That proved to be a detriment in the 2nd half, in my opinion. After changing into a lemon citrine colored gown, she began with a thunderous splashy Scriabin (Sonata #5). After which she spent time at the keyboard in thought, deciding which piece she felt like playing, then intermixing the Chopin Mazurkas and Brahms Intermezzi. She was trying to set a mood, but the audience would clap after each short piece, not wanting to withhold their appreciation. I felt that was getting on her nerves. She finished with the dramatic Scriabin No. 4, a piece described as one long climax. After repeated bows, no encores. My first time hearing Yuja live in solo recital, well worth attending. Afterwards, no autographs. Some piano students were waiting outside the artists entrance, hoping for a meet, but she had quickly left the premises. Her rock star status is cemented among these young musicians. Some waited over 2 hours at Disney the night before, hoping for a meet and greet, but again, no dice.
My first time hearing Yuja live in solo recital, well worth attending. Afterwards, no autographs. Some piano students were waiting outside the artists entrance, hoping for a meet, but she had quickly left the premises. Her rock star status is cemented among these young musicians. Some waited over 2 hours at Disney the night before, hoping for a meet and greet, but again, no dice.
Coming to Seattle 2020— March 4, Helene Grimaud, Meany Hall (Chopin, Debussy, Silvestrov, Satie, Schumann) March 8, Conrad Tao, Benaroya Hall April 3, Steven Osborne (last 3 Beethoven sonatas), Benaroya Hall May 21: “Rach Festival,” Benaroya (Rachmaninov’s 1st and 2d), Dominic Cheli, Aimi Kobayashi May 23, “Rach Festival,” Benaroya (Rach 3d and 4th), Albert Cano Smith, Rémi Geniet September 19, Khatia Buniatishvili, Benaroya, Seattle Symphony opening night And in 2021— February 14, Khatia Buniatishvili recital, Benaroya April 6, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Benaroya (Debussy Préludes)
Estonia 168 (she sings!), Kawaii Es-110 for late-night practice.
"Discipline is more reliable than motivation." -by a contributor on Reddit r/piano "Success is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration." -by some other wise person "Pianoteq manages to keep it all together yet simultaneously also go in all directions; like a quantum particle entangled with an unknown and spooky parallel universe simply waiting to be discovered." -by Pete14
"Discipline is more reliable than motivation." -by a contributor on Reddit r/piano "Success is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration." -by some other wise person "Pianoteq manages to keep it all together yet simultaneously also go in all directions; like a quantum particle entangled with an unknown and spooky parallel universe simply waiting to be discovered." -by Pete14
Angela Hewitt is performing the last two concerts of her Bach Series at the 92nd St Y in New York are coming up on March 30th and April 2nd. I will be there.
I have been privileged to have seen most of the concerts in her Bach series. Her performance of the Goldberg Variations was a transcendent moment for me. The whole audience was stunned into silence at the end of the piece.
"Discipline is more reliable than motivation." -by a contributor on Reddit r/piano "Success is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration." -by some other wise person "Pianoteq manages to keep it all together yet simultaneously also go in all directions; like a quantum particle entangled with an unknown and spooky parallel universe simply waiting to be discovered." -by Pete14