Yuja Wang: Transformation

Critica di Musica Classica

Yuja Wang: Transformation

Il secondo cd della pianista cinese, inciso con la Deutsche Grammophon, sarà distribuito a partire dal 13 aprile 2010

Copertina cd Transformation Martedì 13 aprile 2010 sarà distribuito il nuovo album della pianista cinese Yuja Wang, inciso dalla Deutsche Grammophon.

L’album comprende tre movimenti da Pétrouchka di Stravinsky, la Sonata in mi maggiore di Domenico Scarlatti, il primo ed il secondo volume delle Variazioni su un tema di Paganini di Brahms e la trascrizione per pianoforte de La Valse di Ravel da parte dell’autore.

Il cd segue il primo album della solista, intitolato Sonatas & Etudes che ha ricevuto la nomination al Premio Grammy ed è stato considerato il miglior album di debutto del 2009 da parte della rivista International Piano.

Yuja Wang sarà impegnata anche in una tournée che parte da Miami il 16 aprile e si chiuderà a Los Angeles il 18 giugno.

Per informazioni più dettagliate vi rimandiamo alle notizie pubblicate di seguito

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Pianist Yuja Wang’s highly anticipated second solo recital recording, Transformation, will be released by Deutsche Grammophon on Tuesday, April 13, 2010.

The album comprises three movements from Pétrouchka by Stravinsky; Scarlatti’s Sonata in E major K. 380, Andante comodo and Sonata in F minor/C major K. 466, Andante moderato; Brahms’s Variations on a Theme by Paganini op. 35, Books I & II; and Maurice Ravel’s La Valse.

The album follows Yuja’s critically acclaimed debut recording, Sonatas & Etudes, which was nominated for a Grammy® Award in the Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra) category and named Best Debut Album of 2009 by International Piano magazine.

For her second recital album Yuja chose a program of piano transcriptions of works written for either a different instrument or for symphony orchestra.

This idea of taking a work and re-working it for the piano fits with Yuja’s musical ideals: “For me, conveying the music through the piano is more important than the instrument itself. The music is what interests and intrigues me.”

The concept of the album is further explained in the recording’s liner notes by Michael Church: “Yuja Wang’s title for her recording reflects the Buddhist idea that life consists of constant change, and she finds its musical rationale in Brahms transforming his theme 27 times, Ravel transforming the waltz by testing it to destruction, and Stravinsky’s puppet Petrushka being temporarily transformed into a human being before finally reverting to puppethood.”

Transformation opens with Stravinsky’s own adaptation of three movements from his ballet, Pétrouchka.

Rather than simply transcribe the orchestral version, Stravinsky sought to compose purely pianistic music.

The finished score, some of the most difficult in the solo piano repertoire, was written for Arthur Rubinstein and gives the pianist ample opportunities to showcase technical virtuosity.

Ravel also transcribed his own orchestral work La Valse for solo piano, but without the overt purpose of providing a technical showpiece.
His re-interpretation of the Viennese waltz for piano is a work of immense instrumental color and ambience.

The Brahms Variations on a Theme of Paganini is a similarly technically difficult, but emotionally rich, score allowing the pianist to demonstrate many aspects of playing.

The work presents a simple theme (that of Paganini’s famous Caprice No. 24 in A minor for solo violin) and then proceeds to present variations of that theme, varying in difficultly and character.

Yuja follows the sequence of variations by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, a pianist she greatly admires.

Between the larger dramatic works, Yuja presents two Scarlatti one-movement sonatas. Though not without technical challenges, these works are two of the Scarlatti’s most sweetly expressive sonatas.

At only 23 years old, Chinese pianist Yuja Wang has already begun to attract attention around the world for her blazing technique and mature interpretations.

She has been praised for her authority over the most complex technical demands of the repertoire, the depth of her musical insight, as well as her fresh interpretations and graceful, charismatic stage presence.

Yuja has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras, gives recitals in major cities worldwide, makes regular appearances at festivals and is a dedicated performer of chamber music.

Following her Carnegie Hall orchestral debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra earlier this season The New York Times wrote: “She seems to have everything: speed, flexibility, pianistic thunder and interpretive nuance.”

Her upcoming U.S. engagements include recitals in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Detroit and Washington DC, among other cities, and performances with the New World Symphony in Miami and the San Francisco Symphony in San Francisco and Los Angeles (see schedule below), all conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas.

Born in Beijing, Yuja began studying piano at age six, and then at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. After attending three Morningside Music summer programs at Calgary’s Mount Royal College from 1999-2001, she moved to Canada to study at the Mount Royal College Conservatory.

Yuja moved to the U.S. at 15 to study with Gary Graffman at The Curtis Institute of Music, where she graduated in 2008. In 2006 Yuja received the Gilmore Young Artist Award and in 2009 she was named the Classic FM Gramophone Awards Young Artist of the Year.

For further information
Lisa Jaehnig at Shuman Associates
Phone: (212) 315-1300
e-mail: ljaehnig@shumanassociates.net

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YUJA WANG: TRANSFORMATION
CD 000289 477 8795 2

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)
Three Movements from Pétrouchka
Transcribed for piano solo by the composer
[1] Danse russe. Allegro giusto
[2] Chez Pétrouchka
[3] La Semaine grasse. Con moto – Allegretto – Tempo giusto – Agitato
The Shrovetide Fair

Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757)
[4] Sonata in E major K. 380: Andante comodo

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
[5] – [31] Variations on a Theme by Paganini op. 35, Books I & II

Domenico Scarlatti
[32] Sonata in F minor/C major K. 466: Andante moderato

Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
[33] La Valse
Transcribed for piano solo by the composer

Upcoming performances:

April 16-18
Miami, FL
New World Symphony
Bartok: Concerto no. 2

April 20
Costa Mesa, CA
Segerstrom Hall
Recital

April 22
San Francisco, CA
Herbst Theatre
Recital

April 23
Santa Barbara, CA
Hahn Hall
Recital

April 25
Arcata, CA
Fulkerson Recital Hall
Recital

April 29
Philadelphia, PA
Kimmel Center
Recital

May 15
Detroit, MI
Seligman Performing Arts Center
Recital