EIF 2024 Yuja Wang Usher Hall 5th August Review
Yuja Wang at the Usher Hall © Andrew Perry
Yuja Wang was at the Usher Hall Edinburgh tonight and every seat in the venue, plus space behind the stage area usually reserved for choirs, was full for her Edinburgh International Festival 2024 concert.
There was a slight change to the previously announced and printed programme, and the revised concert programme was as at the end of this review.
Chopin and Shostakovich may seem an odd combination to some people and starting off the concert on the very safe and familiar ground of Chopin was an obvious crowd pleaser tonight.
Shostakovich has until fairly recently never really been given the credit that his Preludes should have had. For some people they are a technical exercise through the major and minor keys of the chromatic scale around the circle of fifths. To others they are musical sketches. Some people even consider them to be in the fashion of J.S. Bach’s much earlier work on this subject.
In truth they may be a little of some of all of these elements, but these technical exercises and sketches allowed Yuja Wang to demonstrate not only the technical proficiency that has made her one of the most in demand classical musicians/performers in the world today, but also someone who can take Shostakovich’s musical sketches and fill them with colour and vibrancy.
Opening the second half of tonight’s concert with Barber Sonata in E-flat minor, op.26 Yuja Wang was clearly following up on her huge success in the first half, and two further works by Chopin were obvious crowd pleasers too.
Watching Yuja Wang preparing to play was also an interesting experience as it was almost as if she was preparing to open doorways to her own private space where nothing existed but the music, and perhaps that ability to almost become one with the music is, after all of the obvious technical abilities are taken into account, why audiences appreciate her work so much.
As expected, there was a standing ovation for Yuja Wang tonight at the end of this concert, and another one at the end of a short encore.
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
First Half:
Chopin Ballades
Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue op.87, no.2
Shostakovich Prelude op.34, no.12
Shostakovich Prelude op.34, no.10
Shostakovich Prelude op.87, no.8
Shostakovich Prelude op.34, no.24
Shostakovich Prelude op.34, no.5
Shostakovich Prelude op.34, no.16
Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue op.87, no.15
INTERVAL
Second Half:
Barber Sonata in E-flat minor, op.26
Chopin Ballades
There was a slight change to the previously announced and printed programme, and the revised concert programme was as at the end of this review.
Chopin and Shostakovich may seem an odd combination to some people and starting off the concert on the very safe and familiar ground of Chopin was an obvious crowd pleaser tonight.
Shostakovich has until fairly recently never really been given the credit that his Preludes should have had. For some people they are a technical exercise through the major and minor keys of the chromatic scale around the circle of fifths. To others they are musical sketches. Some people even consider them to be in the fashion of J.S. Bach’s much earlier work on this subject.
In truth they may be a little of some of all of these elements, but these technical exercises and sketches allowed Yuja Wang to demonstrate not only the technical proficiency that has made her one of the most in demand classical musicians/performers in the world today, but also someone who can take Shostakovich’s musical sketches and fill them with colour and vibrancy.
Opening the second half of tonight’s concert with Barber Sonata in E-flat minor, op.26 Yuja Wang was clearly following up on her huge success in the first half, and two further works by Chopin were obvious crowd pleasers too.
Watching Yuja Wang preparing to play was also an interesting experience as it was almost as if she was preparing to open doorways to her own private space where nothing existed but the music, and perhaps that ability to almost become one with the music is, after all of the obvious technical abilities are taken into account, why audiences appreciate her work so much.
As expected, there was a standing ovation for Yuja Wang tonight at the end of this concert, and another one at the end of a short encore.
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
First Half:
Chopin Ballades
- Ballade No.1 in G minor, Op.23
- Ballade No.2 in F major Op.38
Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue op.87, no.2
Shostakovich Prelude op.34, no.12
Shostakovich Prelude op.34, no.10
Shostakovich Prelude op.87, no.8
Shostakovich Prelude op.34, no.24
Shostakovich Prelude op.34, no.5
Shostakovich Prelude op.34, no.16
Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue op.87, no.15
INTERVAL
Second Half:
Barber Sonata in E-flat minor, op.26
Chopin Ballades
- Ballade No.3 in A flat major op.47
- Ballade No.4 in F minor op.52
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