Yuja Wang at Carnegie
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I’ve been waiting to see Yuja Wang for a couple of years. We were supposed to see her in 2020 but Covid ruined those plans. For those who may not know, her international breakthrough came in 2007 when she replaced Martha Argerich as a soloist in 2007 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. As they say, the rest is history. She is 35 years old now and at the height of her powers. So, it was with great anticipation we headed out to Carnegie to see her 3 nights ago. I came away ruminating about the concert for a few days as it was unusual for a few reasons.
To begin, this was my first encounter with an artist of such dominant stature who gave a concert at Carnegie whose selections included….Uh, what’s that you ask? You want to know what she will be playing? Well, the program says she’ll decide what she will play when she plays it, "but it could include, but not necessarily include pieces from the list on the next page". For real!. And by the way, “the program may not be printed in time for the performance”. OK. That’s a bit weird but I’ll go with the flow. In fact, she is quoted as saying “I firmly believe every program should have its own life and be a representation of how I feel at the moment”. Indeed. The problem is if the program isn’t printed, you won’t be able to find out anything about the composer or the composition unless you look it up on your iPhone during intermission or after the concert.
Next, I’ve not seen any pianist…ever…who used sheet music during a concert. Wang didn’t use sheet music, but she had her music on an iPad and changed the pages with a foot pedal (easily seen in the photo below). Hmmm. That was new for me.
As far as the playing, I am a bit torn. She is an unusual artist in that her personal style really speaks louder than the composer’s style. You would think it’s not easy to play Beethoven the same way as you play Albeniz, Schoenberg, Scriabin and Ligeti, but in fact, that is what she does. To be honest, it was unsettling. However, that’s what you are paying to see- a consummate showman whose showmanship is off the charts and full of unique individualism no matter what she plays. It has been said that Glenn Gould played Beethoven in a uniquely personal style. I understand that and yet his Emperor Piano Concert is wonderful even if it’s from outer space in parts. Well, the same is true for Wang. She takes artistic license liberally with everything she plays, and you wonder if any of the composers she plays are rolling in their grave when she does. I’m told by a good friend who played with Philly Orchestra that this is not unusual for musicians trained at the Curtis Institute, which she did. Players trained at Curtis in Philadelphia (which she did under Gary Graffman), are known for the emphasis put on virtuoso performance, whereas musicians trained at Juiliiard are more regarded for their ability to be tutti (ensemble) players. Well, she certainly does Curtis tradition proud. One thing is for sure. Nobody will fall asleep at her concerts. She seems to enjoy herself the most when her left hand and right hand are spread as far apart as possible, and she is playing
fff warp9 music
. Not surprisingly, there's a lot of that in her selections.
She is a crowd favorite for sure. She played 5 encores!! You couldn’t get her off the stage with a bulldozer. And let me tell you something. I’ve seen people take bows before but not like her. The speed and degree which her head goes down and up is breathtaking. She bows so deep that it would not surprise me if one day she puts herself in the hospital from fracturing her skull on the piano bench or the floor! It really must be seen to be appreciated. You almost want to gasp.
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I’m really looking forward to hearing my other favorite young (29) female pianist, Beatrice Rana, at Lincoln Center with the NY Philharmonic in June. Hearing Wang and Rana in the same season is truly a privilege. Thanks goodness the pandemic is in the rearview mirror. Maybe, if I get lucky, I won’t need a mask for Rana in June.
