Artistry, focus and virtuosic fireworks from Yuja Wang in recital

Yuja Wang (© Ian Farrell)

Yuja Wang (piano)

7.30pm, Wednesday 20 April 2022

Royal Festival Hall, London

★★★★★

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827): Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major, 'Hunt', Op. 31 No. 3

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951): Suite, Op. 25

György Ligeti (1923-2006): Etude No. 6, 'Autumn à Varsovie' & Etude No. 13, 'L'escalier du diable'

Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915): Piano Sonata No. 3 in F sharp minor, Op. 23

Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909): Iberia, Bk 4: 'Málaga' & Bk 3: 'Lavapiés'

Nikolai Kapustin (1937-2020): Prelude in B major, Op. 53 No. 11 & Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 53 No. 10

Encores:

Philip Glass (b.1937): Etude No. 6

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV1067, Badinerie (arr. unknown)

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Intermezzo in C sharp minor, Op. 117 No. 3

Arturo Márquez (b.1950): Danzón No. 2 (arr. unknown)

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953): Toccata in D minor, Op. 11

Vladimir Horowitz (1903-1989): Carmen Variations

Franz Schubert (1797-1828): Gretchen am Spinnrade, D118 (transcribed by Franz Liszt (1811-1886))

Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Swan Lake, Op. 20, Dance of the Little Swans (arr. Earl Wild (1915-2010))

Giovanni Scambati (1841-1914): Mélodie (transcribed from Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787): Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Orphée et Eurydice)

Yuja Wang (© Ian Farrell)

'While Wang more than delivered virtuosic fireworks, she gave so much more in her wide-ranging programme, showing phenomenal artistry and focus in well over two hours of performance'.

Schoenberg:

'Her Schoenberg that followed was, however, a revelation, with opening bite and edge followed by some remarkably delicate and intricate details'.

Ligeti:

'In ... Automne à Varsovie, Wang was into her astonishingly virtuosic stride, with hands at full stretch to either end of the keyboard. Yet it was her dynamic control that also impressed here'.

Scriabin:

'Wang’s dynamic control was impressive, with barely audible pianissimos expressing heartfelt longing'.

Encores:

'Dazzlingly rapid repetition in Glass followed by a crazy arrangement of ... Bach'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.