New video! Hope you are all doing well! ❤ Enjoy :) -musician: Yuja Wang -piece: Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2 (1st movement, cadenza) -original video: ua-cam.com/video/7bf-Vxl-eew/v-deo.html Thank you so much for watching!
This performance of the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 2 ranks among the greatest classical music performances of all time. Yuja was brilliant, but some credit also goes to the Berlin Philharmonic (probably the best orchestra in the world right now) and the conductor. We are so lucky that this was captured in a high quality recording that we can all enjoy.
It would be more appropriate in a sitcom, like 'Mad About You'. Remember the one where Helen Hunt is waiting for Paul Reiser, then gives up, only to find him asleep at home? THAT'S the kind of drama this piece calls for.
Yeah. Now try playing it. A technical tour de force knuckle buster of a cadenza. The cumulation of many many thousands of hours of hard concentrated practice. Prokofiev 2nd concerto is one of the most notoriously difficult modern concertos in the repertoire.
@@coralreef909 that's actually mainly because of the 2nd mvmt! I played the 1st mvmt on my music exam when I was 18 y/o (though I did have to leave out the 4 scale measures at 1:36 because my teacher had given me scale tips and fingerings that turned out to be completely wrong) and the 3rd mvmt when I was 23, and the 3rd is easier than the 1st. The 2nd I probably can't play for the next 10 years, though.
@@coralreef909 not really. Plenty can play it without much practice as they've already honed their skills on other hard works . It's a mixture latent talent and being born into a household that favours music by supplying excellent teaching and decent instruments If you start at three with concentrated lessons and excellent teachers guiding you in practice as well you would be able to approach this after a few years. With piano you learn the technique first and with repeated memorisation techniques music theory and reading skills it becomes easier and faster to learn music like this I learnt this at about nine years of age I'm not declaring I'm some sort of genius I was just lucky to have the correct foundation from a young age
Do you guys actually enjoy listening to this? I think this is one of the best example on how difficult music is not necessarily good music. For instance, do you guys honestly think that you would save his music in your youtube playlist and, like, actually listen to it in the future? While I acknowledge the awe of difficulty and mastery can be enjoying.... there can also be a separate component of unproductive elitism and pretentiousness of "sophisticated taste", when it comes to a person declaring that it loves a difficult musics piece. If one can drop this pretentiousness (while the awe of mastery is still fine), I feel like most people won't really enjoy this music piece. Although I acknowledge how people's taste in music can be very different.... if a person never acknowledge a single difficult musics piece to be "difficult but bad", then I think there is a very good chance that that person is blinded by this unproductive elitism and pretentiousness of "sophisticated taste"
The way that she plays the two measures at 1:47 makes her interpretation the best in my opinion. Most pianists slow it down for dramatic effect and then return to a faster pace, but she plays it with this frantic and desperate energy that is unparalleled.
@@nicolaspachecoarango I don't think this part is meant to be "beautiful" in a traditional way (in my opinion). I think it's intended to sound a bit frantic and chaotic.
I think it’s the opposite. Most pianists probably add a bit of rubato so that it doesn’t sound like a bat out of hell. Playing it straight and unfazed is definitely the more dramatic approach in my opinion.
one of the only (if not THE only) live performances of this cadenza I've seen played at the right tempo without any stutters or missed notes. i too get goosebumps every time when the orchestra comes in.
This tempo just makes so much sense for the audience. I felt it was a bit difficult for me to connect the harmonies when listening to slower recordings but this speed makes it seamless!
This performance indeed is the one that can people appreciate the true epicness and beauty of Prokofiev 2. Most other recording are dull and doesnt justify Prokofiev's genius
What kind of madness brought Prokofiev too write such an insane music. And after the apocalypse, he writes one of the most insanely painful and beautiful theme at 00:47, each time it lets me completely disarmed, without breath. I've never heard somebody played this like Yuja Wang. So much intensity, power, intelligence, she never rushes, each notes is crystal clear, she understands each mesure of this crazy music. It's truly a magical moment !
It really makes me quite puzzled as to what prompted him to write this scary, scary music because the original score (the 1st edition of the concerto) was not only written before the Russian Revolution, it was written before WW1 began. In a concert hall, this particular moment makes me get goosebumps all over the body with how grand and terrifying it is.
@RestlessTheRED While we sadly won't know what the original sounded like due to the score's destruction before recording was more advanced, even when writing the original, Prokofiev was depressed because one of his friends from the St. Petersburg Conservatory committed suicide. Perhaps, while writing this revision, he once again thought about that and the other subsequent events that had taken place.
@@christianvennemann9008 I see. And yeah I think it must be the latter, I doubt the death of a friend or a loved one could cause anyone to write _this_ kind of music.
I'm 74 and have played piano since age 7, and I must say, that what she did was absolutely amazing!! Including the score made it more so. Thank you b sharp, or can I call you c??!!
1:47 I used to hate how fast she played this part compared to other pianists, but I finally see how it fits so perfectly with the overall frenetic, baleful tone of this piece!
0:45 I'm not sure I've ever heard someone do the three hand effect quite this well. The middle voice sounds like an entirely different instrument. Yuja Wangs ability is like Ravels compositions, it's so good you don't even want to try because what's the point.
1:38 also stands out to me, in regards to her three-hand effect. This is one of my all-time favorite performances of one of my favorite piano concertos 🙌🏾🙌🏾
She's purely technique. Not being a hater but almost everything she plays is too fast I've noticed. Possibly the best technique today even, but sokolov for me has to be the greatest living active pianist. People are too dazzled by incredible techniques
I am not a pianist and doubt I ever will be. I cannot begin to comprehend how anyone memorises a piece like this with all its technicality and its complexity. Simply stunning.
This is one of those miracle moments in music I feel so lucky to be alive to witness; the composition, the interpretation and execution… when I first heard it I felt like I was getting possessed by euphoria itself.
This whole performance of Prokofiev 2 was nothing short of perfect. This is my favorite concerto by Prokofiev and her interpretation is atmospheric, musical, engaging, and full of the technical fireworks one would expect without losing the composer's intent. She is a force of nature - and wish her the absolute best for her future.
I listened Prokofiev's 2nd piano concerto about 30 years ago, played by Vladimir Ashkenazy. Since then, I have been obsessed with this music. For me, this music is not only one of Prokofiev' great works, but also a masterpiece of all the piano concerto composed in 20th century. I am overwhelmed with Wang's insane performance!!
I saw Ashkenazy play it in 1966 at Carnegie Hall. From way back in the first or second tier (I forget which) his hands appeared to be a stroboscopic blur throughout the concerto.
i didnt even look at the title of the piece and already knew it was prokofiev since yuja wang shines so much whenever it comes to heavy key slamming intense pieces!
The first time I heard this concerto was this exact performance by Yuja Wang and felt so lucky to discover such music and performance. And later on, couldn’t find any other pianist play it like this. Just nuts
@@slowloris4346: I also like Yulianna Avdeeva’s recording. It’s a different approach, but very convincing. Here’s the link to the video (excellent audio & video, too): ua-cam.com/video/dmUUAOiQKKU/v-deo.htmlsi=2NyGUGTzryPUdnFP Bronfman’s recording with Mehta & Israel Philharmonic is also very fine. 😎🎹
It is because of this interpretation, Prokofiev 2 instantly replaces Rachmaninov 2 & 3 and become my favorite concerto of all times. It's just beautiful. On 1st listening the whole piece sounds unusuall and bizzare at a lot of moment, the more I listen to it, the more epic it becomes. Prokofiev is a true genius.
It went the same way for me, my favorites used to be rach 2 and 3 and then prokofiev 2 and 3 completely replaced them once i had heard them. I just find Rachmaninoffs concertos great in describing our world but Prokofievs concertos are from another world, incredible originality.
Yuja Wang really understands Prokofiev. Performs wonders, highest Artistry…precision, voicing, rhythm, intensity….lucky listeners….She opens the window for us to enjoy the Sound Worlds of all the Composers she performs….short and long Masterpieces
AH this brings back memories. In college I bought a CD set of the Prokofiev Concerti played by Ashkenazy after having heard my teacher play No. 1. I was listening to it in the background when this cadenza came on and I was stopped in my tracks. I was so overwhelmed with my jaw on the floor at what I had just listened to.
It sounds crazy to say that this is what I listened to when I was studying for my uni exams. It gave me extra strength to keep going through torture and challenges. I love Yuja, she was only 5 when I was studying university. I listened to kissin’s recording which is equally brilliant.
Ah, yes, the never to be repeated wonder of the very first time we ever heard all of our favorite compositions - so many for me, but the Khachaturian, Brahms 2nd and Rachmaninov's 3rd concertos particularly stand out.
The first movement of the Prokovief PC2, just like the Brahms' 1st, mvt1 (octave trills), is truly revolutionary. When Beethoven wrote thematic material, he always relied on chordal progressions (don't believe me...look at the opening bars of his PC3...a straight C minor chord is right there). The thematic material for the Prokovief PC2 is so simple and unassuming you really wonder where its going...but, at the same time, it's catchy and memorable...only to fade without absolute resolution into the triplet opening bars of the piano as an introduction to its main theme. Then, the ending of the piano cadenza just propels the music into this apocalyptic orchestral tutti playing as forte as humanily possible the opening theme, this time with a definitive tonic resolution...all leading to the very humbled piano triplet and opening theme which just fades away into oblivion...pure genius! There's got to be a philosophical message embedded in there somewhere.
That is absolutely possessed. Goes unhinged at 1:30. Absolutely love it and the performance. Mozart - beautiful, serene, perfect. Beethoven - wild, rugged, unpredictable. Berioz - emotive, dangerous, dark. Prokofiev - dark, intense, unhinged, unbounded, white knuckle ride on a piano though the kingdom of Hades. I knew Dance of the Knights. But this totally blows that away!
I have all of the Prokofiev Piano Concertos. This piece is good stuff. Reeeeeally good stuff. Whooo.....I mean... if you don't feel something listening to this piece...the passion and drive...the beautiful chaos and coloring....then you have not experienced enough life. That's really all I can say. Bravo to this performance. Damn good.
Probably no one will ever be able to interpret this piece in a better way. I think it will remain a point of reference in the coming centuries. I don't think it can be better. ❤
Obviously all of this is insane but 1:42 is the most impressive to me, being able to bring the melody out of the texture that accurately. Especially beat 4 at 1:46 - how in the hell do you accent that note that much?!
I think it has to do with Steinway in some way - having played on Yamaha/Fazioli/Steinway recently, I found it easier to bring out inner melodies on Steinway, but also it was easier to make things louder overall, so one has to be careful. If it's played with a thumb, it would be also easier to bring it out.
Most pros don’t even attempt to play this piece. And I don’t know if it’s ever been recorded this cleanly. The amount of strength she has in her fingers is inhuman.
Amazing cadenza. It has to be one of the most difficult in the repertoire...thanks for posting. Brilliant playing. You can't approach this with any trepidation.
Thank you...that was startling.... will now dig it back out and listen again..... having the text displayed was another eyeopener... just breathtaking....thanks again.
What I LOVE about Yuja is her unfailing musicianship. In the face of even the most technically difficult scores, she maintains integrity to the essence of the music, and does not succumb to the temptation of gratuitous virtuosic self-flattery or self-aggrandizement. This, to me, separates her from many of her contemporaries, and puts her alongside the great musical expositors of recent and distant generations.
Imo, lugansky and Matsuev along with Yefin Bronfman and Horacio. Gutiérrez got incredible renders of this concerto, specially Matsuev and Lugansky, but Yuna Wang managed to make of this concerto a masterpiece of her own 👌
This interpretation of such a complex piece is outstanding and out of this universe. A true piano prodige.... Yuja Wang is definitly my favorite pianist 😍
I've got goosebumps all over my body. Immense and divine. Such a sublime combination would make me hope that there is an ultra-earthly dimension much more beautiful than our 'human' one. Obviously I like to think so, it seems like I can't do more. I had the opportunity to watch her playing a couple of times when she came in Rome
I've said it before, but I honestly believe a concert pianist in full force like this is the pinnacle of human achievement... with the exception of writing the music in the first place.
Yuja is my favorite pianist and i must admit when i first heard her play this cadenza but i didnt like it. But has grown on me a lot! I just noticed how she cranks up the tension over the entire thing and used rubato in a super interesting way.
This is so miraculously we’ll played that it has even silenced the irritating wardrobe comments which usually follow any video of this amazing artist. BRAVA👏
I was trying to find the words to express. I could not. Her performance and energy, her "oneness" with the music absolutely amaze me. Your sentence is EXCELLENT.
I heard Ray Moses play this at Sam Houston State in 1975 at a Piano Concerto festival and it absolutely made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
New video! Hope you are all doing well! ❤ Enjoy :)
-musician: Yuja Wang
-piece: Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2 (1st movement, cadenza)
-original video: ua-cam.com/video/7bf-Vxl-eew/v-deo.html
Thank you so much for watching!
Tikhon Khrennikov. Concerto No.2 for piano and orchestra (finale):
ua-cam.com/video/BxSN-qX_vAQ/v-deo.htmlm15s
Thanks for linking the original - this left me wanting the entire piece. Brilliant editing too. 👏
This performance of the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 2 ranks among the greatest classical music performances of all time. Yuja was brilliant, but some credit also goes to the Berlin Philharmonic (probably the best orchestra in the world right now) and the conductor. We are so lucky that this was captured in a high quality recording that we can all enjoy.
@@timothybolshaw Berliner-Wiener-Concertgebouw holy trinity right now, in my opinion!
She’s an apex virtuoso.
So grateful the score is included. Now we can play along.
We?? Lol
Good luck. As for me, I'm outta here!
Speak for yourself, John.
meh, i dont really like to play along to easy pieces like this, i prefer harder
Yeah right haha
The grand piano went out for a smoke after her piece
This comment is gold! 😂
And so did I. And also thankfully, before.
Went up in smoke more like it. This is what's called piano abuse.
Prokofiev's piece...
Actually the piano was on fire after she was done. I know my hair practically caught fire listening to this.
Imagine using this score in a film. The drama it would require…..Prokofiev is so over the top here.
exactly! my brain imagines a drama in a romantic film while listening to this piece!
It would be more appropriate in a sitcom, like 'Mad About You'. Remember the one where Helen Hunt is waiting for Paul Reiser, then gives up, only to find him asleep at home? THAT'S the kind of drama this piece calls for.
@@blossoms978 No, this piece calls for some gut wrenching, earth shattering drama in colossal scale.
It’s quite a serious piece actually
I mean technically there is a movie called “The Mephisto Waltz” in which it’s used. Would recommend watching it
To think this fiendish cadenza is really to give the entrance of the orchestra the biggest climax point ever. Absolutely bonkers composing. Love it.
Yeah. Now try playing it. A technical tour de force knuckle buster of a cadenza. The cumulation of many many thousands of hours of hard concentrated practice. Prokofiev 2nd concerto is one of the most notoriously difficult modern concertos in the repertoire.
@@coralreef909 that's actually mainly because of the 2nd mvmt! I played the 1st mvmt on my music exam when I was 18 y/o (though I did have to leave out the 4 scale measures at 1:36 because my teacher had given me scale tips and fingerings that turned out to be completely wrong) and the 3rd mvmt when I was 23, and the 3rd is easier than the 1st. The 2nd I probably can't play for the next 10 years, though.
@@coralreef909 not really. Plenty can play it without much practice as they've already honed their skills on other hard works . It's a mixture latent talent and being born into a household that favours music by supplying excellent teaching and decent instruments
If you start at three with concentrated lessons and excellent teachers guiding you in practice as well you would be able to approach this after a few years.
With piano you learn the technique first and with repeated memorisation techniques music theory and reading skills it becomes easier and faster to learn music like this
I learnt this at about nine years of age
I'm not declaring I'm some sort of genius I was just lucky to have the correct foundation from a young age
@@ciararespect4296 You are probably right! But honestly, who in the audience would hear a mistake? .;
Do you guys actually enjoy listening to this? I think this is one of the best example on how difficult music is not necessarily good music. For instance, do you guys honestly think that you would save his music in your youtube playlist and, like, actually listen to it in the future?
While I acknowledge the awe of difficulty and mastery can be enjoying.... there can also be a separate component of unproductive elitism and pretentiousness of "sophisticated taste", when it comes to a person declaring that it loves a difficult musics piece. If one can drop this pretentiousness (while the awe of mastery is still fine), I feel like most people won't really enjoy this music piece.
Although I acknowledge how people's taste in music can be very different.... if a person never acknowledge a single difficult musics piece to be "difficult but bad", then I think there is a very good chance that that person is blinded by this unproductive elitism and pretentiousness of "sophisticated taste"
The way that she plays the two measures at 1:47 makes her interpretation the best in my opinion. Most pianists slow it down for dramatic effect and then return to a faster pace, but she plays it with this frantic and desperate energy that is unparalleled.
I prefer very much her approach I think that by slowing down I can't really enjoy those beautiful arpeggios melting with the melody.
@@nicolaspachecoarango I don't think this part is meant to be "beautiful" in a traditional way (in my opinion). I think it's intended to sound a bit frantic and chaotic.
@@masantonio8790 yes obviously with beautiful I mean it's in his unique way.
@@nicolaspachecoarango I reread your comment after posting and realized mine was kinda pointless. I get what you were saying now.
I think it’s the opposite. Most pianists probably add a bit of rubato so that it doesn’t sound like a bat out of hell. Playing it straight and unfazed is definitely the more dramatic approach in my opinion.
This was the cleanest "on the edge of your seat" performance of this impossible cadenza I have ever heard...WOW!
one of the only (if not THE only) live performances of this cadenza I've seen played at the right tempo without any stutters or missed notes. i too get goosebumps every time when the orchestra comes in.
Yundi Li sounds better for me. But both are amazing
0:04 has several missed notes but yea the rest is played very well
there were definitely missed notes in this performance lol
@@Nikolass1000 same
@@simonvanprooijen wtf,check your ear mate
This tempo just makes so much sense for the audience. I felt it was a bit difficult for me to connect the harmonies when listening to slower recordings but this speed makes it seamless!
Listen Ashkenazy- most best, bro
@@ПетрКрасилин-д5ы Mostest, doubtlessly.
This performance indeed is the one that can people appreciate the true epicness and beauty of Prokofiev 2. Most other recording are dull and doesnt justify Prokofiev's genius
@@ПетрКрасилин-д5ы I have!
Yes!
*Quietly closes piano lid and puts Chopin's book of Preludes & Etudes back on the shelf and goes to bed.*
What kind of madness brought Prokofiev too write such an insane music. And after the apocalypse, he writes one of the most insanely painful and beautiful theme at 00:47, each time it lets me completely disarmed, without breath. I've never heard somebody played this like Yuja Wang. So much intensity, power, intelligence, she never rushes, each notes is crystal clear, she understands each mesure of this crazy music. It's truly a magical moment !
Alexei Sultanov did
Yundi Li did great
@@Nikolass1000 I love Yundi Li's interpretation!!! More meaning and less mechanical, in my humble opinion.
Competing with Rachmaninoff.Prokofiev pined for Rachmaninoff's approval.
it's dedicated to his friend whom recently (as of the composition) took his own life
Good grief!! Whew! What passion. Almost overwhelming. And her hands! She’s wonderful!
2:12 That apocalyptic orchestral reentry is just too epic 🔥🔥
It really makes me quite puzzled as to what prompted him to write this scary, scary music because the original score (the 1st edition of the concerto) was not only written before the Russian Revolution, it was written before WW1 began. In a concert hall, this particular moment makes me get goosebumps all over the body with how grand and terrifying it is.
@RestlessTheRED While we sadly won't know what the original sounded like due to the score's destruction before recording was more advanced, even when writing the original, Prokofiev was depressed because one of his friends from the St. Petersburg Conservatory committed suicide. Perhaps, while writing this revision, he once again thought about that and the other subsequent events that had taken place.
@@christianvennemann9008 I see. And yeah I think it must be the latter, I doubt the death of a friend or a loved one could cause anyone to write _this_ kind of music.
I'm 74 and have played piano since age 7, and I must say, that what she did was absolutely amazing!! Including the score made it more so. Thank you b sharp, or can I call you c??!!
B-ing sharp doesn't necessarily require c-ing?
1:47 I used to hate how fast she played this part compared to other pianists, but I finally see how it fits so perfectly with the overall frenetic, baleful tone of this piece!
YES ! exactly !!!
The heavy compression on the audio actually adds to my enjoyment. It sounds incredibly loud and powerful!
0:45 I'm not sure I've ever heard someone do the three hand effect quite this well. The middle voice sounds like an entirely different instrument.
Yuja Wangs ability is like Ravels compositions, it's so good you don't even want to try because what's the point.
1:38 also stands out to me, in regards to her three-hand effect. This is one of my all-time favorite performances of one of my favorite piano concertos 🙌🏾🙌🏾
Yuja Wang's inner Horowitz
I haven't heard this piece before, so this hit me like a bullet train.
She is world-class. The best of the best. ❤❤
I know clapping between movements is unnecessary but this… I would simply applaud after this movement.
And ruining everything with your noise? I would clap your head then
@@null8295 damn bro you're too feisty
@@mauvebear3942 sorry I just hate noise
absolutely nothing wrong with clapping between movements in exceptional scenarios such as this
Well, first movements were often composed with triumphant endings precisely for applause. That tradition was lost during the XXth century.
How thankful a great composer must be to have a great performer play his work!!! But let’s give Prokofiev the credit for this amazing piece of music.
She surely is the most remarkable pianist in the world. There can only be a handful in history who could hold a candle to her.
Cziffra
She's purely technique. Not being a hater but almost everything she plays is too fast I've noticed. Possibly the best technique today even, but sokolov for me has to be the greatest living active pianist.
People are too dazzled by incredible techniques
Lol no. She's only truly great when playing prokofiev.
@@tomgentry5987 I actually prefer the speed!
Rachmaninov, Anton Rubinstein for starters. And Pollini, Argerich. There have been a lot of wonderful virtuosos.
Off her Berlin performance, Prokofiev #2 became my favorite piano concerto. She plays it sooo convincingly -- the magic of a genius.
I am not a pianist and doubt I ever will be. I cannot begin to comprehend how anyone memorises a piece like this with all its technicality and its complexity. Simply stunning.
Years of progressively building up on small steps and piano knowledge, vocabulary, technique.
It’s not that hard actually. You memorize as your repeat things I’ve and over again
memorizing is probably by far the easiest part of learning a piece as insanely difficult as this lol
You start memorizing a piece as soon as you start learning it. Not that difficult.
people praising memorization on a piece like this is absolutely INSAN
This is one of those miracle moments in music I feel so lucky to be alive to witness; the composition, the interpretation and execution… when I first heard it I felt like I was getting possessed by euphoria itself.
Possessed... very apt description!!! Yes...
This whole performance of Prokofiev 2 was nothing short of perfect. This is my favorite concerto by Prokofiev and her interpretation is atmospheric, musical, engaging, and full of the technical fireworks one would expect without losing the composer's intent. She is a force of nature - and wish her the absolute best for her future.
I don’t think my car even goes that fast.
Wow. She’s truly amazing!
The pianism is simply incredible…simply incredible!
Very MONSTROUS cadenza as ever I have heard. Enough to give ole Godzilla goosebumps on the atomic trees on his thermonuclear back. You know? PWG
Ha ha! What a description. Can't beat Gutierrez's recording though. Really brought out the epicness.
🤣👍
Love this comment! Haha. The crazy part is this wasn't even the full cadenza.
Godzilla would love it! 🎹🦖
literally got chills when the orchestra started woww
I listened Prokofiev's 2nd piano concerto about 30 years ago, played by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Since then, I have been obsessed with this music. For me, this music is not only one of Prokofiev' great works, but also a masterpiece of all the piano concerto composed in 20th century.
I am overwhelmed with Wang's insane performance!!
I saw Ashkenazy play it in 1966 at Carnegie Hall. From way back in the first or second tier (I forget which) his hands appeared to be a stroboscopic blur throughout the concerto.
Thank you for sharing your valuable experience. It is a shame that Ashkenazy has retired in 2020.
She is a beast. In the best possible way.
Transcendental
This is the sound of a peaceful ocean unwillingly stirred by a typhoon into a raging beauty. Incredible.
Well said!
i didnt even look at the title of the piece and already knew it was prokofiev since yuja wang shines so much whenever it comes to heavy key slamming intense pieces!
The first time I heard this concerto was this exact performance by Yuja Wang and felt so lucky to discover such music and performance.
And later on, couldn’t find any other pianist play it like this. Just nuts
Trifinov plays the 4th Movement very well. Kissin's cadenza is slower but I really like it.
Lugansky
@@slowloris4346: I also like Yulianna Avdeeva’s recording. It’s a different approach, but very convincing. Here’s the link to the video (excellent audio & video, too):
ua-cam.com/video/dmUUAOiQKKU/v-deo.htmlsi=2NyGUGTzryPUdnFP
Bronfman’s recording with Mehta & Israel Philharmonic is also very fine. 😎🎹
This is my fav concerto. Yuja especially plays it so well.
It is because of this interpretation, Prokofiev 2 instantly replaces Rachmaninov 2 & 3 and become my favorite concerto of all times. It's just beautiful. On 1st listening the whole piece sounds unusuall and bizzare at a lot of moment, the more I listen to it, the more epic it becomes. Prokofiev is a true genius.
And the orchestra's reenty with its apocalyptic restatement of the opening orchestral theme at 2:12 never gets old. Just too epic!!!
Try Ginastera Concerto No. 1
It went the same way for me, my favorites used to be rach 2 and 3 and then prokofiev 2 and 3 completely replaced them once i had heard them. I just find Rachmaninoffs concertos great in describing our world but Prokofievs concertos are from another world, incredible originality.
I find I can enjoy both Prok and Rach not to mention Bach and Mozart, Ravel and Beethoven etc, etc, without finding any need to pick a favourite.
Completely agree and this is how I felt about proko 2 when I had to play it in orchestra
Yuja Wang really understands Prokofiev. Performs wonders, highest Artistry…precision, voicing, rhythm, intensity….lucky listeners….She opens the window for us to enjoy the Sound Worlds of all the Composers she performs….short and long Masterpieces
That was stunning, absolutely amazing, loved the intensity, Yuja is in a class of her own.
AH this brings back memories. In college I bought a CD set of the Prokofiev Concerti played by Ashkenazy after having heard my teacher play No. 1. I was listening to it in the background when this cadenza came on and I was stopped in my tracks. I was so overwhelmed with my jaw on the floor at what I had just listened to.
Just - WOW!
Goosebumps and tears ... not too many things in life out there that can produce similar effect. Love music, and love Yuja! ❤
Yuja is one of the best portrayers I've seen of Prokofiev. What ingenuity.
Wild! Yuja Wang one of the most amazing pianists ever!
Possibly her single greatest performance. Earth shattering! 🔥🌍🔥
It sounds crazy to say that this is what I listened to when I was studying for my uni exams. It gave me extra strength to keep going through torture and challenges. I love Yuja, she was only 5 when I was studying university. I listened to kissin’s recording which is equally brilliant.
Discovering prokofiev's 2nd was a revelation to me in my LATE 20s. Still feels like a revelation every time
Ah, yes, the never to be repeated wonder of the very first time we ever heard all of our favorite compositions - so many for me, but the Khachaturian, Brahms 2nd and Rachmaninov's 3rd concertos particularly stand out.
I can imagine what kind of practicing she had to do to play so masterly. BRAVO!!!
The first movement of the Prokovief PC2, just like the Brahms' 1st, mvt1 (octave trills), is truly revolutionary. When Beethoven wrote thematic material, he always relied on chordal progressions (don't believe me...look at the opening bars of his PC3...a straight C minor chord is right there). The thematic material for the Prokovief PC2 is so simple and unassuming you really wonder where its going...but, at the same time, it's catchy and memorable...only to fade without absolute resolution into the triplet opening bars of the piano as an introduction to its main theme. Then, the ending of the piano cadenza just propels the music into this apocalyptic orchestral tutti playing as forte as humanily possible the opening theme, this time with a definitive tonic resolution...all leading to the very humbled piano triplet and opening theme which just fades away into oblivion...pure genius! There's got to be a philosophical message embedded in there somewhere.
Surely the greatest cadenza in classical music
That is absolutely possessed. Goes unhinged at 1:30. Absolutely love it and the performance. Mozart - beautiful, serene, perfect. Beethoven - wild, rugged, unpredictable. Berioz - emotive, dangerous, dark. Prokofiev - dark, intense, unhinged, unbounded, white knuckle ride on a piano though the kingdom of Hades.
I knew Dance of the Knights. But this totally blows that away!
I have all of the Prokofiev Piano Concertos. This piece is good stuff. Reeeeeally good stuff. Whooo.....I mean... if you don't feel something listening to this piece...the passion and drive...the beautiful chaos and coloring....then you have not experienced enough life. That's really all I can say. Bravo to this performance. Damn good.
yes! one of the best cadenzas that I've heard in my life!
Prokofiev was a formidable pianist. But I think even this passage from his 2nd Piano Concerto would challenge him.
Prokofiev gifted the world with his music; ever since, artists have been proving how this is the gift that keeps on giving.
Watched Yuja last night, she's brilliant
Impossible to play like this. Just crazy, wow!! Unbelievable.👏👏👏👏👏👏
Been listening to this piece for almost 15 years... My soul still drops every single time.
Thank you very much Dear Yuja for the fantastic performance! Prokofiev would be delighted!
Yes.
Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a piano played like this. I didn’t even know they could sound like this.
0:04 My cat at 3am while I'm sleeping
Incredible composition, incredible pianist!
Probably no one will ever be able to interpret this piece in a better way.
I think it will remain a point of reference in the coming centuries.
I don't think it can be better. ❤
Obviously all of this is insane but 1:42 is the most impressive to me, being able to bring the melody out of the texture that accurately. Especially beat 4 at 1:46 - how in the hell do you accent that note that much?!
I think it has to do with Steinway in some way - having played on Yamaha/Fazioli/Steinway recently, I found it easier to bring out inner melodies on Steinway, but also it was easier to make things louder overall, so one has to be careful. If it's played with a thumb, it would be also easier to bring it out.
Most pros don’t even attempt to play this piece. And I don’t know if it’s ever been recorded this cleanly. The amount of strength she has in her fingers is inhuman.
Amazing cadenza. It has to be one of the most difficult in the repertoire...thanks for posting. Brilliant playing. You can't approach this with any trepidation.
Thank you...that was startling.... will now dig it back out and listen again..... having the text displayed was another eyeopener... just breathtaking....thanks again.
I didn’t know this piece and for a minute I was thinking « yeah the video title is a bit far fetched », and then…
Oh boy I have a tear in my eye 🥲
I have chills!!! This lady is incredible
What I LOVE about Yuja is her unfailing musicianship. In the face of even the most technically difficult scores, she maintains integrity to the essence of the music, and does not succumb to the temptation of gratuitous virtuosic self-flattery or self-aggrandizement. This, to me, separates her from many of her contemporaries, and puts her alongside the great musical expositors of recent and distant generations.
I've seen her live. She is very good, of course belonging to the 20 best active pianists of our time. And naturally, she is a beautiful woman.
Imo, lugansky and Matsuev along with Yefin Bronfman and Horacio. Gutiérrez got incredible renders of this concerto, specially Matsuev and Lugansky, but Yuna Wang managed to make of this concerto a masterpiece of her own 👌
Don't forget Alexander Toradze!!! he was great too.
This interpretation of such a complex piece is outstanding and out of this universe. A true piano prodige.... Yuja Wang is definitly my favorite pianist 😍
I've got goosebumps all over my body.
Immense and divine. Such a sublime combination would make me hope that there is an ultra-earthly dimension much more beautiful than our 'human' one. Obviously I like to think so, it seems like I can't do more.
I had the opportunity to watch her playing a couple of times when she came in Rome
I've said it before, but I honestly believe a concert pianist in full force like this is the pinnacle of human achievement... with the exception of writing the music in the first place.
That transition to orchestra was the best
Yuja is my favorite pianist and i must admit when i first heard her play this cadenza but i didnt like it. But has grown on me a lot! I just noticed how she cranks up the tension over the entire thing and used rubato in a super interesting way.
this crazy piece is made for yuja. she loves prokofjeff.
Что-то невероятное...Грандиозное исполнение!!! 👏👏👏💐💐💐
A player in a lifetime.
Prokofiev's genius... And she brings it to a climax with such a powerful tension.
That is the most exciting performance of the cadenza from Prokofiev’s 2nd Piano Concerto that I have ever heard, and I’ve heard a lot of them.
This is so miraculously we’ll played that it has even silenced the irritating wardrobe comments which usually follow any video of this amazing artist. BRAVA👏
😂 I think they're mostly from old people who haven't gotten any in years
Maybe that's because this particular dress is less revealing than usual.
Didn't silence you though.
Mine was a silent comment, written, not spoken…….
She is too incredible for mere words!
I was trying to find the words to express. I could not. Her performance and energy, her "oneness" with the music absolutely amaze me. Your sentence is EXCELLENT.
Hardest cadenz ever😮!!!!
I love it!
Thank you so much for uploading this incredible video! Lifetime application!!!
Clear and powerfull.... Fantastic!!!! Bravissimo, perfectly!!!
Modern day pianists indeed play with frightening accuracy
One of the best prok 2, one of the best performance of yuja
This gets me... EVERY... SINGLE... TIME.... I... JUST... CAN'T!
Amazing woman with so much talent and emotion
This tells a whole story. What a masterpiece
Не могу остановится. Просматриваю уже минимум десятый раз.
Best version of this cadenza ever! I just love her interpretation.
Feh! Piece of cake. I mean, how hard could it be?
I do appreciate it when people post the score as well. That makes this twice as enjoyable.
That key change at 1:13...pure perfection 😍😍
E minor it is
I heard Ray Moses play this at Sam Houston State in 1975 at a Piano Concerto festival and it absolutely made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
Incredible interpretation
One of the all-time best!