Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Taking another listen to Yuja Wang

You still pay in time and travel costs.

I've been listening to great pianists for over 50 years. Started with 78s of Friedman, Cortot, Moiseiwitsch, Schnabel, Lhevinne, Godowsky, Hofmann to name just a few. I have great respect and admiration for Yuja. Clearly she has an extraordinary talent. People will always complain. Just go to YouTube and watch any of the superb recordings of Richter and you will find negative comments and thumbs down. I challenge anyone here to pick the best product they ever bought no matter what then go to Amazon and you will find people stating it's the worst garbage ever. I guess it's what makes the world interesting, you can't please everyone.

I totally agree on all counts. She's doing a violin/piano duo recital at Strathmore next month and I already got my tickets. Can't wait.

Yes. This can make trying a new restaurant or buying certain things on line worrisome. Virtually every restaurant has a few reviews that are incredibly horrible. I just bought some area rugs online and a lot of reviews complained about the wool shedding...I had zero shedding.

Just so you know, I also have been listening to great pianists for over 50 years - my assessment of Wang doesn't come from lack of experience. If anything, it's because of that experience.

Of course, the reputation of some of those "greats" from the past isn't cast in stone, either. For example, it's known that even other highly-regarded musicians weren't always thrilled with Hofmann as an interpreter and musician, although, like Wang, his technique was approaching the miraculous. This is not exactly the same as some anonymous person on the internet who doesn't like somebody like Richter.

There will often be variation in quality between products intended to be identical. The people who get the inevitable lower quality and/or defective items will assume the defects they discovered are present in all the products because they have no reason not to believe such. This accounts for the negative reviews.

I'd go just for the violinist alone - Kavakos is extraordinary. But, anyway, it's good to see that Wang is still teaming up with him - they've worked together before. It always seems a healthy thing for solo pianists to do some chamber music. And especially if, like her, they don't really have to do it as a way to fill out their schedule.

Speaking of schedule, I see that Wang has a most interesting concert coming up next month. A two-concerto date - the Prokofiev 5th and the Brahms 2nd!! Good grief! It's with the Santa Cruz Symphony. Maybe testing out new repertoire? Not sure if she's done either of those very often before, if at all. I'd be interested in hearing her in the Prokofiev; the Brahms, not so much.

I didn't even know Santa Cruz had a symphony. Must be the most relaxed concerts of all time!

Hofmann liked to bring out inner voices that his protege Shura Cherkasky did as well some purist didn't like that. What more, Hofmann liked to surprise his audience and would startle them with a rather sudden fortissimo. Cortot was far from note perfect but always had something to say that was illuminating. My current favorite of the younger generation is Arcadi Volodos.

Volodos is definitely on my list of competitors for top technique. https://youtu.be/k-0SznC0eKE?t=3835. Check out how easily he throws out those scales.

Volodos also plays Schubert quite well and is a fine musician and although he has a phenomenal technique you never see him misuse it. He does have encores that are display pieces as such but are quite fun to hear. But most importantly he has a wonderful piano tone that you rarely hear in other pianist of his caliber.

Another aspect I like about Yuja is that her hand size is small, close to my own hand size. As a result, every time I watch her play, I learn something about technique; how to improve my own playing. I admire Horowitz, Rubinstein, and Hamelin, but their technique doesn't work well for me. Yuja surpasses with what I now call "small-hand technique."

At one point, I had given up on piano, convinced I couldn't do what Cziffra does because my hands are too small. Then I saw Yuja literally do what Cziffra did, and thought, "I'll keep trying." So she inspired me.

So people that can reach a 10th have small hands?

Maybe her hands are small, but her fingers are from another world.

I can just reach a tenth, I heave heard that is average if not slightly better than some.
My friend will play 11ths scales with ease and can make a 12th work if he has to... but he is also 6'8"...

But now that I think of it, I cannot say Yuja Wang really has large hands at least not compared to others. I guess it really comes down to how she uses them.

Her fingers are dancers.

They just announced the Hollywood Bowl schedule. Yuja Wang will not appear this year. :-(

I enjoy listening to her on Google Play. There is less distraction that way

I listened to her Ravel Left Hand Concerto the other night and enjoyed it.

I also really like Jean-Efflam Bavouzet with both of Ravel's concerti.

Whew! Yuja cosmic energy in the air. I just listened to her Ravel D major last night!

I never cease to be amazed at how brilliantly that piece is written. (Was following with score.)