Rachy III: Yuja Wang and Xian Zhang
I enjoy and admire Yuja Wang's musical interpretations; both her performance videos, and studio recordings. I am familiar with many of her online offerings, and rate most all of them highly. And her live DGG Rachmaninoff III and Prokofiev II with Dudamel in Venezuela (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbjklh1WuUw) is a fine performance by both, and a super-virtuoso's bravura throw-down to her peers! >>> Denis Matsuev had performed Rachmaninoff II and III in one concert in Moscow, and HJ Lim performed Rachmaninoff I, II, III, and the 'Paganini Variations' over three consecutive days in Barcelona. >>> However, unlike Yuja's two-concerti evening, neither of those other Herculean efforts were pre-planned and engineered to be recorded for CD release. Overall, Yuja's control of the instrument is masterful and complete, featuring a full and bright tone color palette, crisp and clear articulation, a ready power (surprising to many), and with well-planned and executed phrasing and architecture. All this, coming from a rather petite, attractive, and fashionably dressed young woman has helped make Yuja the center of much musical attention, and of late, as an international celebrity. I, for one, would not characterize her playing and interpretations as “great technique, but with little emotional expression or formal architecture.” I also disagree with the very common backhanded criticisms along the lines of, “She has great potential.” and, “I want to hear her in ten years, when she has matured.” And while Yuja does possess an uncanny ability to hold tempo through the most demanding of passage work, she does so within the framework of beautifully sculpted phrases, well-graded tone, and a very aware dramatic sense and timing. And there is some real fun and pyrotechnical splendor listening to and watching Yuja express Rachmaninoff with her brilliant articulations, super dexterity and controlled velocity, and her coordination of it all - dazzling! Her presence as a soloist is energetic, patient, serious, and sensuous. Her playing tends to best illuminate the brighter reflections of the Masters' music than most of us have ever heard. That in itself draws observers in for a close listening. This level of music-making is not possible for a “mere technician”, if such a thing exists anymore. And Yuja's current body of work (through age 28) already represents a significant artistic contribution and personal legacy. What she has, she flaunts. And in this context, her bravado seems appropriate and admirable. This particular performance, under difficult acoustic, logistic, and weather conditions, is wonderful in many ways, if also partially compromised. Xian Zhang's conducting is quite strong, communicating well with both orchestra and soloist. Certainly, this was a far less than optimal opportunity for the "first ever female to conduct the Sächsische Staatskapelle" to try to make any musically artistic mark. I do enjoy Zhang's full-body-gesticulation conducting style and joyful energy. And while the orchestra players may well enjoy this kind of outdoor concert, on this night, it does not bring out their best - not by a long shot. Only hints of their true skills and 'ensemble' are displayed here. Would they have been better motivated playing Brahms or Beethoven? Maybe. With a few very striking exceptions, the orchestra's role here is primarily accompanimental, and with subtle difficulties at that. There are noticeable imbalances and uneven expression, yet it is not easy to sort out how much of this is the performance and how much is the acoustics or engineering. I do enjoy watching them work, even under these musically less-than-optimal conditions. Yuja is working very hard to keep things in balance, and the results are good, or better than one might expect - under the lights and out of doors on a humid evening in Northern Germany. Her professionalism is quite admirable. Yuja's path through this concerto is interpretively very straight-forward, steady, and mostly in line with Zhang. They cue well together, which is good, because it appears little rehearsed (not unusual), and they might not even have been able to hear each other very well out there. Nevertheless, the writing in Rachmaninoff III has enough opportunities for Yuja, a brilliant colorist, to feather out her tone color palette, over the foundation provided by her tight rhythmic, metric, and note precision. These are her preferred expressive means, and she knows how to let them shine and lead the way. Rachmaninoff's ultra romantic solos and cadenzas, Yuja tenderly caresses with affection, if not ravishment. And when power is needed, she attacks with fury. Her constant self-demand appears to be that every touch be graded. She never hammers the climaxes, cadences, or surging passages. And her understated pedal use (mirroring Horowitz) seems also to be part of the plan, or need, to keep every expression under control. This may be why some critics question her power for the big Romantic and 20th Century concerti. Yuja wants measure the weight each note played against each other, more than she wants to balance the weight of, or lead the way through, the piano/orchestra duets and tuttis. If anything is sacrificed in that process, it seems well worthwhile, in terms of the soloist being able to finish the canvass on her own terms. I admire that kind of discipline. Overall, this is a lovely effort. Arguments about the supposed strengths or weaknesses of Yuja's interpretation are better left to a better performance opportunity. There is much to enjoy in this lively, sonorous Rachmaninoff rendition. Bravo to the young pro.
I enjoy and admire Yuja Wang's musical interpretations; both her performance videos, and studio recordings. I am familiar with many of her online offerings, and rate most all of them highly. And her live DGG Rachmaninoff III and Prokofiev II with Dudamel in Venezuela (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbjklh1WuUw) is a fine performance by both, and a super-virtuoso's bravura throw-down to her peers! >>> Denis Matsuev had performed Rachmaninoff II and III in one concert in Moscow, and HJ Lim performed Rachmaninoff I, II, III, and the 'Paganini Variations' over three consecutive days in Barcelona. >>> However, unlike Yuja's two-concerti evening, neither of those other Herculean efforts were pre-planned and engineered to be recorded for CD release. Overall, Yuja's control of the instrument is masterful and complete, featuring a full and bright tone color palette, crisp and clear articulation, a ready power (surprising to many), and with well-planned and executed phrasing and architecture. All this, coming from a rather petite, attractive, and fashionably dressed young woman has helped make Yuja the center of much musical attention, and of late, as an international celebrity. I, for one, would not characterize her playing and interpretations as “great technique, but with little emotional expression or formal architecture.” I also disagree with the very common backhanded criticisms along the lines of, “She has great potential.” and, “I want to hear her in ten years, when she has matured.” And while Yuja does possess an uncanny ability to hold tempo through the most demanding of passage work, she does so within the framework of beautifully sculpted phrases, well-graded tone, and a very aware dramatic sense and timing. And there is some real fun and pyrotechnical splendor listening to and watching Yuja express Rachmaninoff with her brilliant articulations, super dexterity and controlled velocity, and her coordination of it all - dazzling! Her presence as a soloist is energetic, patient, serious, and sensuous. Her playing tends to best illuminate the brighter reflections of the Masters' music than most of us have ever heard. That in itself draws observers in for a close listening. This level of music-making is not possible for a “mere technician”, if such a thing exists anymore. And Yuja's current body of work (through age 28) already represents a significant artistic contribution and personal legacy. What she has, she flaunts. And in this context, her bravado seems appropriate and admirable. This particular performance, under difficult acoustic, logistic, and weather conditions, is wonderful in many ways, if also partially compromised. Xian Zhang's conducting is quite strong, communicating well with both orchestra and soloist. Certainly, this was a far less than optimal opportunity for the "first ever female to conduct the Sächsische Staatskapelle" to try to make any musically artistic mark. I do enjoy Zhang's full-body-gesticulation conducting style and joyful energy. And while the orchestra players may well enjoy this kind of outdoor concert, on this night, it does not bring out their best - not by a long shot. Only hints of their true skills and 'ensemble' are displayed here. Would they have been better motivated playing Brahms or Beethoven? Maybe. With a few very striking exceptions, the orchestra's role here is primarily accompanimental, and with subtle difficulties at that. There are noticeable imbalances and uneven expression, yet it is not easy to sort out how much of this is the performance and how much is the acoustics or engineering. I do enjoy watching them work, even under these musically less-than-optimal conditions. Yuja is working very hard to keep things in balance, and the results are good, or better than one might expect - under the lights and out of doors on a humid evening in Northern Germany. Her professionalism is quite admirable. Yuja's path through this concerto is interpretively very straight-forward, steady, and mostly in line with Zhang. They cue well together, which is good, because it appears little rehearsed (not unusual), and they might not even have been able to hear each other very well out there. Nevertheless, the writing in Rachmaninoff III has enough opportunities for Yuja, a brilliant colorist, to feather out her tone color palette, over the foundation provided by her tight rhythmic, metric, and note precision. These are her preferred expressive means, and she knows how to let them shine and lead the way. Rachmaninoff's ultra romantic solos and cadenzas, Yuja tenderly caresses with affection, if not ravishment. And when power is needed, she attacks with fury. Her constant self-demand appears to be that every touch be graded. She never hammers the climaxes, cadences, or surging passages. And her understated pedal use (mirroring Horowitz) seems also to be part of the plan, or need, to keep every expression under control. This may be why some critics question her power for the big Romantic and 20th Century concerti. Yuja wants measure the weight each note played against each other, more than she wants to balance the weight of, or lead the way through, the piano/orchestra duets and tuttis. If anything is sacrificed in that process, it seems well worthwhile, in terms of the soloist being able to finish the canvass on her own terms. I admire that kind of discipline. Overall, this is a lovely effort. Arguments about the supposed strengths or weaknesses of Yuja's interpretation are better left to a better performance opportunity. There is much to enjoy in this lively, sonorous Rachmaninoff rendition. Bravo to the young pro.
Thanks for sharing, Steve, this was amazing. A truly gifted artist by any standards.
ReplyDeleteJust got done with a thorough re-listening of Ms. Wang's Hammerklavier, all 4 movements in a live recording. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAwRRLDpBVM&t=1544s One of the finest things I've ever heard, and I'm a Late Beethoven freak to say the least (thanks in no small part to you). Still very partial to my old Vlad. Ashkenazy recording of the Hammer., but I'll say this about Wang: All 4 movements exhibited perfect elocution of the counterpoint, phrasing and dynamics, it was (is) magisterial. It is incredible to execute that well in a live recording and imho compares well to masters such as Richter or Barenboim. I might even go out on a limb and say she plays it better than my old Ashkenazy LP - more subtle shadings and complexities of the counterpoint are heard. And of course his is a studio recording with re-takes. I look forward to Wang's complete Beethoven Sonatas!
- Jonathan Young