Ed's talk: May 16, 2016

Monday, May 16, 2016

Fools rush in (where angels fear to tread)!



I'm afraid that this is really my indictment of, in this case, the classical pianist industry.  After a discussion concerning, who I would consider "the Britney Spears" of classical pianists,  Yuja Wang, I turned on radio station WQXR to hear her live recital at Carnegie Hall. When I realized I could also see it on Medici TV, I unwisely left the self-serving comments that two men gave on the recital in time to see her play the "Hammerklavier" Sonata which is usually considered to be the "Mt. Everest" of the classical piano repertory and was "treated" to see Ms. Wang in her "stripper's outfit" handily dispatching this work at a speed and efficiency which others could only dream of!

At the age of 29, it hardly seems seemly to play this work in public and, at that age, could hardly be able to probe its depths. And she didn't!

Yes, she waited a long time before coming out to play a mess of encores when, after that, she shouldn't have played any.

I think it all boiled down to a lack of respect! But maybe she thinks her undoubted talent is not enough to get ahead in an overcrowded field of classical pianists. And maybe she's right!

.http://www.medici.tv/#!/yuja-wang-brahms-schumann-beethoven-carnegie-hall