Yuja Wang in recital - color, poetry and dazzle

[Ricordanza]

Finally, a chance to hear pianist Yuja Wang in solo recital! I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Yuja perform with an orchestra seven times over the years, but I haven’t heard her in a solo recital since her student years at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute. At last, on Tuesday evening, April 30, I joined a couple thousand other music lovers to hear her extraordinary piano recital at Verizon Hall (soon to be renamed Marian Anderson Hall) at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center.

The first half of the program could be described as a survey of pianistic color. We heard three 20th Century composers—Claude Debussy, Alexander Scriabin and Olivier Messiaen—who were known for enlarging the color palette of the piano.

Yuja began her program with two selections from the massive 20-piece cycle, Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant Jesus (Twenty contemplations on the infant Jesus), composed by Messiaen in 1944. The entire cycle is unfamiliar territory for me, so it was my first opportunity to hear the two pieces she played: No. 15, Le Baiser de l’Enfant Jesus (the kiss of the infant Jesus) and No 10, Regard de l’Esprit de joie (contemplation of the joyful spirit). Le Baiser de l’Enfant Jesus begins very softly and gradually grows in intensity, but retains a gentle flavor. Dissonant chords resolve into more familiar harmonies. Yuja’s dynamic control in this piece was breathtaking. Regard de l’Esprit de joie is more dissonant and more exuberant than the first piece. Despite my unfamiliarity with the work, I could tell that Yuja brought her entire arsenal of pianistic firepower to this piece.

The next piece on the printed program was Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 8, but instead, Yuja played the piece listed next, Debussy’s L’Isle Joyeuse. This is perhaps Debussy’s most virtuosic piece, and Yuja’s playing captured all the shimmering textures of this fantastic work. But there were times when a little more subtlety could have been applied to bring out the fascinating details in this blizzard of notes.

Then it was time for Scriabin. The earlier works of this Russian composer are heard more frequently on the recital stage, but I commend Yuja for including this late work on her program. This one-movement piece is worth hearing for its mystical and moody elements. Compared to his accessible earlier pieces, it’s more of a challenge for the listener. For the pianist, well, all I can say is that Yuja offered a performance of this devilishly complex work that was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

Following intermission, the program listed the four Chopin Ballades. Once again, Yuja changed the order as shown in the printed program (She also changed her gown, still wearing her signature stiletto heels). She began with No. 2 in F Major, then No. 3 in A-flat Major, followed by No. 1 in G Minor, and finally, No. 4 in F Minor.

The second Ballade is a study in contrasts: a quiet, lyrical section opens the work, abruptly followed by a fast and furious and agitated response, then a return to a variation on the quiet and lyrical music, and so on. This piece was an exact fit for Yuja’s style of playing.

The transitions between sections in the third Ballade are smoother and, in general, this piece has a more natural flow than the second Ballade. I can only think of one word to describe Yuja’s performance of this work: Perfection!

The first and fourth Ballades are among my favorite pieces in the piano repertoire and I had great expectations for these performances. However, I did not find Yuja’s performances of these pieces wholly satisfactory. She displayed a wonderful touch in rendering the poetry and passion of the first Ballade, and the sensual beauty of the fourth. But both works have sections—especially the concluding passages--where Yuja seemed intent on demonstrating how fast she could play. We did not need that demonstration; her technical ability is unsurpassed. We needed the unique musical content of those passages to be brought forth, and that was often lost in the dazzling piano acrobatics.

Yuja concluded the evening with two stunning encores: her own arrangements of Arturo Marquez’ Danzon No. 2 and the Scherzo from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, the Pathetique.

[Febnyc]

Nice review, thanks.

I'd settle for that final encore - I've heard her do that brilliant, over-the-top scherzo. Awesome!