Severance
Hall
April
10
 |
| An elegant style and brilliant technique. |
Yuja
Wang prowls the keyboard like a cat, with an unbelievably soft touch
and reflexes that can go from languid to lightning-quick in an
instant. At one point in her Thursday night performance, her hands
were a blur, flying through Rachmaninoff faster than the eye could
follow. If not the deepest interpretation of the Russian composer’s
daunting Piano Concerto No. 3, it was a bravura display of
sheer skill and surprising power.
Which
made it a good fit with the rest of the program and the conductor,
Giancarlo Guerrero, who brings a bright, sunny sound to everything he
touches. In his hands the lineup of Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and
Rimsky-Korsakov was a night of Russian lite, pleasant melodic takes
on material that usually gets a darker reading.
Prokofiev’s
Classical Symphony (No. 1) is, as the name suggests, a
relatively tame, conventional piece, which made it an ideal
opener. Guerrero handled it in a brisk, breezy manner, putting a
sparkle on the melodies and a buoyant quality in the sound. The music
was graceful at times, more like a Viennese waltz than a Russian
symphony, only acquiring a bite at the very end. That was partly a
function of Guerrero conducting without a baton, cuing the sections
with twirling fingers.
Yuja
Wang is a deceptive performer. In her publicity materials she looks
more like a fashion model than a concert pianist, given to short,
tight dresses and spike heels. In person she appears to be a
diminutive Asian with good taste in evening gowns – until she sits
down to play. Then she owns her instrument, performing with
remarkable facility and impressive authority in a wonderfully fluid,
legato style. Her soft touch takes the edge off even the harshest
passages, but she gives away nothing to the orchestra in dynamics,
and can set off colorful explosions of aural fireworks.
That
was clear in the cadenzas of the first movement, brilliant displays
of dexterity that cooed softly one moment, then burst into fiery
runs. Those are as difficult as they look, and what distinguishes a
great pianist is not just the ability to play them, but to maintain a
personal voice and approach through the fierce challenges they pose.
Wang never lost her liquid flow and elegant touch, which were a good
match with Guerrero’s lighthearted, exuberant sound.
Wang
will sacrifice some precision for style, though with Rachmaninoff, it
doesn’t really matter – in the blizzard of notes, nobody misses
one or two. And No. 3 is a serious workout. By the end of it,
Wang was breathing hard, like a runner at the finish line. And still
looking gorgeous.
After
intermission, the program concluded with Rimsky-Korsakov’s
Scheherezade, another charming and comparatively lightweight
number. Guerrero gave it lots of color, drawing some fine solos from
the orchestra’s stellar woodwinds. And concertmaster William
Preucil and harpist Trina Struble offered a sweet version of the
title character’s signature line.
If
not thunder from the steppes, the concert offered a reminder that
Russian music has its lighter moments, which Guerrero brought to life
in well-articulated fashion. Given the country’s warmongering in other theaters these days, maybe that was the best way to
go.
For
more on Yuja Wang: http://www.yujawang.com
For
more on Giancarlo Guerrero:
http://www.clevelandorchestra.com/about/musicians-and-conductors/giancarlo-guerrero/
Photo by Gan Yuan
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