Ahah, sorry about the audio and video quality. It is forbidden to film at the Philarmonie de Paris, I did what I could to be able to film as much as possible without getting caught! I knew that there was no recording available of Yuja playing the 2nd and 4th Ballad so I still shared the video despite the poor recording quality. Thanks for the work of adding the score, it's always nice to follow!
There's another person who made recordings that evening, which were placed above Yuja's hands, and who posted them on TH-cam. But he didn't record the fourth ballad! So thanks again!
Yes poor quality but had it not been for you there would be nothing, she plays so good that one forget about it. Thank you for taking the risk🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️❤️❤️
Yes. Can hear inimitable Yuja voicing & precision. Listen carefully. Hope Yuja releases CD as a set. With ideal recording. Very good here, none-the-less.
Thanks for uploading this. Despite the poor sound and picture quality, I feel I'm hearing a much-played piece as if for the first time - so tender and expressive. Yuja is a great artist and no mistake.
The recording quality is actually quite good: it captures Yuja's inimitable cantabile playing much better than some of her commercial recordings, which prioritize clarity. What this falls short on is the dynamic range (almost none), so the last pages suffers from restricted sonic impact: in the concert hall it almost sounds like an avalanche is set off.
I find this recording very special as it reveals a quality of Yuja Wang that I think has remained hidden until now. It seems to me as if she has experienced a mystical and mysterious musical sound world - a new dimension of depth, the expression of which in words could destroy what we have heard here. ..unusual for Yuja and yet very tasteful her outfit for this performance Thank you for the contribution and your accompanying explanation.
Ive never heard the 4thBallade sound so serene and lryical. I think Hofmann and almost everybody else rightly emphasize the agitato , fractured,demonic and innocence and legato cantabile moods. The end shouldsound like 'an avalanche' as everybody knows from the codas of all 4scherzi and these ballades Too. I think this sound recording leaves out the subtleties of voicing,dynamics and interpretation that we've all become accustomed to in this great musician's performances. Like Cortot here it feels like Wang want to bring out the perfume in Chopin's music BUT...the neurosis, cruelties,despairs,bad omens &bad smells ARE INDEED Chopin and are what make him likeBeethoven,Alkan, Scriabin so exceptional. They were the new idea in a music most often trying to please and satiate listeners. This element is so very important because it allowed honesty and bigger creative ideas as well as more life into all of the arts. I believe this us essential and MUST NEVER BE OVERLOOKED in all the composers whove written music since the Renaissance.
Is it a piece which should sound serene and lyrical? I do not think so. It is a ballad, a story telling piece with an epic character and a tragic or even cataclysmic ending, and it must be played as such. This interpretation is somewhat insipid and seriously lacking in breadth.
A complete misunderstanding of the meaning of the character and style of this ballad and of Chopin in general. Absolutely empty chatter. A clear degradation of a talented musician and brilliant virtuoso. Disappointing!!
1. Modern pianists of the last 30 years are not able to convey all the tragedy and doom of Chopin's ballads (especially 1, 2 and 4). However, this concerns not only the ballads, but the entire work of one of the most tragic Artists in the history of Art. And not because they do not want to, but because they do not feel and do not sense the grand scale and drama of romantic music. Most of them are personalities in artistic terms, very small, although they can play the piano very well. 2. For me, an absolutely unattainable interpretation of the 4 ballads (and Chopin in general) is S. Richter. For example, this entry: th-cam.com/video/lrNWs2OmzBQ/w-d-xo.html
Ahah, sorry about the audio and video quality. It is forbidden to film at the Philarmonie de Paris, I did what I could to be able to film as much as possible without getting caught!
I knew that there was no recording available of Yuja playing the 2nd and 4th Ballad so I still shared the video despite the poor recording quality.
Thanks for the work of adding the score, it's always nice to follow!
There's another person who made recordings that evening, which were placed above Yuja's hands, and who posted them on TH-cam. But he didn't record the fourth ballad! So thanks again!
Yes poor quality but had it not been for you there would be nothing, she plays so good that one forget about it. Thank you for taking the risk🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️❤️❤️
Yes. Can hear inimitable Yuja voicing & precision. Listen carefully. Hope Yuja releases CD as a set. With ideal recording. Very good here, none-the-less.
Thanks for uploading this. Despite the poor sound and picture quality, I feel I'm hearing a much-played piece as if for the first time - so tender and expressive. Yuja is a great artist and no mistake.
Pure heart- with an intelligence that is unsurpassed
The recording quality is actually quite good: it captures Yuja's inimitable cantabile playing much better than some of her commercial recordings, which prioritize clarity. What this falls short on is the dynamic range (almost none), so the last pages suffers from restricted sonic impact: in the concert hall it almost sounds like an avalanche is set off.
I find this recording very special as it reveals a quality of Yuja Wang that I think has remained hidden until now. It seems to me as if she has experienced a mystical and mysterious musical sound world - a new dimension of depth, the expression of which in words could destroy what we have heard here.
..unusual for Yuja and yet very tasteful her outfit for this performance
Thank you for the contribution and your accompanying explanation.
I agree with your comment. Thank you.
Finalmente non si è vestita da carnevale.
Sulla mistica, è un bene,ad una certa età.
Ive never heard the 4thBallade sound so serene and lryical. I think Hofmann and almost everybody else rightly emphasize the agitato , fractured,demonic and innocence and legato cantabile moods. The end shouldsound like 'an avalanche' as everybody knows from the codas of all 4scherzi and these ballades Too. I think this sound recording leaves out the subtleties of voicing,dynamics and interpretation that we've all become accustomed to in this great musician's performances. Like Cortot here it feels like Wang want to bring out the perfume in Chopin's music BUT...the neurosis, cruelties,despairs,bad omens &bad smells ARE INDEED Chopin and are what make him likeBeethoven,Alkan, Scriabin so exceptional. They were the new idea in a music most often trying to please and satiate listeners. This element is so very important because it allowed honesty and bigger creative ideas as well as more life into all of the arts. I believe this us essential and MUST NEVER BE OVERLOOKED in all the composers whove written music since the Renaissance.
You should listen to the 11 minute performance of this piece live in Prague by Richter. You're welcome
When was this concert?
It is indicated at the beginning of the video...
Is it a piece which should sound serene and lyrical?
I do not think so. It is a ballad, a story telling piece with an epic character and a tragic or even cataclysmic ending, and it must be played as such.
This interpretation is somewhat insipid and seriously lacking in breadth.
A complete misunderstanding of the meaning of the character and style of this ballad and of Chopin in general. Absolutely empty chatter. A clear degradation of a talented musician and brilliant virtuoso. Disappointing!!
Who do you think captures the essence of the ballad- what pianists?
1. Modern pianists of the last 30 years are not able to convey all the tragedy and doom of Chopin's ballads (especially 1, 2 and 4). However, this concerns not only the ballads, but the entire work of one of the most tragic Artists in the history of Art. And not because they do not want to, but because they do not feel and do not sense the grand scale and drama of romantic music. Most of them are personalities in artistic terms, very small, although they can play the piano very well.
2. For me, an absolutely unattainable interpretation of the 4 ballads (and Chopin in general) is S. Richter. For example, this entry: th-cam.com/video/lrNWs2OmzBQ/w-d-xo.html
It's true that I've rarely heard the passage from 8:17 to 10:00 played so insipidly and with so little passion.