Tonight's Musical Interlude - not human

[George K]

I mean, what the actual hell?

Link to video

[taiwan_girl]

Wow!

[George K]

Speaking of "not human,"

Link to video

Years ago I went to a CSO concert and the soloist for the Saint Saens "Organ Symphony" played a Bach fugue as an encore. It was remarkable to watch and hear - I may have commented on it at the time.

To hear Cziffra play it on piano, go to 12:50.

[jon-nyc]

Wow. You definitely hear Cziffra as much as Strauss

[Klaus]

There are so many great encore pieces that have both great music and great showmanship. Why does she have to choose a piece that has only the latter?

I already dislike Strauss, but Strauss turned into a piano spectacle is even worse.

[George K]

@Klaus there are so many encore pieces that are totally forgettable after you walk out of the hall.

However, there are a couple that stick in my mind.

One is the Bach fugue for organ that I talked about in the Cziffra video.

Link to video

The other is after a recital by Valentina Lisitsa in Madison, Wisconsin. She played (sit down) Für Elise.

[Renauda]

@Klaus

Cziffra was first and foremost a Lisztian at a time when Liszt was very much out of favour. Horowitz too was in the same vein. Like Liszt they would take popular tunes, such as those of the Strauss’s or even Liszt’s music itself and improvise variations with impunity for the stage and even recording studio.

Cziffra knew very well that the polka was musical pap, but it was fun all the same because he had the pianistic genius to make it so even more. Yuju Wang does the same now at a time when Lisztian pianistic pyrotechnics are very much in vogue. She’s got the chops so flaunt it.

[Axtremus]

“not human”?

Relax, I think I heard a few places where Ms. Wang got sloppy, thus affirming her humanity. Of course, none of this detract from her enormous talent and likely superhuman dedication to her art.