What if Rachmaninoff & Gershwin co-composed a piano concerto?
-
A concerto for Yuja.
Link to video -
@Klaus said in What if Rachmaninoff & Gershwin co-composed a piano concerto?:
It's like mixing a good wine with Bud Light.
Which is which?
Nevertheless I found this video interesting because I've never heard Yuja speak. She seems utterly charming.
Also, I enjoyed Laude showing how composers borrow thematic elements from each other.
Go to 25:24 and watch the section on improvisation.
Finally, it's nice to see some "classical" music with melody.
-
@Klaus said in What if Rachmaninoff & Gershwin co-composed a piano concerto?:
Why would you want to pollute Rachmaninoff with Gershwin? It's like mixing a good wine with Bud Light.
At a stroke breaking both the German Beer Purity Laws and the Music With No Perceivable Tune That Nobody Likes* Purity Laws.
(*And bear in mind this is coming from somebody who likes jazz)
-
So l listened to the entire concerto over lunch via Qobuz. As a piece of music while it is not to my immediate taste, it is not repulsive. Throughout though I kept thinking of it as being the background music to an Academy Awards or some such ceremony photo montage of past recipients or noteworthy reminisces.
What really struck me was Yuja Wang’s superlative pianism. Unlike other classical pianists when confronted with blues, jazz or rock stylings she does not sound at all contrived or stilted. Rather, she is seamlessly fluid in the same way that Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Kieth Emerson or even Jon Lord could be when playing their own multifaceted style piece. That she can sound a natural in that way yet still maintain the discipline and skill required of a concert virtuoso, is a real testament to her great musicianship. Moreover, you sense from the performance that she is having fun.
I will definitely give it a few more listens. It’s worth every rollicking minute and phrasing. The video Dr. George posted certainly helped in introducing and turning my ear to what was in store.
-
@George-K Thanks for sharing that. Listened to the first 1/3. Will watch more later.
-
@Renauda said in What if Rachmaninoff & Gershwin co-composed a piano concerto?:
What really struck me was Yuja Wang’s superlative pianism.
Agreed. She never looks like she's working. She looks intense, but not like "Wow! This is a really difficult passage..." She smiles so much.