Yuja Wang (piano)
The Vienna Recital
rec. live, 2022, Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria
C Major 767308 DVD [84]
Yuja Wang continues to dazzle in her complete command of the piano. This is her first solo recital on DVD, earlier released on a Deutsche Grammophon CD. Her CD-only 2018 Berlin Recital, also on Deutsche Grammophon, included works by Rachmaninov, Ligeti, Scriabin and Prokofiev. This recital covers a much broader repertoire; most of the pieces are of encore length. The focus is on Wang’s pianism rather than any integral programme. I had not heard her play Beethoven or Brahms yet, so I was happy to hear her interpret their work. The other selections are far from negligible.
One can take Wang’s fabulous technique for granted, and focus on the myriad colours and accents she brings to these performances. The first major work is Scriabin’s Third Sonata. She brings to bear the poetry of the piece with playing of emotion and dynamic variety. I found her touch lighter than that of some other pianists. In the slow movement in particular that makes the music more meditative. This is exquisite pianism. What she may lack in sheer power, she compensates with her smoother, more fluid articulation. Yet she can unleash sufficient force when the sonata calls for it.
Wang’s Beethoven impresses, too. A comparison with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s superb account (review) is revealing. While their tempi are similar in three of the four movements, Wang takes the Allegretto vivace second movement scherzo at lightning speed. It is exciting: she also clearly articulates the notes. Bavouzet is more in keeping with Beethoven’s marking that contrasts this movement better with the Presto con fuoco finale. Another distinction is Bavouzet’s observation of the repeats; Wang ignores them. She also seems to use the sustaining pedal a bit more, unless this is just an acoustical difference. Both accounts are noteworthy, though I think Bavouzet honours the composer’s intentions to a greater degree.
Wang follows the Beethoven with two of Ligeti’s prodigious Études: Automne à Varsovie and L’escalier du diable. Now in the standard repertoire, these works have become showpieces for many pianists. Wang included four of the Études in her Berlin recital. The competition is formidable. Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s performance (on Sony) is my benchmark. I compared Wang’s account with Aimard’s and Jeremy Denk’s (on Nonesuch), and found none wanting. In Autumn in Warsaw, Aimard is more analytical; Denk displays more timbral variety and at times is more dramatic. Wang is smoother, but more straightforward like Aimard. All three astound in the Devil’s Staircase, powerful and virtuosic. Wang’s dexterity is amazing.
Ligeti’s pieces end the main part of the recital. Earlier Wang played two selections from Albèniz’s Ibéria, where she really captures the flavour of the music, and two jazz preludes by Nikolai Kapustin. Her enjoyment of the preludes is palpable and clearly engages the audience.
The first encore, Philip Glass’s Étude No. 6, sounds facile after Ligeti. The second encore is a transcription of Mexican composer Arturo Márquez’s popular Danzón No. 2. The transformation is successful, even if it loses the orchestral colour. Wang performs it with sensitivity and power where required. I was most impressed with Brahms’s Intermezzo in C sharp minor, a substantial encore. Wang’s subdued account suits the music well. She plays with simplicity and feeling, observing well the dynamics and tempo variations. I hope she programs more of these intermezzos in future recitals. The last encore, supposedly one of Wang’s favourites, is a medley from Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice.
The filming focusses on Wang’s hands and facial expressions. Quite often, she mouths along with the music, but not to a distracting degree. For those interested in her attire, she wears slim-cut, backless gowns, but no short skirts. She just sits down, plays the piano, and takes her bows before and after each number, receiving enthusiastic applause. There is no mugging for the camera that some artists, for example Lang Lang, make one endure. Overall, one can enjoy both video and audio in this well-filmed recital, but if you have the CD, the DVD is not a mandatory acquisition.
Leslie Wright
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Contents
Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909)
Málaga from Ibéria
Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915)
Piano Sonata No. 3 in F sharp minor, Op. 23
Nikolai Kapustin (1937-2020)
Preludes No. 11 and No. 10 from 24 Jazz Preludes, Op. 53
Isaac Albéniz
Lavapiés from Ibéria
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major, Op. 31/3 “The Hunt”
György Ligeti (1923-2006)
Étude No. 6 Automne à Varsovie
Étude No. 13 L’escalier du diable
Philip Glass (b. 1937)
Étude No. 6
Arturo Márquez (b. 1950)
Danzón No. 2 (arr. Leticia Gómez-Tagle)
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Intermezzo in C sharp minor, Op. 117/3
Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787)
Melodie dell’Orfeo: Melodies from Orphée et Eurydice (arr. Giovanni Sgambati)
Video details
Filmed in high definition, mastered from an HD source
Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound formats: PCM stereo, DTS 5.1
Producer and director: Bernhard Fleischer
