Like many of you who listen to Bach, I've been listening to Gould's Bach almost religiously over the last few decades. Also being an ardent admirer of Yuja for a long time, I've been very curious as to how she might play Bach. Since I first learned that she was going to play this Toccata in Chicago this February, I was so looking forward to this. For me this piece was absolutely the highlight on that late Sunday afternoon. Glad that my wife and I drove almost seven hours that morning just to be there. Her balanced approach combined with her exceptional aptitude and artistry, still maintaining the very integrity of his music, somehow raised this Toccata into a new level. She is still 33 years old. I'm very excited about the prospect of her playing more Bach and to witness how she matures as an artist. Now I want to see her play Bach-Brahms Chaconne in d.
Yes! My wife and I thought the same of this masterful recital and her interpretation of the toccata, which made us both tear up. It was one of my wife's mother's favorite pieces. She would have been thrilled to hear this extraordinary performance.
The best I've heard Bach on the piano. Since we have the world's largest collection of harpsichords in Edinburgh, can't help wanting her to play our harpsichords, & perform a recital on one.
I hope she'll be performing Bach more frequently. After listening to this performance I really can't wait for new uploads of her playing my favourite works by JSB: the Cembalo Toccatas and the English Suites...Actually I'm not fully convinced by this performance as I find it absolutely brilliant in most respects yet a bit rushed here and there, hence I'd be glad to listen a few more renditions by Yuja Wang playing Bach. She's an amazing soloist,no question, albeit the Goldberg Variations and the Inventions could be a great challenge for her ...Possibly not her cup of tea.
It is hard to find two performers with more divergent approaches to Bach. Gould essentially reimagined the compositions with all the possibilities of the modern piano in mind, and produced a result that was almost a new piece. Yuja tries to stay as close to Bach's original conception as she can. She does a tremendous job of making a pianoforte reproduce a harpsichord's tone and tempo. Neither is guilty of an incorrect approach. Each is a superlative exponent of their own ideas. Personally, I do like being able to hear the piece more or less as Bach intended. Others, with justification, may feel Gould was more creative.
I heard Yuja at Carnegie: the last concert I unknowingly would attend before the time of Corona . And, this Toccata I keep with me still she adds layers, intensity and all with a harmonic drive and energy that no one can do ! She played Bach like an angel at 13 as well. A true genius 💌 merci
Dear Tema Blackstone, I'm very moved to read your comment, because you were Yuja's teacher in Calgary, weren't you? As for me, I am a writer, and the author of a book inspired by Yuja, « Piano chinois » (of which there is an English translation). I have also just published on my channel some Scarlatti which are marvels of delicacy, including K 87. Of this piece, Yuja gives, in my opinion, the most beautiful interpretation that can exist, and I talk about it precisely in my novel. Do you miraculously keep recordings of what Yuja played while she was your student? Bach in particular ? Thank you again for your comment, which I fully share. (I am only signing my initials, to keep a semblance of anonymity, since the comments here are public). With warmest regards. EB
I'm more than admired. It's a fascination, a simultaneous doubling, the voice of an actor who simultaneously plays two parts in comedy: a Yuja Wang in the left hand and a twin Yuja Wang in the right hand. This Bach work could be played well by two concert players on two pianos, one for the right hand and one for the left. A doubling that is well perceived when listening, not even for the exceptional composition, or for its the sublime performance.
Ms Wang played the same recital at Carnegie Hall on February 28, 2020, in slightly different order, and allowed 50 or so of us to sit in chairs next to her on the stage, so it was intimate in a big hall. I loved every minute.
DisneyBudhet Inn I guess that your ears are a good deal sharper than mine. I could tell what notes she was playing, but she obscures so many of them with pedal or artificially unequal voicing. Admittedly, that's her choice; she can do anything she wants with the piano. But it probably wouldn't be tolerated in a pianist of lesser reputation. That is how the world works.
Jean-Sébastien Bach interprété par Yuja Wang, c'est une première et c'est une réussite indéniable. Bravo. J'attends la suite et Dieu sait que le compositeur est d'une richesse musicale inégalée.
Finally I found Bach played by Yuja Wang. Rachmaniov, Gershwin superb. But I was worried about how Yuja would be able to approach the strict rhythm of Bach's baroque music. Hey, and how she can!! The individual voices are crystal clear and everything remains light and floating. Thank you Yuja. More Bach, please. You both are the greatest.
Saw her perform this at Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa last month. What an experience, Yuja was masterful in her Bach. One of many highlights of her eclectic program, which randomly mixed styles at will. Her Bach was crystalline, with a pure singing line.
When Yuja starts with pp and p, she always has someplace to go to and build. In this piece and all her others i noticed that she analyzes them deeply in terms of dynamics, always bringing out the most of the music and composer.
What a lovely version of the piece: the sensitive and varied dynamics allow the story to be told without monotony, all the notes and melodic lines are crisp and clear, the time is precise, the brisk tempo makes it easy to appreciate the structure, and to feel the dance underneath. There is usually some comment about Yuja's outfit. I can't imagine what it could be in this case, given the elegant dress. But I think that when her back and shoulders are exposed, as in some concerts, it makes it easier to appreciate her perfect posture and the strong musculature that is called into play for this work, like for a ballerina or an athlete. We should all just enjoy and celebrate this marvelous artist.
walkercatenaccio Nice try. I hadn't thought of the wardrobe until you mentioned it, honest. I was complaining about her abuse of the pedal. But sure, she reveals skin in order to display her musculature and perfect posture. I'll put it differently: she displays a strong instinct for BUSINESS. That should sound respectful enough for 'bourgeois capitalist' ears, be they North American or Chinese. We don't want to be paranoid now, but let's not be too trusting of people's motives either: (Jeremiah 17:9) 'The heart is deceitful beyond all else, and is desperately sick; who can understand it?'
La raison pour laquelle une œuvre est réalisée n'importe pas. Pour moi, les religions sont des aberrations préhistoriques, mais le Parthénon et Notre-Dame de Paris (et d'ailleurs) sont magnifiques. Yuja peut chercher de l'argent (c'est utile pour supporter la pauvreté !) mais elle joue très finement. Cela seul importe.
jean claude raoult : not true,she is sly; religion has nothing to do with it: it's just that we shouldn't feed the egocentricity of others. This only matters.
So great to hear Yuja doing Bach. i think i only heard one earlier example on YT. i also hope she does a lot more. Her exhaustive exploration and mastery of the great mid 19th century show pieces, is a little in evidence here,... I hope with more performances of Bach she becomes more aware of Bach's Parsimony, and elegance, as well as elusive metrical magic, that can't yield to excessively flowery showmanship, ( i know many believe the baroque is all about flowery excess, but almost never in Bach's work).... so extra ornamentation, and extended cadences with extra notes have to be very carefully considered. I L O V E that she is going in this direction, though, as she is one of the most brilliant pianists that has ever graced the stage ! Bravo ! As others comment, I would love to hear her do WTC bk 1 & 2 as well as the Goldberg variations. But to start with the Toccatas, or Fantasias and Fugues is ideal, as they perfectly fit her unequalled fiery performance style. Yuja Wang & Glenn Gould ought only be compared in terms of genius, as they are SO DIFFERENT ~
Don't read the stupid "comments" of our troll here, Yuja played the best Bach since Glenn Gould....yes even better than he did.. and this troll is nothing than an idiot...
I must write this... . I'm a big fan of the Bach- Interpretation by Glenn Gould and Vikingur Olafsson. Glenn Gould played an "intellectual " Bach, Olafsson plays a "Bach for the 21st century, Yuja plays a "Bach for eternity". I'm not religious at all, but this is a "sacred" interpretation....
chromz158: I was at the San Francisco concert also. A great evening. She is a marvel, but her Prokofiev Toccata encore had my jaw dropping. Part of it may still be there! (I left my jaw in San Francisco!) 🌉😎
Je suis tout à fait d'accord avec votre propos, mais là et pour la première fois depuis des années que je l'écoute, elle a eu des difficultés techniques et elle n'a pas incarné la partition, d'ailleurs son geste final en dit long. Nul doute que son talent rattrapera celui de Bach, mais il y a encore du travail. L'avenir nous dira si elle se confrontera au rythme de Jean-Sébastien.
유자왕의 바흐를 기다렸습니다. 과연 뛰어나군요. 어쩌면 지금까지 들어본 911중에서 가장 인상적인 것 같습니다. 앞부분은 약간 불안했지만 푸가에서는 빠른 템포에도 불구하고 명확한 다이나믹과 뚜렷한 성부의 대비와 조화가 아주 아름답고 명쾌합니다. 사실 그 동안 유자왕을 테크니션으로만 본 편견이 있었습니다. 이번 기회에 오해를 풀었고 그녀가 더 많은 바흐 작품을 연주해 주길 바랍니다. 바흐 음반 출시도 기대합니다.
I truly wish Ms. Wang would play more Bach as this brilliant composer is being missed among her wonderful play list. Also, I can't believe she is skipping 20-21 Carnegie Hall (NY) season!!
Brilliant. Thank you. When you record the WTC I hope you will play The book 1 preludes in C, Cmi, D in the way I have attempted. I fancy they sound more like Bach and you would play them sublimely. Maybe also the D mi and B fl.
Oui la perfection existe grâce à Yuja Wang. Je n'ai jamais entendu une interprétation aussi vivante, aussi exitante, aussi expressive et musicale! elle surpasse Gould souvent représenté en exemple! A quand d'autres Bach sous ses doids?
A sensitive, but dancingly rhythmic approach where logic & spirit join (Yuja's) hands for an apprpriately Bachian introspective interpretation. We are lifted out of the everyday. We are uplifted. Brava, Yuja!
There's more to life than Gould (and Wang for that matter). Hewitt, Fray, Debargue and Geniet (to name a few) all play this piece magnificently. But indeed we need to keep on LISTENING!
Yuja Wang does not need this strange summing of Gould ! To my mind she has passed Glenn Gould in any respect, including in her repertoire which is much greater !
Rich, accurate, powerful, soft, colourful......maybe the best Bach since Glenn Gould, but with way more colours and warmer humanism than he played.....
Written for harpsichord, played on a Panzer tank Steinway D. Her fresh light touch preserves some of the harpsichord brisk sound and toccata. Her Scarlatti is equally brilliant.
Is it not obvious that such an immense talent should embrace Bach much, much more? I know of no other pianist that could play Bach as convincingly as Tatiana Nikolayeva. Ms. Wang certainly does.
@@RichardMartin-d9b Juan Carlos Saavedra is right. My guitar teacher told me the same in the eighties, and I totally agree... And Yuja playing Bach, realised there is something here beyond the virtuosity.
Bach ist der Prüfstein wirklicher Musikalität für Pianisten. Ich habe schon lange Yuja Wangs Spiel bewundert. Jetzt weiß ich, sie ist eine der besten Interpreten. Allerdings muss sie noch etwas mehr üben bei diesem Stück. Aber sie ist auf dem besten Weg. Ich bin beeindruckt.
I *love* Yuja Wang - maybe the greatest overall pianist of our generation - but don't listen to this if you ever want to hear her play BWV 911 again. ruclips.net/video/Fr5e2c9AJvA/видео.html
Poor little old Glenn. He sounds like they let him out of a mental institution to record this and then put him back sharpish before he could do any more harm!
The idea of playing a fugue or the fugal section of a work is NOT to bring out one part (often but not necessarily the subject) at the expense of the other parts. The ethic of cooperation and mutual dependency should prevail in fugue-playing, not the 'Fuehrer-principle'. Of course over-pedalling compounds the problem of obscurity in polyphonic textures.
I adore her as a pianist. She is an absolute master of romantic pieces. This Bach performance, is, in my opinion, okay, but there is still plenty of room for improvement in her understanding of Bach. Maybe she has to get a little older for Bach.
Je dirais que c’est une pianiste modeste, en ce sens que ce n’est pas elle-même qu’elle nous fait aimer, mais c’est plutôt l’auteur de l’œuvre, Jean-Sébastien Bach.
I have never heard this played so clearly and accurately before. Every note is distinct and carefully intoned. Is there any information about the instrument she is playing, aside from the fact that it is a Steinway? It has a distinctly historical sound to it.
Thank you for your insightful comment. Unfortunately, I don't have any details about the piano. All I know is that this recital was recorded at a benefit at the Coudert Institute in Palm Beach on February 5, 2020, shortly before the covid that prevented Yuja from playing this program except in a few cities in the US. But Palm Beach is the only place where it was recorded. The sound of the piano is indeed singular, but is it the piano itself, or the quality of the recording? You can hear this sound in other works, such as Ravel's "Une barque sur l'océan", which I also posted on my channel. ruclips.net/video/6874VCQJec8/видео.html
@@eusebiusetflorestan2532 Thank you kindly for your thoughtful response. The sound of that piano reminded me of some of the older European pianos in our historical concert halls.
Superb! Still a hind taste of Glenn Gould, but Yuja is destined to free herself, and create something completely new as far as interpretation of Bach's works. There is already something new in there.
She has great fingers so all virtuosity passes well, but in the slow and intense parts, she is searching for something she never finds. Mannerisms and rubatos, that's her specialty.
@@RustuPai I asked this very question right at the beginning of this thread... and promptly got slammed for it. There is no mandate for it, whatsoever. Who the hell is she listening to?
What is not clear? The sound of the recording is indeed quite poor, but there is no other, and you can imagine that if there was a better one, I would have published it. I hope you are not saying that Yuja's playing is not clear: she is the clarity itself, no pianist in the world plays with more clarity, we agree?
@@eusebiusetflorestan2532 "She is clarity itself; no pianist in the world plays with more clarity." Yes, absolutely! The only other pianist whose playing I found extremely clear is Gulda. The breathtakingly clear and clean notes of Yuja is just pure magic.
she plays it like this music was intended to be played on a piano. That is why it doesn't sound right. This should be played and sound as if it were being played on a harpsicord.
@@fabiomisrachi6854 in alcuni punti si assomiglia, tipo all'inizio. Credo sia stata una delle esecuzioni di riferimento. Ma suppongo, alla fine, chi sono io per dirlo.
I am so shocked. i love Yuja Wang. I also love Bach. I know Bach. I am very jealous of great Bach interpretations. Yuja's is not one of them. For one thing, her constant crescendi and diminuendi are TOTALLY anathema to Bach and very distracting. You cannot 'impose' the piano on music meant for the harpsichord. If you're going to play Bach on the piano, you need to be humble about it and 'do your best' even if you don't have a harpsichord at your disposal. And keep that foot away from the sustaining pedal! Second, she is inconsistent in her fugal subject phrasing, a truly basic error. Third, she bangs out the theme all the time as if we didn't know what it was, thereby drowning out all the other voices. In short, she falls into so many traps set for pianists, one feels she should have been properly coached by Gary Graffman, her famous professor at Curtis... or pulled away from the piano and sat down in front of a harpsichord and told to get on with it. What a terrible shame. First time I had ever heard her play Bach. And, by the way, what kind of a trill is that right at the beginning of the toccata? Unfortunately, the sad conclusion is that she doesn't really love Bach. I truly wish it were otherwise.
It is my turn to be shocked when reading you! You are the only one who hears what you hear... Bach was the first to appreciate and practice transpositions, and he would certainly have been happy to hear his work played on the piano with the genius of that instrument. Second, Yuja is neither inconsistent in phrasing nor hammering out the theme. As another listener, who also just spoke here, said, you can hear everything Bach wrote beautifully, and the whole thing comes alive with incomparable life. If you "love" Yuja, you should trust her a little more, and ask yourself if you are not the one who is deeply mistaken. Falling into all the traps set for pianists! Do you think Yuja is a first grader? I wish you to listen again with a more welcoming soul to this marvelous interpretation.
@@eusebiusetflorestan2532 Please! Be my guest. "Have your turn". Let me start by saying that I have recorded 90% of all Bach's organ works. I know what I'm talking about. There are a couple of other people here on this thread that have said exactly the same as me and I have applauded their comments, as well. So I'm not 'the only one'. You have no idea whether Bach 'would certainly have been happy to hear his wok played on the piano.' He might. He might not. That said, he would most certainly NOT have wanted his contrapuntal brilliance to be muddied and indulged. He was not in the business of writing opera or film music. If you can't hear the inconsistencies in Yuja's phrasing, it simply means your not listening properly. You can FORGIVE it, if you wish. But to deny it is just stupid.
@@RichardMartin-d9b The good thing about art is that it is not a science, and that people who disagree about an interpretation can never convince each other. I wrote a whole book inspired by this beautiful mystery, precisely about the interpretations of Yuja Wang. You are not the only one who thinks the way you do, but almost. You just have to read the overwhelming majority of the interventions of the Internet users to this recording to see it. Just before your denunciation of an "anathema" (!) against Bach, I received a comment from another Internet user, who said exactly the opposite of you. It is not the first time that I am struck by a paradox: the reproaches made to Yuja are aimed at exactly what she does not do: blurring Bach's contrapuntal genius! For an interpretation of unparalleled clarity, this is truly the height of misunderstanding. To say that she is turning Bach into film music is not worthy of serious discussion. You have played and recorded Bach. This does not mean that you are the only one who knows what you are talking about. I have a little knowledge of music myself (I have in particular published a book on the theme B-A-C-H ; however, I do not claim to be superior to you, or to anyone else !) ; and I don't think all the other comments to this performance are necessarily written by « stupid » people (to use your very impolite word). You have the right to dislike Yuja's vision, but it is saddening that you take this tone of sermonizer (in French : « donneur de leçons » ; English is not my native language), towards a great artist, and towards those who defend her. I will not denounce your « stupidity », because I try to be polite, but I would tend to find you a little too sure of yourself. Finally, I will quote a particularly revealing comment (also written on this page) from Tema Blackstone, who was Yuja's teacher when she was very young: « And, this Toccata I keep with me still she adds layers, intensity and all with a harmonic drive and energy that no one can do! She played Bach like an angel at 13 as well. A true genius. » I wish you nothing but to enjoy this genius, even in Bach.
@@eusebiusetflorestan2532 Oh, for God's sake, stop moralising, man. Don't you have a couple of children you can lord it over? Leave me out of it. Yuja Wang is a romantic interpreter. Her Rachmaninoff is UNIMPEACHABLE, repeat, UNIMPEACHABLE because there are so many valid interpretations open to performers. She is, in my opinion, the best, the absolute best - of all time, not just among present performers. Bach, on the other hand, plays itself. This music was never meant for the piano. Don't say, "it could have been..." or, "it doesn't matter where you play it..." or, "you're entitled to play what you want where you want any time you want..." or any of the other clichés I hear all the time. Yuja Wang has simply decided to impose herself on the music which is distracting and unnecessary. The magic of Bach is not there. She doesn't have her heart in it. The playfulness, the catchy nature of the unexpected flows which Bach throws in all the time... Poor Yuja takes herself too seriously. Maybe with time she'll grow into the music and find a more meaningful interpretation. Who knows? I hope so. She's only 36. In the meantime, I suppose I have to wait for another sermon from you in the form of a thinly-disguised ad-hominen attack. Have at it, guy...
It's actually interesting. You try desperately to make me conform to the opinions of others here in this thread. But when I read what they have to say, almost all of them love Bach and they love Yuja. So they automatically assume that if she's playing Bach it must be the best. They make inaccurate comments - albeit in good faith - but they're not hearing the real Bach. They simply don't know any better. Sometimes the comments are downright wrong... like the guy who said that Bach composed for the piano. No harm done.
as predictable she just has not the sense and the style of Bach (then it is not true that she is the greatest pianist and that she can do everything with the piano as I read in other comments : she is very anonymous as pianist when it comes to slow tempos or pieces that imply personality and a virtuosity other than fast/brilliant, and which is the only modality she has on the piano; she has only one kind of virtuosity, there are many pianists - of both of sexes - currently better,more particular and more refined than her).
Thank you, thank you, thank you. She'll need to do a lot better than this if she is interested in developing an ongoing reputation for the works of Bach. (That said - and as I've said before - she is undoubtedly the greatest pianist of our time... and possibly ever).
Like many of you who listen to Bach, I've been listening to Gould's Bach almost religiously over the last few decades. Also being an ardent admirer of Yuja for a long time, I've been very curious as to how she might play Bach. Since I first learned that she was going to play this Toccata in Chicago this February, I was so looking forward to this. For me this piece was absolutely the highlight on that late Sunday afternoon. Glad that my wife and I drove almost seven hours that morning just to be there. Her balanced approach combined with her exceptional aptitude and artistry, still maintaining the very integrity of his music, somehow raised this Toccata into a new level. She is still 33 years old. I'm very excited about the prospect of her playing more Bach and to witness how she matures as an artist. Now I want to see her play Bach-Brahms Chaconne in d.
Yes! My wife and I thought the same of this masterful recital and her interpretation of the toccata, which made us both tear up. It was one of my wife's mother's favorite pieces. She would have been thrilled to hear this extraordinary performance.
The best I've heard Bach on the piano. Since we have the world's largest collection of harpsichords in Edinburgh, can't help wanting her to play our harpsichords, & perform a recital on one.
I hope she'll be performing Bach more frequently.
After listening to this performance I really can't
wait for new uploads of her playing my favourite works by JSB: the Cembalo Toccatas and the English Suites...Actually I'm not fully convinced
by this performance as I find it absolutely brilliant in most respects yet a bit rushed here and there, hence I'd be glad to listen a few more renditions by Yuja Wang playing Bach.
She's an amazing soloist,no question, albeit the Goldberg Variations and the Inventions could be a great challenge for her ...Possibly not her cup of tea.
And I'd like to hear her play more Schubert, beyond the Liszt transcriptions which she plays very well.
It is hard to find two performers with more divergent approaches to Bach. Gould essentially reimagined the compositions with all the possibilities of the modern piano in mind, and produced a result that was almost a new piece. Yuja tries to stay as close to Bach's original conception as she can. She does a tremendous job of making a pianoforte reproduce a harpsichord's tone and tempo. Neither is guilty of an incorrect approach. Each is a superlative exponent of their own ideas. Personally, I do like being able to hear the piece more or less as Bach intended. Others, with justification, may feel Gould was more creative.
I heard Yuja at Carnegie: the last concert I unknowingly would attend before the time of Corona . And, this Toccata I keep with me still she adds layers, intensity and all with a harmonic drive and energy that no one can do ! She played Bach like an angel at 13 as well. A true genius 💌 merci
Dear Tema Blackstone,
I'm very moved to read your comment, because you were Yuja's teacher in Calgary, weren't you? As for me, I am a writer, and the author of a book inspired by Yuja, « Piano chinois » (of which there is an English translation). I have also just published on my channel some Scarlatti which are marvels of delicacy, including K 87. Of this piece, Yuja gives, in my opinion, the most beautiful interpretation that can exist, and I talk about it precisely in my novel.
Do you miraculously keep recordings of what Yuja played while she was your student? Bach in particular ?
Thank you again for your comment, which I fully share. (I am only signing my initials, to keep a semblance of anonymity, since the comments here are public).
With warmest regards. EB
I'm more than admired. It's a fascination, a simultaneous doubling, the voice of an actor who simultaneously plays two parts in comedy: a Yuja Wang in the left hand and a twin Yuja Wang in the right hand.
This Bach work could be played well by two concert players on two pianos, one for the right hand and one for the left. A doubling that is well perceived when listening, not even for the exceptional composition, or for its the sublime performance.
I was privileged to hear her play this live. It is a new, wiser, introspective Yuja and I love her even more.
Ms Wang played the same recital at Carnegie Hall on February 28, 2020, in slightly different order, and allowed 50 or so of us to sit in chairs next to her on the stage, so it was intimate in a big hall. I loved every minute.
She plays so clearly I could hear all the voices distinctly. Truly marvelous.
DisneyBudhet Inn
I guess that your ears are a good deal sharper than mine. I could tell what notes she was playing, but she obscures so many of them with pedal or artificially unequal voicing. Admittedly, that's her choice; she can do anything she wants with the piano. But it probably wouldn't be tolerated in a pianist of lesser reputation. That is how the world works.
Jean-Sébastien Bach interprété par Yuja Wang, c'est une première et c'est une réussite indéniable. Bravo. J'attends la suite et Dieu sait que le compositeur est d'une richesse musicale inégalée.
She's absolutely an extraordinary pianist. I'm waiting eagerly for her Goldberg Variations and the Concerto in D minor.
So, she played ONE Bach piece and now everyone is waiting for Goldberg, which is the pinnacle?
Finally I found Bach played by Yuja Wang. Rachmaniov, Gershwin superb. But I was worried about how Yuja would be able to approach the strict rhythm of Bach's baroque music. Hey, and how she can!! The individual voices are crystal clear and everything remains light and floating. Thank you Yuja. More Bach, please. You both are the greatest.
Finally, she plays Bach!
Saw her perform this at Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa last month. What an experience, Yuja was masterful in her Bach. One of many highlights of her eclectic program, which randomly mixed styles at will. Her Bach was crystalline, with a pure singing line.
I am now in love...with Bach of course. Thanks Yuja...your special too!
I love Yuja Wang! She has an incredible piano personality!!
When Yuja starts with pp and p, she always has someplace to go to and build. In this piece and all her others i noticed that she analyzes them deeply in terms of dynamics, always bringing out the most of the music and composer.
What a lovely version of the piece: the sensitive and varied dynamics allow the story to be told without monotony, all the notes and melodic lines are crisp and clear, the time is precise, the brisk tempo makes it easy to appreciate the structure, and to feel the dance underneath. There is usually some comment about Yuja's outfit. I can't imagine what it could be in this case, given the elegant dress. But I think that when her back and shoulders are exposed, as in some concerts, it makes it easier to appreciate her perfect posture and the strong musculature that is called into play for this work, like for a ballerina or an athlete. We should all just enjoy and celebrate this marvelous artist.
walkercatenaccio
Nice try. I hadn't thought of the wardrobe until you mentioned it, honest. I was complaining about her abuse of the pedal. But sure, she reveals skin in order to display her musculature and perfect posture. I'll put it differently: she displays a strong instinct for BUSINESS. That should sound respectful enough for 'bourgeois capitalist' ears, be they North American or Chinese.
We don't want to be paranoid now, but let's not be too trusting of people's motives either:
(Jeremiah 17:9) 'The heart is deceitful beyond all else, and is desperately sick; who can understand it?'
@@jesusislordsavior6343 critics are like eunuchs in a harem, they know how to do it but can't themselves. Pious pricks the lot of them !!
La raison pour laquelle une œuvre est réalisée n'importe pas. Pour moi, les religions sont des aberrations préhistoriques, mais le Parthénon et Notre-Dame de Paris (et d'ailleurs) sont magnifiques. Yuja peut chercher de l'argent (c'est utile pour supporter la pauvreté !) mais elle joue très finement. Cela seul importe.
jean claude raoult : not true,she is sly; religion has nothing to do with it: it's just that we shouldn't feed the egocentricity of others. This only matters.
Very well played, thank you, Bach, one of my favorite composer for the piano...
He didn't compose for the piano
wow, that was a *hell* of a performance. Fast but incredibly controlled, with tremendous energy.
She is wonderful in all composers
Yes but J S Bach put you at the driver seat of reality
She has no limits !
I can never imagine a piano can sound so nice and moving. She is a genius no doubt.
Pretty much, incredible. As usual.
Lively, warm , contrasted rendition. Admirable..
This is gorgeous, and life-affirming.
Very impressive. A difficult challenge, and she nailed it.
So great to hear Yuja doing Bach. i think i only heard one earlier example on YT. i also hope she does a lot more. Her exhaustive exploration and mastery of the great mid 19th century show pieces, is a little in evidence here,... I hope with more performances of Bach she becomes more aware of Bach's Parsimony, and elegance, as well as elusive metrical magic, that can't yield to excessively flowery showmanship, ( i know many believe the baroque is all about flowery excess, but almost never in Bach's work).... so extra ornamentation, and extended cadences with extra notes have to be very carefully considered. I L O V E that she is going in this direction, though, as she is one of the most brilliant pianists that has ever graced the stage ! Bravo ! As others comment, I would love to hear her do WTC bk 1 & 2 as well as the Goldberg variations. But to start with the Toccatas, or Fantasias and Fugues is ideal, as they perfectly fit her unequalled fiery performance style. Yuja Wang & Glenn Gould ought only be compared in terms of genius, as they are SO DIFFERENT ~
I absolutely love Yuja❤Even love her more playing Bach!
Steve B I feel the same way!
I saw her live performance at Carnegie Hall (NYC) last night, incluythis Toccata. Simply superb and impacable.
Don't read the stupid "comments" of our troll here, Yuja played the best Bach since Glenn Gould....yes even better than he did.. and this troll is nothing than an idiot...
I must write this... .
I'm a big fan of the Bach- Interpretation by Glenn Gould and Vikingur Olafsson.
Glenn Gould played an "intellectual " Bach, Olafsson plays a "Bach for the 21st century, Yuja plays a "Bach for eternity".
I'm not religious at all, but this is a "sacred" interpretation....
Michael Schefold I watched her perform this piece last night at a SF recital .. My favorite of the program which was all fantastic
@@chromz158 Can't wait to hear her in about two weeks in Hamburg
chromz158: I was at the San Francisco concert also. A great evening. She is a marvel, but her Prokofiev Toccata encore had my jaw dropping. Part of it may still be there! (I left my jaw in San Francisco!) 🌉😎
Marshall Artz yes that Prokofiev was incredible! My jaw was a little loose too!
@@chromz158 There must be some jaws now in San Francisco...🤣🤣🤣...I can really(!!!) understand you!!! 👍👍👍😁
Juste superbe, cette pianiste est hors norme dans son approche et l'exécution de tout ce qu'elle joue; enfin elle vient à Bach
Je suis tout à fait d'accord avec votre propos, mais là et pour la première fois depuis des années que je l'écoute, elle a eu des difficultés techniques et elle n'a pas incarné la partition, d'ailleurs son geste final en dit long. Nul doute que son talent rattrapera celui de Bach, mais il y a encore du travail. L'avenir nous dira si elle se confrontera au rythme de Jean-Sébastien.
Je pense que l'on peut lui faire confiance.
The tempos are on the brisk side. This gives this interpretation an irresistible impetus and a really exciting optimistic character.
Increíble, interpreta más a Bach por favor Yuja!!!
Me encantaria tambien !
@@felixsinniger280 si, no entiendopo4que no ha grabado más Bach, pero supongo que es cuestión de gustos
In her interview she said she is reading Kant, which always makes me sleepy. Hope she could play someday again in Beijing, her hometown.
Das zeigt eben den wirklichen Musiker. Feinfühligkeit, Intelligenz und Virtuosität.
Definitely a remarkable interpretation. Wish Yuja could do more Bach!
yeah, i found this while wondering "has she ever played bach in concert?"... I am glad she has.
Someday she'll do the Goldberg Variations and blow us away.
유자왕의 바흐를 기다렸습니다. 과연 뛰어나군요. 어쩌면 지금까지 들어본 911중에서 가장 인상적인 것 같습니다. 앞부분은 약간 불안했지만 푸가에서는 빠른 템포에도 불구하고 명확한 다이나믹과 뚜렷한 성부의 대비와 조화가 아주 아름답고 명쾌합니다. 사실 그 동안 유자왕을 테크니션으로만 본 편견이 있었습니다. 이번 기회에 오해를 풀었고 그녀가 더 많은 바흐 작품을 연주해 주길 바랍니다. 바흐 음반 출시도 기대합니다.
I truly wish Ms. Wang would play more Bach as this brilliant composer is being missed among her wonderful play list.
Also, I can't believe she is skipping 20-21 Carnegie Hall (NY) season!!
E X C E L L E N T ... Yuja Wang plays Bach better than expected. Thanks for posting ...
Excellent, Yuja. More Bach please.
Brilliant. Thank you. When you record the WTC I hope you will play The book 1 preludes in C, Cmi, D in the way I have attempted. I fancy they sound more like Bach and you would play them sublimely. Maybe also the D mi and B fl.
Oui la perfection existe grâce à Yuja Wang. Je n'ai jamais entendu une interprétation aussi vivante, aussi exitante, aussi expressive et musicale! elle surpasse Gould souvent représenté en exemple! A quand d'autres Bach sous ses doids?
Martha Argerich?
A sensitive, but dancingly rhythmic approach where logic & spirit join (Yuja's) hands for an apprpriately Bachian introspective interpretation. We are lifted out of the everyday. We are uplifted. Brava, Yuja!
Thank you so much for posting this. I've been a Gould fan all my life, but this is magnificent.
There's more to life than Gould (and Wang for that matter). Hewitt, Fray, Debargue and Geniet (to name a few) all play this piece magnificently. But indeed we need to keep on LISTENING!
I fully agree. To my mind, Yuja Wang plays with many more colors than Gould and Hewitt.
GG Is far far far.... please!!!!!!
Oh my word, how brilliant is this? I think Ms Yang should concentrate on Bach for a while, simply wonderful!
Wonderful performance. I thought I could hear Glenn Gould humming along, but it must have been my imagination...
Yuja Wang does not need this strange summing of Gould !
To my mind she has passed Glenn Gould in any respect, including in her repertoire which is much greater !
@@felixsinniger280 Sure, you are right. I meant to say that Glenn Gould would enjoy this performance as much as we do.
Thanks to God that there is no humming in her playing.
She is always concentrating in her marvellous interpretations.
@@genfbakker I fully agree.
Rich, accurate, powerful, soft, colourful......maybe the best Bach since Glenn Gould, but with way more colours and warmer humanism than he played.....
Argerich just so much better.. Even Grimaud has a a much better sense for Bach..
To my mind, Yuya Wang has passed Glenn Gould by far.
Written for harpsichord, played on a Panzer tank Steinway D. Her fresh light touch preserves some of the harpsichord brisk sound and toccata. Her Scarlatti is equally brilliant.
Fantastic!!!!
Is it not obvious that such an immense talent should embrace Bach much, much more? I know of no other pianist that could play Bach as convincingly as Tatiana Nikolayeva. Ms. Wang certainly does.
If you play Bach well, you are a true musician
Interesting comment
@@RichardMartin-d9b
Juan Carlos Saavedra is right. My guitar teacher told me the same in the eighties, and I totally agree...
And Yuja playing Bach, realised there is something here beyond the virtuosity.
FANTASTIC!!!⚡!!!
As if she hasn’t blown us away already.
IF YOU ARE A MUSICIAN, YOU MUST PLAY BACH, HIS MUSIC PUT YOU AT THE DRIVER SEAT OF REALITY
She is certainly exceptional and I watch with interest anything News he does. I would particularly like to hear her play Scarlatti.
Bach ist der Prüfstein wirklicher Musikalität für Pianisten. Ich habe schon lange Yuja Wangs Spiel bewundert. Jetzt weiß ich, sie ist eine der besten Interpreten. Allerdings muss sie noch etwas mehr üben bei diesem Stück. Aber sie ist auf dem besten Weg. Ich bin beeindruckt.
中文翻译太差了，也许这是机器翻译。
L'interpretazione della 911 è normale, niente di più. C'è un elenco di pianisti e pianiste che la suonano enormemente meglio
все звучит совершенно из этих волшебных рук!
Absolute genialni
calmos Yuja, it s back and it must sing.
Francis Couderq oui, c’est un peu vrai, c’est extraordinairement bien joué, mais ça pourrait chanter plus.
00:12 Toccata
01:20 Adagio
03:37 Fuga I.
05:47 Fuga II.
This is a killer tempo, Brava
....et maintenant enfin Bach; cette pianiste est vraiment hors norme, exceptionnelle
J'espère qu'elle ne va pas s'arrêter là !
I *love* Yuja Wang - maybe the greatest overall pianist of our generation - but don't listen to this if you ever want to hear her play BWV 911 again. ruclips.net/video/Fr5e2c9AJvA/видео.html
Poor little old Glenn. He sounds like they let him out of a mental institution to record this and then put him back sharpish before he could do any more harm!
Une 911 c'est génial, avec le pilote qui va bien. Chaque siècle est rendu supportable grâce à ses génies musicaux, JSB and WY entre autres
ça mériterait un coup de klaxon mais je suis dans le canapé
The idea of playing a fugue or the fugal section of a work is NOT to bring out one part (often but not necessarily the subject) at the expense of the other parts. The ethic of cooperation and mutual dependency should prevail in fugue-playing, not the 'Fuehrer-principle'.
Of course over-pedalling compounds the problem of obscurity in polyphonic textures.
I'm afraid you're barking at the moon... among all these devotees.
I waited a long time for this... Thanks
I adore her as a pianist. She is an absolute master of romantic pieces. This Bach performance, is, in my opinion, okay, but there is still plenty of room for improvement in her understanding of Bach. Maybe she has to get a little older for Bach.
Thank you, Mr Jimmienoone. Words out of my own mouth. You and I will have to get together someday and compare notes. You understand...
Good interpretation. No more no less
Fantastica
Very interesting, wonderful performance! But why did she chose this piece? Maybe she like sportscars?
Mother of God!
Incredible!!!!
Je dirais que c’est une pianiste modeste, en ce sens que ce n’est pas elle-même qu’elle nous fait aimer, mais c’est plutôt l’auteur de l’œuvre, Jean-Sébastien Bach.
Yujia, would consider playing the Goldberg Variations ?
RUclipsで長い間、_Yuja-san_を聴いてきました。あなたは「悪魔の女」です。二人の素晴らしいミュージシャン。ヨハン・セバスチャンは言う：みんな、それはあなたがそれをプレイしなければならない方法です。
She plays that first mordant like it’s a trill. I don’t think she wants that.
I have never heard this played so clearly and accurately before. Every note is distinct and carefully intoned. Is there any information about the instrument she is playing, aside from the fact that it is a Steinway? It has a distinctly historical sound to it.
Thank you for your insightful comment. Unfortunately, I don't have any details about the piano. All I know is that this recital was recorded at a benefit at the Coudert Institute in Palm Beach on February 5, 2020, shortly before the covid that prevented Yuja from playing this program except in a few cities in the US. But Palm Beach is the only place where it was recorded. The sound of the piano is indeed singular, but is it the piano itself, or the quality of the recording? You can hear this sound in other works, such as Ravel's "Une barque sur l'océan", which I also posted on my channel. ruclips.net/video/6874VCQJec8/видео.html
@@eusebiusetflorestan2532 Thank you kindly for your thoughtful response. The sound of that piano reminded me of some of the older European pianos in our historical concert halls.
Then you should have heard it from my harpsichord teacher, the great Geraint Jones, the best in the business.
Compare and contrast to Roslyn Turek.
Each individually incredible!
The mix of two sayings fit, as always: The first sip at the goblet of science make you an atheist, but on the bottom of the goblet you‘ll find Bach.
Superb! Still a hind taste of Glenn Gould, but Yuja is destined to free herself, and create something completely new as far as interpretation of Bach's works. There is already something new in there.
She has great fingers so all virtuosity passes well, but in the slow and intense parts, she is searching for something she never finds. Mannerisms and rubatos, that's her specialty.
Right, right, right, right. I couldn't have put it better myself... and I have tried!
Damn good, and sometimes Yuja play one of the best toccata ever (Bach BWV 912)
why a double trille at the first notes???
why not?
@@RustuPai I asked this very question right at the beginning of this thread... and promptly got slammed for it. There is no mandate for it, whatsoever. Who the hell is she listening to?
Bach / Yuja Wang. Che altro?
Just like Yuan Sheng
I find it uneven. It has its moments, but plainly Bach is not her forte.
the more Bach, the longer the skirt ?
She's playing Bach. She can play anything.
She can play anything but Bach
I hope she does the Goldberg's someday.
I pray she doesn't.
And I don't even believe in dawg.
Does a CD exist for this performance?
Alas, no. I hope not yet.
She's a virtuoso not an architect.
very fast!
Willem Boone
The Olympic ideal: 'higher, faster, stronger'.
Just what every composer ever wanted. Or not.
"Playing BWV 911 like a Porsche 911 Turbo S cabriolet" ( I joke, it's perfection to me, like everything she plays)
Is not clear
What is not clear? The sound of the recording is indeed quite poor, but there is no other, and you can imagine that if there was a better one, I would have published it. I hope you are not saying that Yuja's playing is not clear: she is the clarity itself, no pianist in the world plays with more clarity, we agree?
@@eusebiusetflorestan2532 "She is clarity itself; no pianist in the world plays with more clarity." Yes, absolutely! The only other pianist whose playing I found extremely clear is Gulda. The breathtakingly clear and clean notes of Yuja is just pure magic.
@@s.c.1494 At least we agree on that...
she plays it like this music was intended to be played on a piano. That is why it doesn't sound right. This should be played and sound as if it were being played on a harpsicord.
Very similar to Glenn Gould...exact imitation !!!!
Exact imitation? Are you serious? Even a deaf person can hear the difference of the two!
Yuja nerver imitates anyone. Not even herself
Is she playing in Israel?
La suona in modo simile a Martha Argerich però solo più veloce.
Simile a Martha Argerich? Ma vuoi scherzare? Quella sì che è una meraviglia
@@fabiomisrachi6854 in alcuni punti si assomiglia, tipo all'inizio. Credo sia stata una delle esecuzioni di riferimento. Ma suppongo, alla fine, chi sono io per dirlo.
H
She is channelling Glenn Gould
absolutely not
Elsewhere on YT you can find Glenn Gould doing this with Bernstein conducting full orchestra, sorry Glenn Yuja far superior
I am so shocked. i love Yuja Wang. I also love Bach. I know Bach. I am very jealous of great Bach interpretations. Yuja's is not one of them. For one thing, her constant crescendi and diminuendi are TOTALLY anathema to Bach and very distracting. You cannot 'impose' the piano on music meant for the harpsichord. If you're going to play Bach on the piano, you need to be humble about it and 'do your best' even if you don't have a harpsichord at your disposal. And keep that foot away from the sustaining pedal! Second, she is inconsistent in her fugal subject phrasing, a truly basic error. Third, she bangs out the theme all the time as if we didn't know what it was, thereby drowning out all the other voices. In short, she falls into so many traps set for pianists, one feels she should have been properly coached by Gary Graffman, her famous professor at Curtis... or pulled away from the piano and sat down in front of a harpsichord and told to get on with it. What a terrible shame. First time I had ever heard her play Bach. And, by the way, what kind of a trill is that right at the beginning of the toccata? Unfortunately, the sad conclusion is that she doesn't really love Bach. I truly wish it were otherwise.
It is my turn to be shocked when reading you! You are the only one who hears what you hear... Bach was the first to appreciate and practice transpositions, and he would certainly have been happy to hear his work played on the piano with the genius of that instrument. Second, Yuja is neither inconsistent in phrasing nor hammering out the theme. As another listener, who also just spoke here, said, you can hear everything Bach wrote beautifully, and the whole thing comes alive with incomparable life. If you "love" Yuja, you should trust her a little more, and ask yourself if you are not the one who is deeply mistaken. Falling into all the traps set for pianists! Do you think Yuja is a first grader? I wish you to listen again with a more welcoming soul to this marvelous interpretation.
@@eusebiusetflorestan2532 Please! Be my guest. "Have your turn". Let me start by saying that I have recorded 90% of all Bach's organ works. I know what I'm talking about. There are a couple of other people here on this thread that have said exactly the same as me and I have applauded their comments, as well. So I'm not 'the only one'. You have no idea whether Bach 'would certainly have been happy to hear his wok played on the piano.' He might. He might not. That said, he would most certainly NOT have wanted his contrapuntal brilliance to be muddied and indulged. He was not in the business of writing opera or film music. If you can't hear the inconsistencies in Yuja's phrasing, it simply means your not listening properly. You can FORGIVE it, if you wish. But to deny it is just stupid.
@@RichardMartin-d9b The good thing about art is that it is not a science, and that people who disagree about an interpretation can never convince each other. I wrote a whole book inspired by this beautiful mystery, precisely about the interpretations of Yuja Wang.
You are not the only one who thinks the way you do, but almost. You just have to read the overwhelming majority of the interventions of the Internet users to this recording to see it. Just before your denunciation of an "anathema" (!) against Bach, I received a comment from another Internet user, who said exactly the opposite of you.
It is not the first time that I am struck by a paradox: the reproaches made to Yuja are aimed at exactly what she does not do: blurring Bach's contrapuntal genius! For an interpretation of unparalleled clarity, this is truly the height of misunderstanding. To say that she is turning Bach into film music is not worthy of serious discussion.
You have played and recorded Bach. This does not mean that you are the only one who knows what you are talking about. I have a little knowledge of music myself (I have in particular published a book on the theme B-A-C-H ; however, I do not claim to be superior to you, or to anyone else !) ; and I don't think all the other comments to this performance are necessarily written by « stupid » people (to use your very impolite word). You have the right to dislike Yuja's vision, but it is saddening that you take this tone of sermonizer (in French : « donneur de leçons » ; English is not my native language), towards a great artist, and towards those who defend her. I will not denounce your « stupidity », because I try to be polite, but I would tend to find you a little too sure of yourself.
Finally, I will quote a particularly revealing comment (also written on this page) from Tema Blackstone, who was Yuja's teacher when she was very young: « And, this Toccata I keep with me still she adds layers, intensity and all with a harmonic drive and energy that no one can do! She played Bach like an angel at 13 as well. A true genius. » I wish you nothing but to enjoy this genius, even in Bach.
@@eusebiusetflorestan2532 Oh, for God's sake, stop moralising, man. Don't you have a couple of children you can lord it over? Leave me out of it. Yuja Wang is a romantic interpreter. Her Rachmaninoff is UNIMPEACHABLE, repeat, UNIMPEACHABLE because there are so many valid interpretations open to performers. She is, in my opinion, the best, the absolute best - of all time, not just among present performers.
Bach, on the other hand, plays itself. This music was never meant for the piano. Don't say, "it could have been..." or, "it doesn't matter where you play it..." or, "you're entitled to play what you want where you want any time you want..." or any of the other clichés I hear all the time. Yuja Wang has simply decided to impose herself on the music which is distracting and unnecessary. The magic of Bach is not there. She doesn't have her heart in it. The playfulness, the catchy nature of the unexpected flows which Bach throws in all the time... Poor Yuja takes herself too seriously. Maybe with time she'll grow into the music and find a more meaningful interpretation. Who knows? I hope so. She's only 36.
In the meantime, I suppose I have to wait for another sermon from you in the form of a thinly-disguised ad-hominen attack.
Have at it, guy...
It's actually interesting. You try desperately to make me conform to the opinions of others here in this thread. But when I read what they have to say, almost all of them love Bach and they love Yuja. So they automatically assume that if she's playing Bach it must be the best. They make inaccurate comments - albeit in good faith - but they're not hearing the real Bach. They simply don't know any better. Sometimes the comments are downright wrong... like the guy who said that Bach composed for the piano. No harm done.
as predictable she just has not the sense and the style of Bach
(then it is not true that she is the greatest pianist and that she can do everything with the piano as I read in other comments : she is very anonymous as pianist when it comes to slow tempos or pieces that imply personality and a virtuosity other than fast/brilliant, and which is the only modality she has on the piano; she has only one kind of virtuosity, there are many pianists - of both of sexes - currently better,more particular and more refined than her).
Thank you, thank you, thank you. She'll need to do a lot better than this if she is interested in developing an ongoing reputation for the works of Bach. (That said - and as I've said before - she is undoubtedly the greatest pianist of our time... and possibly ever).