In this episode we take a look at the incredible piano virtuoso, Yuja Wang.
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Catherine Sundvall
Clark Griswold
Ryan Twigg
LAWRENCE WANG
Martin Small
Kevin Wu
Robert Zapolis
Jeremy Kreamer
Sean Munding
Nat Linville
Bobby Alcott
Peter Glen
Robert Marqusee
James Hurster
John Nieradka
Grey Tarkenton
Joe Armstrong
Brian Smith
Robert Hickerty
comboy
Peter DeVault
Phil Mingin
Tal Harber
Rick Taylor
Bill Miller
Gabriel Karaffa
Brett Bottomley
Frederick Humphrey
Nathan Hanna
Stephen Dahl
Scott McCroskey
Dave Ling
Rick Walker
Jason Lowman
Jake Stringer
Steven crawford
Piush Dahal
Jim Sanger
Brian Lawson
Eddie Khoriaty
Vinny Piana
J.I. Abbot
Kyle Dandurand
Michael Krugman
Vinicius Almeida
Lars Nielsen
Kyle Duvall
Alex Zuzin
tom gilberts
Paul Noonan
Scott Thompson
Kaeordic Industries LLC
Duane Blake
Kai Ellis
Zack Kirkorian
Joe Ansaldi
Pzz
Marc Alan
Rob Kline
Calvin Wells
David Trapani
Will Elrics
Debbie Valle
JP Rosato
Orion Letizi
Mike Voloshen
Peter Pillitteri
Yuja Wang is not just incredibly fast and accurate with her playing, she also maintains clarity and musicality plus striking rhythm. Her hand jumps & hand crosses come to the audience as if the playing is a simple matter of fact. Her music does not come across as an overlapping blur, but really extreme clarity and fantastic musicality. She deserves to be among the best pianists in history.
another variation...fom many any many pianist ...
Exactly. I'm an amateur but pretty skilled pianist. The primary difference between me trying pieces like this and her performance is that while I could play 8 notes per second like she does, you wouldn't hear each individual note. My fingers couldn't get on and off the keys fast enough. THAT is the big skill where I come up short.
May I speak on behalf of the 3.3M subscribers when I say that we’d love to see Yuja Wang interviewed right here in your studio. 😊
👋👋👃
YES PLEASE!
Or perhaps Hiromi Uehara - for those of us also into jazz. Both are techinically brilliant pianists and captivating performers.
😁😁😁😁
no
I'm the third generation of professional classical musicians, my father was a concert pianist and I've heard many of the best. When I first heard Yuja play live what stood out was every note was perfectly weighted for the moment - no matter how fast or slow, the articulation and clarity was perfect and sensitive. She's something else.
No reason for you to listen to anyone else ever again
She is a savant!!
Not just her speed and virtuosity but also her clarity
"Who loves not wine, women and song remains a fool his whole life long."
I don`t know if anyone realized that she played the flight of bumblebee with all the intensity and soft notes on point. The parts where you should only barely touche the key she does it at that speed. It ridiculous how she manage to play super soft notes and really hard ones in a split second apart. JUst mind blowing
Yes, with multiple voices in that arrangement it’s beautiful and impossible to believe that she can do it
That is indeed one clear sign of a master, to be able to play fantastically fast passages delicately. It requires superlative agility and control, much more than just pounding the keys at triple forte.
She is a master.
It's incredibly impressive, although it felt too fast to me - i.e. you can't actually appreciate the musicality of the original piece. She could have taken it down a few notches and it would have still been just as impressive but possibly easier to enjoy and listen to ...
Agree with James Beard. Also I want to add that this superlative mind control she has... I'm pretty sure is also due to a healthy balanced lifestyle, in regards to body, mind and soul.
What’s astounding to me was that Carnegie Hall marathon Yuja did a few months ago where she performed all four Rach piano concerti and the Rhapsody IN ONE CONCERT! Plus two encores! Most pianists who do say the Rach 3, that’s it for the week! Amazing! Yuja’s spoiled me; I have trouble listening to other pianists after her! As an 80 year-old jazz pianist and classical and jazz composer, I’ve heard many pianists in my time (in jazz, Bill Evans and Keith are my greatest influences. I spent 3 hours with Bill one-on-one in L.A. in 1962). Anyway, I’ve heard many classical pianists during 65 years in music and my humble opinion is Yuja is unsurpassed!
yeah mac,, she has the strength of a he! listen to others and keep her to one side to sprinkle hot tabasco over some steaming hot tamales...
I'll second that. I'm not as experienced as you, only been playing for 50 years and she's the best I've ever seen/heard. I'll watch her play something that I've got 20 years into and her version compared to mine is that of a master to a rank beginner. Her playing is sublime in every way.
Wow - you actually had the opportunity to spend time with Bill Evans? That’s awesome. But honestly do you think Yuja Wang is on the same level as Evans? No way! She hasn’t really learned to emote yet - let alone compose. I think you folks are listening with your eyes.
@@devinneiss4198 Technically, she's better. She's a better player. He is a better musician. He's a far more complete musician. There is a difference between the two.
@@devinneiss4198 What does emoting have to do with anything?! Lang Lang emotes and all it does is distract in a negative way from the music! If you can’t feel the emotion being expressed from the music itself, you need some sensitivity training! And regarding Yuja’s appearance-I find that suggestion simply insulting!
Rick should have mentioned that Yuja was only 21 years old when she tore through that version of Bumblebee, just at the outset of her adult career back in 2008. Her playing has continued to grow in maturity and emotional complexity with each passing year 🎹
This is an encore!!! After a full concert. Astounding. Another universe.
The most amazing thing about Yuja Wang is that it doesn't matter what she is playing, you can tell she enjoys every second of it. She has fun every time she sits in front of a piano, that itself is insane.
What?
@@jimellis1810 Don't hate she is still great! Some can play and some people can write. They're two different beast. Pick one.
There's a great video of her at the 2009 Lucerne Festival with that annual venue's hand-picked world-class orchestra and with the great (now departed) Claudio Abbado conducting. 22 years old at the time, she made Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No.3 her own and not just with her superb technique, but in her interpretation. Another thing that stood out was --- yes --- the joy she energetically expresses when she plays. So much fun seeing her having fun playing demanding pieces.
She generally seems happy whenever she is being interviewed as well. She gives the charming and delightful impression of being the person in the room who is having the most fun. I always hope that is actually the case.
@@1masterfader That's why I'm not impressed by a lot of modern day classic pianists they can't write own music to a high technical level that is on par with classic era pianists. ask yourself this is it really that impressive if people did it 200-250 years ago?
We are recording all four Rachmaninoff concerti and the Paganini Rhapsody with her over the next two weeks. She is a force of nature. Extraordinary.
As a big Yngwie Malmsteen fan cool can’t wait to hear it The lady can SHRED that’s for sure
Just wondering what it is like working with someone so talented. In my industrial career the best days have been when I had the opportunity to work with super knowledgable people. Especially rewarding is when someone I look up to compliments me on my knowledge. Is it like that in the music business?
@@DavidVerch Like pretty much everyone that solos with us, she is immensely talented, absolutely prepared, professional and consistent. With Yuja there is also extraordinary technique even at world-class concert pianist standards that allows her to play at breakneck speed if she chooses to do so, and the “wow factor”, which she has in spades. She is also stunning in the outfits she chooses. She’s always a joy to work with, too. I can’t say the same for a few others, but yeah, zero complaints here.
You should show this video to Yuja, he's giving her such high and much deserved praise, she's a musical giant.
You must be recording the LA Phil concerts? Will it be video as well?
I’ve seen her play where they’ve kept track and followed along with her with the actual sheet music running below her playing and she is accurate, she does not miss or mistake a single note…she’s really something special
No that's not special. 100's of pianists do that!
@@adrianwright8685 I've heard a few exceptions in my time, even among the 'greats'. But in principle, yes, that is what one is supposed to do. Just as politicians never lie or slander, business people never cheat, spouses never stray, children never disrespect their parents, etc. Insofar as it does not violate any of the ten Commandments, playing a wrong note may be a less serious offense than any of these. Nor are the speed and accuracy of Yuja Wang's of any eternal consequence.
@@adrianwright8685Okay Sherlock. Whatever u say.
@@adrianwright8685sure 😂
@@jhsemoxitha3821 it's not a matter of opinion - just try going to some piano recitals - or watch a few on youtube - nearly all play from memory. In piano competitions it's compulsory.
Emile Gilels was my go to for speed and dynamics gradations! I didn’t think we’d ever hear anyone to rival his touch with inner voicing. Yuja plays EVERYTHING with such refinement it takes your breath away. Her partnerships with conductors and orchestras is unparalleled; I believe they all step up their game when she solos - it seems like they know they’re in the presence of greatness. And she’s a hoot during her interviews ❤❤
Im a Gilels fan also! he's unbeatable, Yuja doesn't come close yet
Rick, we were at the Philadelphia Orchestra last Friday night ( January 27) to hear Yuja Wang perform two piano concerto by Sergei Rachmaninov. She was awesome. The audience stood and called her back several times, and she did an encore (after her full concert) with the same level of energy and excitement she bought to the piano concertos. She would be still taking curtain calls today if the audience had had their say. The next night she performed at Carnegie Hall playing five Rachmaninov piano works. Unbelievable. It is the 150th anniversary of Rachmaninov's birth, and there are many celebrations. Hers is the best. She will be back in Philadelphia on February 4. Everyone should hear her perform once in their life.
WOWSERS!! Excellent commentary! My husband and I were there too! As a fairly accomplished classical pianist myself, I was in the bathroom during intermission and said this to the lady in front of me..."She's not human!"
It was extraordinary. I was there too
Just caught up with her playing this. My favourite piano concerto - next to Grieg's No. 1. Really the best I've ever heard. Amazing.
As a professional pianist, no one would understand the amount of strength it takes to play like this. It certainly looks relaxed and effortless but the amount of strength needed in your arms and shoulders (and upper back to an extent) is quite high. You have thousands of micro adjustment to make in everything - hands, arms, shoulders, etc. - to make this happen, and the muscles and tendons have to response to the slightest movements at breakneck speeds while varying the level of dynamics and other nuances at the same time. She basically has a Marvel superhero level of speed and ability.
I’m sure it’s repetitive strain injury waiting to happen.
@@Chiller01 if that was going to happen, it probably would have happened already. She's 35 and has been playing at this level for over 20 years.
@@davidcurtin3481 Sorry, the aging process in the collagen that forms tendons and ligaments makes them more prone to injury with age. Ask Leona Boyd, Leon Fleisher, Gary Graffman, Jimmy Amade etc. Though repetitive strain injuries are currently better recognized and mitigated by professional musicians no one that uses those structures repeatedly over time is immune to injury.
It’s not strength. Any 10 year old technically has enough “strength” in their arms alone to literally break the keyboard. What you’re pointing out is the coordination and efficiency to deliver focused force repeatedly without fatigue or locking up
@@LAK_770 you're confusing strength with power. One doesn't always have to do with the other. And no, a 10 year old does not have the "strength" to break a keyboard. I described strength in terms of finesse and control, which is exactly what this pianist used. Strength is sustainability and endurance. Power is about force and impact. Your point has no credibility. I've been playing piano for over 50 years and taught it for 30 and I understand the physics of this from a functional perspective.
And she’s a wonderful young woman, beautiful, full of humor and energy. I had an opportunity to see her and talk to her at the Verbier Festival after her concerts. Unforgettable!
You are a lucky guy.
How she maintains that pace without losing any timing or musicality, it’s amazing. She has precision and flow. Wow!
Yuja's technique is otherworldly and, quite honestly, THE best/strongest I've ever witnessed. What she's able to do is truly mind-blowing. I've had the good fortune of hearing and meeting her several times over the years. She's completely down to earth and a lot of fun.
She is a gift sent by god to this world 😊
She might very well be the strongest pianist technically who has ever existed. And by this I am comparing her with giants like Horowitz, Rachmaninov, Argerich and Liszt, who have other worldly technical levels.
@@InXLsisDeo hmmm
@@colinjames2469 Male pianists are engaged in bringing music to people. This "beauty" brings vulgarity to people and excites animal instincts in people.
@@mariodisarli1022 Hey Cancan! How ya doing? Trolling is so much fun, isn't it?
I love how this is not a breakdown or analysis of Yuja's virtuosity, but just 6 minutes of pure admiration.
You love that huh
@GoodKinoman [Kolya Evgrafov] you are wrong. Speeding up the video would alter the pitch as well. Watch it again - the music matches the notes at the correct pitch. The piano hammers have enough time to fall because she is hitting different keys. Just accept she is a phenomenal talent - perhaps the greatest ever - which is no insult to the great Russian virtuosi!.FYI This performance was early in her career (still had long hair) and her encores then were often flashy demonstrations, but if you are really a classical connoisseur this cannot be your first encounter with Yuja Wang and you must know she is a deep and musical interpreter of the piano repertoire. Read the reviews of the recent Rachmaninov concert in NY and Philly and appreciate the range of he musical talent is far from fast playing.
I can’t agree more
@@goodkinomankolyaevgrafov6412 RUBBISH, ! MW
@@goodkinomankolyaevgrafov6412 Outside of the incorrect observation that the video has been sped up, you also misunderstand the reason the piece is played the way it is. It’s a one off ‘lark’ performance. It’s literally a tacked on for fun piece at the end of the show for an audience that keeps clapping. At the at point, it’s less emotional playing and more just strutting your stuff for fun.
She's definitely one of the greatest pianist ever.
after she finished, the piano lit a cigarette...
You made me laugh.
Hahahaha!! Good one!!
I like that!
I had to stop mid-way. While I can marvel at the brain/muscle coordination, this performance IMO does not respect the ability of the audience fully to absorb the artistic intent of the composer. It reminds me of a satirical piece written about the 15-minute Louvre tour. For me, the mark of interpretive genius is better displayed by a sense of artistic brief pause. Ashkenazi playing Chopin comes to mind.
😂
The AMAZING thing about her: not only does she have the most flawless, super human technique, and makes the most difficult pieces sound easy as pie, but she also has the musicality, the expressiveness that are also out of this world!! And yes, let’s mention her stamina also!! Just crazy, nuts!!! And her personality rocks!!❤❤❤❤
I totally agree - the ultimate all-rounder!
And she's nice to look at.
What's incredible about this lady is how she stays so relaxed no matter what she's playing. And her fingers never falter, they always find their place on the keyboard no matter how large the jumps she makes may be (as we saw with the stride passage). What's even more insane is that even at that blistering speed she still incorporates a sensitivity to dynamics and feeling. A true virtuoso.
Whaaaat! That’s ADHD on speed…….! Encroyable!
fingers can move when the palm and body is relaxed... that, probably, is one of the most important thing to learn for years. With opera singing, for example, it is also very inportant to relax the throat, and only that can trully "relax" the quality of te voice....with no amplification.
@@jacobostapowicz8188 this is the most intelligent comment ever.
@David Doan Ai CAN easily replicate Yujas achievements, and will probably replace her soon.
@@jacobostapowicz8188 that's not what this is about.. pianolas can easily best Yuja, and do we care?
That's gotta be one of if not the most talented pianist in the world. Absolutely incredible!
I love Yuja! She just looks like she has so much fun all the time. She's known to keep her body in great shape, and you can tell she has a lot of gas in her tank. And you're right: she's not just a flashy, technical musician. She can be as sensitive and dynamic as she is quick.
As a side note the piano has to be impeccable to allow these fast passages. Hats off to the piano technician.
It's not the gear.... I bet she could do most of that riffage on my grandmother's Samick upright...
Good point
It’s a lot easier playing fast on a top level piano.
@@markbaum9615 Well, it's not JUST the gear, that's for sure, but having a top piano is a prerequisite for that level of virtuosity. In other words, your gran must have a pretty awesome Samick. There are Steinways that wouldn't sustain Yuja's playing. The action has to be absolutely perfect, for starters.
@@markbaum9615 it's not the gear. True she could play anything and make it sound amazing, but her talent wouldn't be able to be shown without a perfectly tuned piano. It takes many years to learn to do that.
Yuja is one of the greatest pianists to have ever lived. I was blessed to see her live in Germany years back. I am not proud to admit I only discovered her when I searched ‘Wang’ on YT once.
lol
Come on, no need to be ashamed of being a Wang Chung fan (Everybody Have Fun Tonight). [There's your alibi right there, you should stick to it.]
Just goes to show, follow your dreams!
Yuma practices 40 hours a day. Speed only matters if you hit every note flawlessly. Wish she didn't play bumblebee.
@@piteusx8440 lol. She didn't play bumblebee. She played a much more complex and difficult version. And if my ear is not deceiving me, at about 10bpm faster than bumblebee is usually performed... Asians practice 40 hours a day. Yuja does 42. That might just make her the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything if you believe the hype.
As a huge fan of rock, I discovered you a few years ago on U Tube and absolutely LOVE your Top 20 Lists.. rock anthems, guitar solos, drum intros. Especially love the way you break down a song piece by piece. Always gives me a fresh perspective and appreciation for the song and the engineering behind the music. That said..... this classical artist you highlighted here blew my mind. Watching this has opened my eyes to an entirely different world of music. Thank you so much for this and keep doing what you do!!!
Yuja is a virtuoso but with such refinement and depth of musicianship. Thank you for posting 🎄
Yuja Wang is unbelievable, pushing the limits of human skill to a higher level. As a metal head with a passion for all types of virtuosity I share some of her performances when I some friend tells me "classical" music is boring. Seeing the shock on their faces and the smile on their lips after a bit of Wang's magic never gets old.
Yes. Have watched many of her vids. Barely possible to believe a human can do that. But, she does.
More Speed but...less music imho
best comment..
yes not human indeed, where is the music, the emotion, the humanity? Tori Amos is much nicer to hear on piano..
@@safje2005 she's still young though. That side will mature. Agree about Tori though 🙂
Yuja Wang is the Hiromi of classical music, she is an absolute beast on the piano and packs a lot of energy into her playing. One of my favourite piano players. I love her so much!
I was just about to add the comment "Hey Rick, what do you think of Hiromi Uehara?"
Hiromi is a robot. Jazz needs soul
Hiromi hands are a blur as well!
@@SVI_999 Not a robot. I saw her in concert. She was very soulful. Look at her face to face duet with Chic Corea on Spain on KZhead.
@@SVI_999 I thought she played soulfully when I saw her live with the harpist Edmar Castaneda. They were emotive and communicative musically; the call-and-response section was incredible.
Quite obviously Yuja is technically perfect, actually even compared to the old masters like Rubinstein, Horowitz, and the alikes, if one bothers to compare at all. What I find increasingly fascinating is how she emerges as an incredible chamber musician also. You already feel it her being 21 year old in the recording from 2008 with Lynn Harrell playing the Rach Sonata, and her more recent recording of the same piece with Gautier Capucon sets the gold standard for this piece. Have a listen also to the Brahms op 8 with Capucon and Kavakos in Verbier 2022, or the Brahms Violin Sonata with Kavakos. This is what chamber music is all about, can't get better. On all those combined aspects, YW is unequaled by anyone alive - at age 36. What an amazing perspective.
The transition between hard and soft is phenomenal. Thank you for this post sir.
Yuja is an inspiration. She actually played all the Rachmaninov concerti in one night at Carnegie Hall. Another great young pianist is Dmitry Shishkin. Great music lives on!
Four full concerti? I didn't know any orchestra or concert hall would program something like that. That would be an extremely long concert.
@@musiclover148 It was a marathon performed in late January, in the afternoon and evening. She wore a different outfit for each piece!
@@musiclover148 I think someone collapsed during the second and had to be taken to hospital.
@@jaygatz4335 When I watched this video, I thought it should have mentioned her sartorial reputation, as well! These are not Alfred Brendel's outfits that we see her performing in.
Check out Yunchan as well. The dude is incredible.
What amazes me is most that not only is she perfect in execution, she is able to play full of emotion and expression!
Yeah. Speed doesn't mean people don't have emotion. Only boomers think playing slow and doing lots of bends means emotional. There's emotion in explosive precise speed and it's moving.
@@YaYousef5 Only boomers, ? So that’s according to the voices in your head
@@bobgriffith1810 Damn Bob, you got me! 👏👏
@@YaYousef5 Boomers are all over 65 years old now. Boomer is a lazy person’s term for “anyone who doesn’t agree with me, who may or may not like blues based soloing…etc.”
@@YaYousef5 Given that boomers invented punk rock and thrash metal, your observation may not be quite as astute as you believe it is.
One has to give a shout out to the pianos she plays. The key has to return to the up position for her to play it again and somehow, these pianos keep up. Amazing.
Her live rendition of the Prokofiev Toccata is INSANE
I saw the Feb 5 Philly concert: the 4th, the rhapsody, and then she closed with the Rach 3. It was absolutely breathtaking. Virtuoso playing for sure (it’s impossible to play the Rachmaninoff 3rd piano concerto without virtuosity), but also GORGEOUS tone, subtle dynamic shadings from ppp to fff, stunning legato line, and a PERFECT tempo for the huge soaring melody at the end. We cheered till we were hoarse. She then played the famous Horowitz version of the Carmen Gypsy Song for an encore. Again pandemonium in Verizon Hall. I stopped criticizing her 5 years ago and now simply try to hear her every chance I get. She always delivers. She’s a bona fide treasure.
Wife and I were at that concert also. Only concert of hers we've been to, and it was FANTASTIC! Yuja is coming to Philly again, next year, for a recital.
damn! i am so jealous of you. i HAVE to hear (and see) her live once.
Just curious, what were the criticisms you had of her prior to 5 years ago?
Aucune âme, de l'IA....
She is not just an artist, she is an athlete!
Exactly, she is an athlete. But not the artist
Yuma Wang is world 1st Pianoathlete
She is also a very attractive woman. Her dresses almost make her performances adult entertainment.
@@andyschultheiss5128 Not at all.
@@atagadol Explain to us ..why she is NOT an "artist". Furthermore, explain to us....who is (give examples please) an "artist". And lastly, are you an "artist"? Yes or No?
Might not be as impressive as this but her playing Schuman the smuggler is just incredibly masterful. The dynamic control/accenting is nothing shy of virtuous. Such an incredible pianist it's almost unreal
Phenomenal! What a treat. Loving the piano references and interviews Rick. Thank you
I'm so glad you bring her up. Artistry from all directions, from emotional interpretations to stellar virtuosity. I don't think anyone has brought more freshness and excitement to the piano! As a 69 year old jazz pianist, she completely inspires me. (To burn my piano to the ground and find another way to enjoy myself with the insurance money...)
She is a gifted pianist. You can feel the emotional content expressed in her playing. Thank you for posting, Rick!
She was already very good at a young age. Combine talent with tons of practice ant that is the result. I do thing she lived more lives to pull this of 😅
I feel that “gifted” is an understatement. She is incredibly gifted.
That's the amazing thing about these clips, and others. She's not just ripping it as fast as she can go. There's tremendous touch and feel in there as well. Those arrangements are expressive, accented, with volume swell and reduction. She does all of that bang on.
I think artist don't appreciate being called "Gifted"
It's less being gifted and more being drawn to something. The more you're drawn to something, the more you'll want to practice it. Now combine that with her high intelligence and great work ethic and there ya go.
I too have been following her for years. I'm so glad you're focusing on her.
Rick, this is a long time coming. Classical piano music has a place in a musician's life. She is a great talent.
These people are from another planet……and the fact that it’s blazing fast, you still can here the melody in every note! Insanely beautiful!
I just spent about an hour watching some of her live performances. Aside from her obvious ability to 'shred', her playing was so expressive that it brought me to tears. I've never heard of Yuja Wang until watching this vid, but now, I'm a true fan forever. Thank you Rick.
She's definitely from a different Galaxy equipped with an unbelievable technique. How she's able to emphasize all the various melody phrases. I highly recommend that you also check out Yuja Wang - Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 - Zubin Mehta. There you can see how she breathes every phrase and lives the entire piece to its minute details. Just brillant and absolutely amazing. On top of those incredible skills she NEVER hits one single wrong note EVER. Watching interviews with her also shows how intelligent and higly educated this young woman is. In sports they call people like her GOAT because it not only requires a lot of stamina to play the most difficult piano concerto of all time but it also takes an incredible amount of mental capacities and focus!
Rick I learn so much about music from your work. You not only know the subject but your passion for music is infectious. And Im thrilled you’re now including classical musicians like Yuja. Astounding talent. She channels the music!
I am so glad that you featured Yuja. It isn’t just her chops but her musicality. Dynamics, phrasing, expression- she has it all. Hey, when you do interview her, ask her when she is going to do Beethoven!
She has done quite a bit of Beethoven. I think she has done all five concertos, at least the first four and she did the Hammerklavier sonata
It's Bach that I want to hear! We need a Yuja Wang Goldberg Variations!
her rendition of the hammer is superior to all others, esp in that astonishing adagio. she has sad she needs to read and think more to do justice to beethoven. cant wait for bach.
She played Hammerklavier at Carnegie Hall, there’s a NY Times review of it available online
Amazing technique, but also unbelievable musicianship. I saw her live here in Chicago -- she played some very dense Schoenberg with such clarity, insight, and beauty. It takes real intellect to do that. You have to see her live.
She is one of those extremely rare "savants" when it comes to the piano. She was born with her chops whereas we mortals have to spend decades trying to be one-onehundredth as good as she is. It's as simple as that.
Something that is even more insane than the pure speed and accuracy is the volume control. Naturally, lower registers are louder and higher are softer, but you can hear every note with the same exact clarity. Insane volume control mixed with perfect clarity and control.
Thank you for posting this . I’ve watched hours of her the past few days and she is just amazing. I don’t think I’ve heard another pianist who is that fast, technically flawless, and who delivers emotionally like she does. I Hegel sat 2 feet from world class classical guitarists who can play 16-20 notes per second…effortlessly. But Wang is beyond words. I did watch one version of her playing Flight of the Bumblebee l. It was incredibly fast. I felt like “This is what a bumblebee really sounds like.
Wang is one of the best pianists hitting the stage right now. As a lover of classical music, however, I can say that speed is not the greatest quality of a pianist or of Yuja. She is a great interpreter and her pianissimos or fortissimos can be just as intense and difficult as her prestos. Evaluating a pianist by speed is like measuring the goodness of a piece of food per kilo.
Excellent point. It's the same way many guitar lovers mistakenly evaluate who is a better guitar player merely in terms of speed of playing or technical proficiency. There is a lot more to music than just technical skill. Some of the most beautiful compositions ever written or played are actually quite simple and slow !
I was gonna write something similar regarding the limited notion of virtuosity.
I agree wholeheartedly.
I just finished listening to her Rach II. A great live exhibition, great touch, great personality, and I love her tempo. I don't want to make comparisons, too complicated. I love Ashkenazy and Argerich versions, and to some extent I also enjoy Pollini's and Matsuev's. I can't place Yuja's interpretation with respect to the others under a technical point of view. All I can say is that I found it as engaging and emotionally significant as my favorite ones.
@@DaveJ6515 ⁹8
Not only is her playing technically brilliant, but it’s also musical. You can have all the technique in the world and have very little musicality. Then it’s just noise. But when you combine virtuosity with musicality, something magical happens.
What good is technique when you haven't the compositional skills to fully utilise it? Technique has come a long way in the modern age, lots of technically impressive players, but the compositional side is lacking - I mean just listen to the radio lol.
I was going to post something similar. Technique at this level is probably way above anything we have ever seen or heard. OK great. What matters is how she performs the actual music. Her ability enables her to perform as the composers could only dream. I have never read a negative review, despite easy targets of dress, youth etc. She is outstanding and we are lucky to have her in our lives.
@@mikevanneste What? The composers played their pieces exactly as they wrote them. Ms. Wang doesn't play them better than they did. Rachmaninoff was a virtuoso pianist. So was Prokofiev. So was Bach. So was Mozart. So was Chopin. Someone might cite Beethoven's compositions after he went deaf, but he was also a virtuoso before that happened. As for her technique being "way above anything we have ever seen or heard," I take it you've never seen/heard Martha Argerich? Ms. Wang isn't on that level yet. Nobody else is either.
@@Ken5244 Lots of performers have performed pieces better than the composer. Of course many of the composers you listed were virtuosos. However, they were dedicated to the craft of composition as much or more so than the art of performance. The fact that they could play their music doesn't mean they were the best at playing it. The recordings of Prokofiev, Ravel, or Rachmaninoff at the piano offer insight into what they had in mind, but I would much rather hear Martha Argerich's or Yuja Wang's Prokofiev 3rd than the composer himself. (And yes, I own all 3). Bob Dylan admitted that he might have written "All Along the Watchtower", but that Jimi Hendrix "owned" the performance of it.
@@brianwhittemore9091 I don't know that I agree that there are "lots" of performers who performed pieces better than the composer in terms of their technique. I suspect such performances are the exception rather than the norm. Of course, I'm referring to the elite players I mentioned in my first posting, rather than some of the 'lesser' composers/players throughout history. Modern performers, certainly from the 20th Century forward, have had the luxury of playing the great works on amazing grand pianos that Bach and other composers never had at their disposal, so of course those more modern performances will sound better overall than, say, a Bach prelude & fugue played on a clavichord or harpsichord. But any list of players who've had better technique than Bach did would be extremely short. I agree that many of the great composers were dedicated to the art of composition, but they were also virtuoso players. Their composition skills didn't come at the expense of their playing virtuosity. In fact, some of them grew to almost resent their own virtuosity when demand for their performances sometimes exceeded the popularity of & demand for their compositions. Prokofiev, as you probably know, was one of them for awhile. A lot of those guys would've been among the most renowned and respected players even if they didn't also compose. It's interesting that you mention Argerich and also Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto, because her version of it from 1977, with Andre Previn conducting, is one of my favorite pieces of all time. I don't think Wang comes close to that Argerich performance, but that's just my personal taste. I have never heard a recording of Prokofiev himself playing it, so I can't comment on the comparison. That said, Martha Argerich is one of the aforementioned exceptions rather than the rule. She's better than 99.99999% of humans that have ever played a keyboard, so saying that her version of any piece is better than the composer's itself wouldn't be hard for me to believe.
Cziffre is my favourite pianist of all time... as a kid I didn't get to see his initial live broadcast, but when they replayed it on BBC2 I watched his famous "warm up" and remember thinking that the outer bounds of human endeavour and possibility were truly prodigious... Yuja knows her stuff!
Rick u r the absolute man man! YOU ARE AWESOME! The people you find , that you interview , that you talk about is so right! U R da MANN, MAN!
Her musical memory is what amazes me - the ability to faultlessly memorise a large amount of impossibly detailed pieces of music. And not only that, play them with feeling. Obviously that example is delerious technique mania, but she does play beautifully........what you don't realise obviously is that while playing that she is also flying around the world as superwoman dealing with all the problems as well, too fast for the naked eye to perceive etc......
As someone learning the violin, the memory side of things is the easy bit! By the time you've practiced a piece like this for months on end your fingers know where to go! But she's quite some pianist; in a league of her own...
It's practice, no biggie
@@monstergaminghd1083 There's a young Korean violinist called Sohyun Ko (aged 17 now) who said she practiced 11-12 hours a day when she was younger... Still not LingLing though! Lol. She met up with a new tutor in America (Zukerman) who advised her to practice less and 'live' more which she did. But blimey 12 hours a day...
Yuja is amazing, I'm so glad you presented her playing ability. She is so, sooo awesome!!!!
Rick, I'm glad that you included Yuja in one of your videos --- amazing genius!
We share a love of this astonishing musician. Yuja just nails anything she plays. No matter how many other versions I've heard, hers are, oh so on another plane.
She played 7 encores at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, all with equal exuberance. Spectacular performer.
I can't help it, but tears come to my eyes when I hear Yuja play all 4 Rach. Unbelievable. She must be given to us directly by God.
Yes, and a lot of practice, too!
she's fantastic! brilliant articulation! i've been very fortunate to see her perform.
Always fascinating to see what you bring to us, Rick. Great content.
Just saw her in Philly and was fortunate enough to have a box seat above and a little to her right - perfect for watching her hands and could also see their reflection in the piano. She played two hours' worth of extremely complex Rachmaninoff pieces with no sheet music.
NOOOH!!!
@@thepianocornertpc Yesssssssss!! At first I was sad about our view but it turned out to be a fantastic experience.
Saw her live here in brazil a few years ago. She left the audience in trance.
I saw her too when she visited our country. I attended her concert in Curitiba. It was amazing.
Well.....this young lady has a new fan. You all need to go and watch her play Rhapsody in Blue....she has wiped the floor with everyone that has ever played it before her. Astonishing player!
Agreed. I've played Rhapsody in Blue for more than 30 years. I've never heard anyone play it like she plays it. She's out of this world. How pleased would Gershwin have been? Too bad we can't bring back some of the great composers from the dead to get their reactions.
As I mentioned before, I enjoy your videos so much, as far as piano players I Yuchan Lim is someone you would really appreciate he is absolutely fabulous and it gives great hope for classical music in future. Thank you.
I have seen her in concert several times and usually try to buy my tickets on a stage side box so I can see the keyboard during the performance. Not the best acoustic location in a concert hall, but it enhances the show of watching her perform. She’s great.
I like this idea. (My kids once complained that the tickets I bought - late - for the ACO and Tawadros brothers were terrible because they couldn't see the fingers of the performers!
Agreed. Why anyone would long for front row seats at that kind of performance, I can't imagine. Worst position, can't see anything.
Saw her twice and I want to see her again from the side just for this idea. Would love to see her do her magic at that angle.
@@georgescancan7503 lol
@@georgescancan7503 Wow you are really looking for attention🤣 aren't you
I saw her quite a few years ago in Hong Kong and she played another stride piece as her encore piece, and the audience (myself included) were audibly stunned! You could hear everybody gasp as her left hand jumped side to side.... It was unbelievable...
Saw her?..HOPE YOU HEARD HER
@@christopherczajasager9030 "saw her" means seeing her playing on stage in a concert hall.
@@stringsvirtuoso3521 I do speak, read and understand English...and know a but about podium life as a concert pianist.
Always Rick, amazing insight. So enjoying your vids. Huge thnx😊
Never seen anything like it. Per usual, thank you Rick for the amazing content. Wishing you well
My first time seeing her, she's not just fast, the musicality of her playing is really beatiful, the smoothness and the transition between very different dynamics is insane, particularly remarkable whe she plays "piano" or "pianissimo". Real gem!
I am looking forward to your words, Rick. I have been a huge fan of Wang for years. She’s so astonishing. Often, I can’t follow the blur of her fingers. Plus she’s such a down to earth person, living a fun life, dressing against old stodgy rules…. I love her so much!!!
Wow. Just wow.
She is well rounded. The perfect mix for a concert pianist. People like that. And we dig her
Yuja Wang is one of my favourite pianists ever, and I've had the pleasure of seeing her live. I'm so glad you branched out and made a video about her. Cheers.
He also made one awhile ago about Martha Argerich!!!!
She also just recently performed all 5 of Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos in the same concert - some of the most technically demanding piano repertoire out there. Her talent and endurance are unimaginable.
Can I find this here? She's great.
If you practice a Concerto enough to play it through at speed, you no longer need sheet music. This is true of ALL pianists and ALL piano concertos. No sheet music is absolutely normal.
If you need sheet music, you don’t know the piece.
@@awesomereviews1561 yup. But these idiots keep bringing it up, over and over.
Don't forget her costume changes.
I just "discovered" her this past year. I watched a KZhead video of her performing "Rhapsody in Blue," by George Gershwin, of course. I only THOUGHT I had heard it many times before. But Yuja Wang took it way beyond my former appreciation for that piece. It was almost as if I was hearing it for the first time. She is truly amazing!
I love Ms. Wang's energy. She is a technical genius and gorgeous to boot
I saw her at the Albert Hall in London back in the summer when she played Liszt's first piano concerto and two encores. I thought she enjoyed herself as much as the audience members. It was a memorable evening
Yuja is one powerful pianist. Represents 7 - 8hrs of hard core and carefully thought out practice daily. She’s a monster artist!
she used to say that she only has been playing 1 hour a day since she was 6. After seeing her alla turca encore, i call her a liar!
@@conannanoc8768 hmmmm.
I dont think you can get this good with just a lot of practice
I was friends with 2 DMA students years ago at UT Austin- Dohee and Claire. The both practiced insanely. I video taped their recitals and would hang out in the practice rooms and one thing I recognized was a Passion and Love for the music. You have to love something so much to injure yourself through the hours of practice- pretty much bruised fingers and hands. The maintenance they had to go through to keep this up, It looks effortless but is not. And yes, 8 hours of playing a day for years and years. It pays off, but is a sacrifice...
@@cozmicpfunk Agreed. Your love and passion for music spurs you on, so much so that you don’t realize how much time you’ve spent accomplishing each goal. But truly, if someone is leaving a practice session bloodied and bruised, he or she is not practicing correctly. Carpel tunnel, tendinitis, spine and back pain can be death to a musician.
Truly tickling those ivories. Amazing!
Rick: Great commentary on Yuja. I saw her live in So Cal 3 times. Crazy! Richard
I've been following Yuja for a few years. There are no words to adequately describe what she does at the piano.
Another one to watch is Marc Andre Hamelin.
Superhuman comes to mind..
you could use insane, ridiculous, crazy, like everyone else who lacks vocabulary.. at least you admit to it
As a pianist i can't fathom how u can get to that level... It's absolutely insane
I've seen her live. She is from another planet!
Simply amazing, love her!!
Speed for speed's sake has never impressed me... but my God this woman is mind blowing. On the Flight of the Bumblebee it makes it sounds lie and entire orchestra is backing her up. Thank you Rick for sharing this....just when you think you've seen it all eh? :)
She is amazing. Objectively speaking. But i can't stand listening to her because, for all her intellectual curiosity, for all the transcendence of her virtuosity, which you describe so well, she remains chained to the ideal of speed for speed's sake. I'm sure that she knows exactly why people want to see her and hear her. I've heard amateurs play slow and simple passages much better than she does.
I feel the same way you do. It’s impressive but it is just TOO fast!
About as wrong as it could be! @@marcusonesimus3400
@@marcusonesimus3400 FYI, Rimsky Korsakov scored the original at 200bpm. The composer intended for it to be played extremely fast. Yuja seems to be in the neighborhood of 200bpm, she's doing what Rimsky Korsakov intended. think of bees or flies. Think of how hard it is to swat a fly. They're always faster than you.
Watch her Rach 2, & then talk to me about speed for speed's sake. The tempo is +/- epsilon relative to other recordings -- including Rachmaninov's! This is a solo show piece, but when she's playing with an orchestra the tempo is the conductor's to set, not by her.
Yuja Wang: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 is the best I have ever heard. Absolutely amazing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video! You all are so good. Looks so fun to jam. The singer is amazing!! 👏👏👏
Amazing precision and control!
Thank you, Rick! Yuja Wang is a fantastic artist. You're right, she's not merely a brilliant technician... We are lucky to live in a time when there may be more 'classical' music virtuosos, in a real and artistic way, playing concerts all over the world than there ever were in the past. Whether people find them on KZhead, on recordings, or on broadcasts, I would encourage everybody to please go and hear them play live and in person. Usually the same is true for any music genre, although there can be something said for the wonder of studio wizardry, too. Thinking of the studio magic of classical pianist Glenn Gould, who stopped playing concerts and focused exclusively on recording...
So true!! And an amazing surfeit of incredible women pianists - Helene Grimaud, Khatia Buniatishvili, Beatrice Rana, Valentina Lisitsa, and Alice Sara Ott (who sadly is battling MS). And in the jazz world, Hiromi Uehara is surreal.
This weekend I listened several times to Yuja Wang playing in the amazing album, The American Project, which was one of the best classical albums I have ever experienced. Yes, her playing is precise, but she strikes the keys with just the right amount force and time that one can feel the emotion of the piece such that it overwhelms you. Ms. Wang’s performance is breathtaking.
The other day my Pop was watching a video that caught my eye. He was watching this video and Rick's familiar face caught my attention. Pop came across this young lady's playing recently and is captivated by how talented she is. It was funny to see my Pop avidly watching one of my favorite KZheadrs.
Thank you Rick! Just awesome.
Every now and then, people find what they were meant to do in life. Jordan found basketball, Woods found golf, Einstein found physics, and Yuja found the piano.
I read that quickly and said "Jordan found Baseball"?? 😅
Lane didn't find the guitar, the guitar found him.
If only basketball, golf and modern piano would add anything to humankind …
@@falklumo they do
@@falklumo You don't even know what it means to be human.
OK, Rick, I did watch 5 videos of this woman playing. She's so good I was in tears. Thank you for sharing this video.
Spot on, Rick, and she's absolutely AMAZING!
Love, love, LOVE your channel, Rick.