Yuja Wang's Prokofiev 2

[P]

I bought Wang's Rachmaninoff 3/Prokofiev 2 disc several months ago because the Rach 3 is one of my favorite pieces, but while I have listened to the Rach only a few times, I come back to the Prokofiev over and over. What a tremendous performance! My other exposure to this piece is Ashkenazy (with Previn) on a Trio including the complete concertos (piano, violin, cello). Ashkenazy's performance is, characteristically, powerful but a bit uncontrolled. Wang, on the other hand, seems to have complete mastery over this piece: not a note out of place, not a measure too difficult or complex, not a phrase she cannot articulate beautifully.

Reading through the archives, it seems there was little consensus around the best recordings of this piece, though several posters mentioned Gutierrez, Bolet, and a younger Ashkenazy with Bernstein as contenders. Can anyone who has heard the Wang recommend recordings which compare favorably?

-P

[wil...@babel.nl]

Op zondag 28 september 2014 20:39:08 UTC+2 schreef P:

> I bought Wang's Rachmaninoff 3/Prokofiev 2 disc several months ago because the Rach 3 is one of my favorite pieces, but while I have listened to the Rach only a few times, I come back to the Prokofiev over and over. What a tremendous performance! My other exposure to this piece is Ashkenazy (with Previn) on a Trio including the complete concertos (piano, violin, cello). Ashkenazy's performance is, characteristically, powerful but a bit uncontrolled. Wang, on the other hand, seems to have complete mastery over this piece: not a note out of place, not a measure too difficult or complex, not a phrase she cannot articulate beautifully.
>
>
>
> Reading through the archives, it seems there was little consensus around the best recordings of this piece, though several posters mentioned Gutierrez, Bolet, and a younger Ashkenazy with Bernstein as contenders. Can anyone who has heard the Wang recommend recordings which compare favorably?
>
>
>
> -P

I truly don't understand what you mean by Ashkenazy being " a bit uncontrolled" ?? His performance is at least as tremendous as Wangs imho. I heard Wang in Prok 3 live and whilst technically admirable, I thought it lacked some of the bite of Argerich (or Ashkenazy..).

As to Prok 2, I would mention Bolet (despite a strange cut in the 1st movement cadenza) who made a stupendous recording of it. I once heard Krainev live and thought he was fantastic too. Bavouzet did a great job in his survey of the complete concertos.

TH

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[Frank Berger]

There are two Bolet recordings.

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[Di's Mr. Wonderful]

[Can anyone who has heard the Wang recommend recordings which compare favorably? ]

When you have a good Wang, nothing else matters. [s]

[O]

In article <bac19f21-d34c-4b8a...@googlegroups.com>,

Wang's is a fine performance in a field of fine performances. Gutierrez
and Bolet as you mentioned (haven't heard AShkenazy). Wang somewhat
reminds me of Klaus Tennstedt -- their best recordings are often live
performances. Yuja really electrifies a room as soon as she comes in -
much like some of the great performers of the past - Horowitz,
Rubenstein, who had that great stage presence. (I'm talking just
stage presence here.) It's not just the little red dress, though that
helps, but there's so much energy in her playing that the whole
auditorium is at the edge of their seats. It's part of the musical
experience when you hear her live.

But to answer your question - my favorite is still Browning, though
Malcolm Frager's rendition is exquisite (he's in the Tanglewood
collection, among other places).

-Owen

[Bozo]

>On Monday, September 29, 2014 12:42:22 PM UTC-5, O wrote:
> But to answer your question - my favorite is still Browning,

My fav as well. Wonderful tone throughout , great depth of emotion in the lyrical section of the final mov.

[Bozo]

>On Monday, September 29, 2014 2:09:28 PM UTC-5, Bozo wrote:
> My fav as well.

Here is the Browning complete set on Testament, with several laudatory Amazon US reviews : http://tinyurl.com/l6kgd4a

[Gerard]

"Bozo" wrote in message
news:99bf9f01-f135-4587...@googlegroups.com...

===================

Aren't these exactly the same recordings as on RCA/Sony?

http://www.amazon.com/Erich-Leinsdorf-conducts-Prokofiev-Sergey/dp/B004H6P2LA/

[operafan]

On Sunday, September 28, 2014 2:39:08 PM UTC-4, P wrote:
> I bought Wang's Rachmaninoff 3/Prokofiev 2 disc several months ago because the Rach 3 is one of my favorite pieces, but while I have listened to the Rach only a few times, I come back to the Prokofiev over and over.

I had the opposite reaction to this disc. I loved the Rach 3, especially the over-the-top end of the last movement, and I saw Wang play it live a few months later and liked that performance as well.

But her Prok 2 didn't do it for me. Frager/Leibowitz is my favorite, but I haven't heard of a reissue on CD (it's on youtube, though). I also like Kun Woo Paik on Naxos and Guttierrez on Chandos.

[Russ (not Martha)]

The earlier one with the Cincinnati SO / Thor Johnson on a Remington LP had the cut. Don't know about Bolet's remake.

Russ (not Martha)

[S888...@aol.com]

You already got the one to get

[RiRiIII]

On Monday, September 29, 2014 10:44:36 PM UTC+3, Gerard wrote:
> "Bozo" wrote in messagenews:99bf9f01-f135-4587...@googlegroups.com...

>
> >On Monday, September 29, 2014 2:09:28 PM UTC-5, Bozo wrote:
>
> > My fav as well.
>
> > Here is the Browning complete set on Testament, with several laudatory
>
> Amazon US reviews : http://tinyurl.com/l6kgd4a
>

> > Aren't these exactly the same recordings as on RCA/Sony?
>
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Erich-Leinsdorf-conducts-Prokofiev-Sergey/dp/B004H6P2LA/

Extremely compressed remasters in this cheap RCA/Sony set unfortunately...

[Gerard]

"RiRiIII" wrote in message
news:6aa64bfb-9e61-4ab8...@googlegroups.com...

=================

What I have heard (from this RCA/Sony set) does not sound bad.
Is it possible that some discs are more compressed than other discs?

[Dave Cook]

On 2014-10-04, RiRiIII <alex_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Extremely compressed remasters in this cheap RCA/Sony set unfortunately...

More so than the Testament CDs or the original Dynagroove Lps?

The Testament CDs sound pretty much like the Lps to my ears.

Dave Cook

[P]

> I truly don't understand what you mean by Ashkenazy being " a bit uncontrolled" ?? His performance is at least as tremendous as Wangs imho. I heard Wang in Prok 3 live and whilst technically admirable, I thought it lacked some of the bite of Argerich (or Ashkenazy..).

I have and love many Ashkenazy recordings: his Spring/Kreutzer with Perlman, his Etudes-Tableaux, his Rach 2, his Chopin Waltzes. Other of his recordings leave me with the impression that he wanted to get the piece over with and move on to the next one. For example, the Rachmaninoff Prelude in D, Op. 23 sounds like he's almost sight-reading. Which is a shame, considering how moving and unforgettable other performances (Richter, Sokolov) of this piece can be.

I think his Prok 2 falls somewhere in between. To hear what I'm talking about, compare the cadenza in Mv. 1 to Wang. Whereas she never loses the sense of phrasing and building velocity, he shoots up and down haltingly, slowing down as if to catch his breath, losing the tension and sounding frenetic.

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll make sure to pick up the Browning and the Bolet (which Bolet is better?)

-P

[dk]

Toradze.

dk

[O]

In article <946add87-1a15-4642...@googlegroups.com>, dk

<dan....@gmail.com> wrote:


> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks for the recommendations. I'll make sure to pick up the Browning and
> > the Bolet (which Bolet is better?)
> >
> >
> >
> > -P
>
> Toradze.
>

Just listened. Found it ponderous, weighty, heavy - Prokofiev with a
slow sledge hammering. No wit nor humor nor zest of any kind. But
every note articulated and tendered. Very well played by both soloist
and orchestra, and Toradze shows off his considerable chops despite the
tempi, but this is a Prok 2 for the terminally depressed.

-Owen, more Vodka, please...Winter is coming.

[Tony]

seriously mate Toradze bangs his way through the piece. Watch him play the cadenza on YT. It's just bad.

If you want a rotund Soviet-state pianist, try Nikolai Petrov (on YT).

For anyone who wants something completely different, try Pietro Scarpini on YT. He's got his own way with it.

[Frank Berger]

Too bad Scarpini didn't record more. Apparently, he disappeared in
1997. Or maybe that should be Disapparently.

[chriskh...@gmail.com]

.
> Too bad Scarpini didn't record more. Apparently, he disappeared in
>
> 1997. Or maybe that should be Disapparently.
>

Nothing so mysterious, he simply died. Maybe you're relying on a google translation of the Italian Wikipedia entry. It's true the word "scomparso" means disappeared, but Italians use it as a euphemism for "died", like our "passed on", "went to meet his maker" or whatever

Chris Howell

[P]

>>On Monday, September 29, 2014 12:42:22 PM UTC-5, O wrote:
>> But to answer your question - my favorite is still Browning,

>My fav as well. Wonderful tone throughout , great depth of emotion in the lyrical section of the final mov.

Picked up the Browning/Leinsdorf and just finished listening. Astounding! Thanks for the recommendation, Bozo, you haven't failed me yet!

-P

[Bozo]

>On Sunday, October 12, 2014 5:56:20 PM UTC-5, P wrote:

You're welcome ; credit to Owen as well.

[Lohengrin]

I once listened to Yuja's Prokofiev PC2 live (conducted by Gergiev with Mariinsky) in Dortmund. This is so dark a piece -- like oppressive and furious black clouds -- and perfectly matched by Yuja's temperament!

For Prokofiev's PC2 I would also recommend Kissin's version. Kissin himself chooses it as the background music of his official website!

[Lohengrin]

Btw, I also used to listen to Yuja's live performance of Rachmaninoff PC3 (Duesseldorfer Symphoniker). But there are too many other fabulous recordings making it difficult for Yuja's to stand out.

On Sunday, 28 September 2014 19:39:08 UTC+1, P wrote:

[O]

In article <692bea44-27b1-4b97...@googlegroups.com>,

If you bought the set with the Violin Concerto included, don't overlook
that - it's tremendous.

-Owen

[Bozo]

>On Monday, October 13, 2014 10:46:12 AM UTC-5, O wrote:
> If you bought the set with the Violin Concerto included, don't overlook
> that - it's tremendous.
>

Agreed again as to that 1st Concerto with Erik Friedman ,who died in 2004 :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick_Friedman

The Friedman Prokofieff Violin Concerto # 1 was also on another RCA / Leinsdorf / Boston Sym. lp paired with Prokofieff's 5th Piano Concerto played by Lorin Hollander.

[RiRiIII]

Good question but do not know the answer. The recent CDs in the Sony box sounded very compressed to my ears though. Hopefulyl I ll get some access to the Testament CDs and wil compare.

[RiRiIII]

> > This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
>
> http://www.avast.com

This one with Mitropoulos in NY. Fabulous!

[Bozo]

>On Monday, October 6, 2014 6:20:55 PM UTC-5, Tony wrote:

>
> For anyone who wants something completely different, try Pietro Scarpini on YT. He's got his own way >with it.

Agreed about that Scarpini, unique. Also at YT is an impressive Prok 4 with Ciani and Abbado ( or Muti ).

[JohnGavin]

Yuja Wang's #2 with Dutoit on YouTube is far better IMO than the DG recording with Dudamel. I hope she re-records it someday, perhaps coupled with Sonata #6.

[Bozo]

<On Tuesday, October 14, 2014 7:05:38 AM UTC-5, Bozo wrote:
> Agreed about that Scarpini, unique. Also at YT is an impressive Prok 4 with Ciani and Abbado ( or Muti ).

Sorry ; the Ciani YT is Prok 5. Damn cabernet !

[dk]

If you'd like a better performance try to find a
tape of Radu Lupu's performance from the finals
of the 1966 Van Cliburn Competition.

dk

[Frank Berger]

The first movement is available on CD, FWIW.

http://tinyurl.com/ladksux

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