Brahms, Ravel, Scarlatti & Stravinsky

Stravinsky Three Movements from Pétrouchka

Domenico Scarlatti Sonatas in E major K. 380 & F minor/C major K. 466

Brahms Variations on a Theme by Paganini op. 35, Books I & II

Ravel La Valse

Yuja Wang, piano

Deutsche Grammophon 477 8795

A prodigious pianist with charm, musical sensibility - and a sense of humour. This, Yuja's second solo disc (her preferred name; half the world are Wang...) is a complete delight, not primarily for her unassailable virtuosity, but for thoughtful musicality in every bar.

Yuja's programming is perfect, with top masterworks interposed by relaxing Scarlatti sonatas - he is the one baroque composer who goes as well on the piano as on original harpsichord (q.v. Pletnev's Scarlatti discs, a long-time favourite*).

Refreshingly, the notes with this CD do not have the usual overdone artist's CV, instead her accounts of the music; particularly interesting is Yuja's descriptiion of how to order and present the Brahms Pagannini Variations, "with the timing between each variation crucial, the silences must be as measured as the music" (I took a similar approach in editing two LPs I produced long ago...).

Rachmaninov

Yuja Wang (piano) and Mahler Chamber Orchestra/Claudio Abbado

Deutsche Grammophon 477 9308

This latest CD release by Beijing-born pianist Yuja Wang couples Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (seemingly a studio recording?) with a live performance of the 2nd Concerto.

The Rhapsody is sheer delight, lighter than some others, mercurial responses with spontaneity and relish [q.v. she makes even the most familiar notes of the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Variation No. 18) sound as if they were just thought up on the spot and not vastly overplayed - - Times Square].

The 2nd concerto is less recommendable, with balance problems and a feeling that this will not be Yuja's last word on that concerto?

If you can download the Rhapsody separately, my advice would be to do that.

Peter Grahame Woolf

See Yuja Wang play Flight of the BumbleBee

and talking about this album on youtube

* Scarlatti played by Mikhail Pletnev is unalloyed delight; I know no better way to start the day than with a few of them -PGW [Virgin VCD5 45123-2]