Yuja goes long at BBC Proms

Yuja goes long at BBC Proms

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norman lebrecht

September 06, 2019

Geoff Cox’s audience photo shows she does have full-length wear in her closet. It just rarely comes out.

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She played Rach 3 with Dresden and Myung Whun Chung.

 

Comments

  • Ms.Melody says:

    Once again, we read what she wore before we read what she played. By the way, did she play well?

  • James says:

    The absolute state of Slipped Disc sometimes

  • Carlos Solare says:

    Too busy ogling her legs to even check the spelling of the conductor’s name.

  • Novagerio says:

    Did she play superbly as usual, otherwise?…

  • Italiana says:

    Myung-whun Chung I assume for conductor?

  • Anon. says:

    I’m trying to work out what is news worthy about this post?

  • Anon says:

    Are you sure it was Myung-wha conducting? Maybe the dress distracted too much from the fact of recognizing the correct member of the Chung family??

  • Anne says:

    Sadly I thought the headline was referring to how many encores she played. I was disappointed that it was about her dress. I heard her last season with NYP — Brahms concerto. She played 7 encores after her 40+ minute brilliant concerto performance. Those encores were gifts to us in the audience.

    • Karl says:

      Seven?!. You lucky dog. We only got one in Boston – Gluck’s Melodie from “Orfeo and Euridice.”

      • nimitta says:

        Aw, Karl, you forgot the other four encores Yuja played at Jordan Hall on May 11, 2018 (even though she’d had to cancel the first part of her tour due to illness and was still feeling a bit sick that night!):

        MENDELSSOHN
        Songs Without Words, Op. 67: 2
        (see clip by SiMon from recital on YouTube)

        PROKOFIEV
        7th Sonate: finale

        RACHMANINOFF
        Vocalise

        SCHUBERT/LISZT
        Gretchen am Spinnrade

        GLUCK/SGAMBATI
        Melodie

        When she played the Schumann with the BSO last February, she encored the Mendelssohn again, followed by Schumann: Der Kontrabandiste. I wasn’t crazy about her approach to the concerto’s 1st movement, but the rest was stunning…couldn’t take my ears offer her!

        • Karin Becker says:

          I’ve heard that in Miss Wang concerts, audiences do not ask for encores because the soloist plays so well, but because she wants her to stumble on the podium with her high heels. It’s a thrill: Part of the audience is waiting for the fall – in the dust with Yuja.

    • Bruce says:

      But what did she wear??? That’s the important thing.

    • Dave says:

      Wow! You lucky things☺

    • Karin Becker says:

      A Gift – Really? And what about the orchestra musicians who have to listen to the 7 more or less tastefully selected encores? Maybe they are thirsty or do not like to see a naked house anymore ..

  • Esther Cavett says:

    ==Myung Wha Chung

    His sister is Kyung Wha

  • Sir David Geffen-Hall says:

    Wonderful playing thanks for the link!

    And she’s hot in long or short.

    We need more rock stars like her that not only attract attention but deliver the music in an authentic manner.

    • Karin Becker says:

      Please explain the relationship between hot pants, a 75% naked female body and the authenticity of a Beethoven or Rachmaninoff concert. Thanks!

  • Anon says:

    A ‘full length dress’ and yet I can still see the ‘full length’ of her bare leg.

  • Sartor says:

    I would like to see equal attention paid to the sartorial choices of mail performers (long tie? bow tie? no tie? undershirt showing? trousers properly fitted, or too tight across the front? etc etc etc) OR — and here’s an idea — let’s just skip the comments on appearance and just talk about the music? The fact that NL comments only on women’s dress is … obvious. It’s very public ogling that he invites the world to experience vicariously. Reducing women performers to what they look like … and then feeling astonished that there seems to be some sexual harassment problem in the classical music world. Dim.

    • Going postal says:

      “MAIL performers”? Are you suggesting that we LETTER alone?

    • Anon says:

      If a male classical musician performed while showing that much skin on their arms, legs, shoulders, and back, it would be newsworthy.
      Congrats on an absolutely idiotic comment.

    • Sue Sonata Form says:

      Sorry, it’s the wearer who invites the ogling (if any). It’s called “exhibitionism”, if you haven’t heard that word before. Pity; she just needs to concentrate on being a unique MUSICAL individual. But, as some have suggested, if her livery attracts people towards music (I’m skeptical) then I guess it works.

  • Fliszt says:

    Myung Wha must be laughing her ass off – it’s her brother who is conducting.

  • Dr OLIVIER BRUNEL says:

    M W Chung has not improved as a conductor in 25 years ….

  • M McAlpine says:

    Really good performance – pity Norman only interested in the dress!

  • Geoff Cox says:

    Pleased to see my photograph! Must add that Yuja Wang gave an impressive performance as soloist in Rachmaninov’s 3rd Piano Concerto. Beautiful or virtuosic playing as required by the score. You can read more about this BBC Prom at https://www.facebook.com/geoff.cox.921

  • Michel says:

    I prefer Kathia Buniatishvili in this style. She plays better and is more beautiful.

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    Well, that looks a whole like more elegant and stylish.

  • muslit says:

    I have no idea why people go bonkers over Wang’s playing. A lot of pounding, directionless playing, boring musically, with a terrific technique, which serves no purpose other than drawing attention to itself. But nice outfits.

    • M2N2K says:

      Since you have “no idea”, here is one possibility: they hear in her playing something that you don’t. So maybe you should try to concentrate more on listening to the music instead of looking at “nice outfits”.

    • Karin Becker says:

      Nice outfits? Yes, maybe if MIss Wang works in a bar in Bangkok or earns her money with table-dancing.

  • Jack says:

    Yuja Wang must draw more comments, quite often snarky, than nearly any other topic on this blog. Rather pathetic, it says volumes about certain commenters.

  • Vladimir Tolpygo says:

    Why is this news? How is this relevant?

  • Edward Aguirre says:

    Modesty is the best policy. The New Testament is your guide to heavenly fashion design found somewhere within its pages.

  • Sheila Novitz says:

    Why is what she wore worthy of comment when she is brilliant enough to play the Rach 3? Tell us about her performance, or were you just there to stare at the pianist’s body? What is the matter with you?

  • Ron Fowler says:

    More interested in how she played!

  • Edgar Self says:

    Equal opportunity requires mention of Mitsuko uchida’s silk pyjamas, the loveliest to be seen on any concert stage today.

    For”gentlemen, Andas Schiff’s high-water trousers, Thibaudet’s red socks, Ozawa’s Nehru jackets, or Chick Corea and Daniel Barenboim’s open collars.

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    Has anybody noticed that Ms. Wang’s provocative slits in her livery ALWAYS face the audience? They are seldom, if ever, on the orchestral side – where nobody except colleagues can see!!

  • DeepSouthSenior says:

    I’m coming rather late to this thread, which is good since I’ve read the many inevitable and easy-to-predict comments. Very clever of you, Norman! You know exactly how to get lots of action from a post, with point-counterpoint arguments from serious to snarky.

    By the way, I’m listening to this performance right now, while it’s still available on BBC. It’s excellent in every way, and “tasteful,” too which is not a sure thing with Yuja Wang in such a warhorse. Unfortunately, though, I’m also tied to my computer screen, with only one shot of the dress to stare at. Pity.

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