Power couple descend on BBC Proms

Power couple descend on BBC Proms

News

norman lebrecht

August 04, 2023

In one of the few starry nights of a makeshift season, pianist Yuja Wang returns to the Proms tonight, joined for the first time by her partner, conductor Klaus Mäkelä. The pair have been together since the end of last year and have spent time with each other’s families. They performed together at the last Proms with the Oslo Philharmonic but were not yet a couple at the time.

Of tonight’s concert, Yuja says: ‘It’s always thrilling to perform at the BBC Proms and I especially look forward to tomorrow’s concert with Klaus Mäkelä conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The atmosphere at Royal Albert Hall is very special! ✨
The program includes Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast performed by Thomas Hampson and the UK premiere of Jimmy López Bellido’s Perú negro.’

Comments

  • Donna Giovanna says:

    Programe please not program. Maybe a whiskey as opposed to whisky too many?

  • Albert says:

    What a bizarre program!

    And Hampson is much too old to do justice to the Walton.

    • pjl says:

      Wait and hear…..in Paris recently Makela had Willard White who is 9 years older and he was magnificent. I am looking forward to hearing if it is as stunning a performance as in Paris; for me the finest since the Kubelik recording in Chicago.

    • Robert says:

      Just heard Hampson sing in the Prom on BBC Radio. Did a fine job.

    • MMcGrath says:

      Programming at the Proms is often very creative and eclectic like this. Something to relish, in my mind.
      As for Hampson being “too old” – on a good night he can still outperform many a “younger” voice. What’s with the fixation on age? Not all older performers, i.e. technically padt their prime, are “doing a Domingo.” As an example, though her arthritic hands may miss a note or two today, as we saw and heard in the Colon videos recently , Ms Argerich is still very much a world-class act whom I would pay dearly to see and hear interpret a puece of her choosing.

    • squagmogleur says:

      Well, his performance was certainly eccentric, veering, at times, towards a sprechstimme delivery from which he didn’t always recover a focussed pitch. I doubt that this was even close to what Walton intended. But, equally, I don’t think it’s got anything to do with his age.

  • JB says:

    When is it appropriate to comment on the age gap, and the ensuing disparity of power dynamics? Grooming, anyone?

    • Em says:

      it s not appropiate at all.

    • Gustavo says:

      Nine years or so is an acceptable age difference.

      Yuja looks like a teenager anyway, so better for her to select a callow youth before the public goes crazy and think it’s her dad.

      And for Klaus it’s a good opportunity to learn everything from an experienced women before becoming chief of the Concertgebouw.

    • CSOA Insider says:

      It is not appropriate in this case. It would be appropriate, for instance, if you saw an all powerful old music director groom a young married admin staff at the workplace, for sex. Under the eyes of the head of the organization and HR department.

    • James Weiss says:

      He’s 27; she’s 36. You seriously think that’s a significant age difference? They are both young adults of the same generation. Might I suggest you just grow up?

      • Sue Sonata Form says:

        Quite right. And it will only become significant, as in most such cases, if children are ever considered.

    • Jenny Berenson says:

      What an utterly stupid comment this is. Klaus is 27, Yuja 36.

      Grow up.

    • anon says:

      They are both fully mature adults so it’s their business. If he was in his early twenties – personally I don’t think people are fully mature then – it would be a different question.

    • Nick2 says:

      It is absolutely not appropriate to comment on a 9 year age gap. How ridiculous!

    • John says:

      She’s nine years older than he is. Alice Elgar was also nine years older than her husband.
      Get over it and get a life.

    • Paul Grokian says:

      There’s a “disparity in power dynamics”?

    • Donn says:

      Huh? Yuja is 9 yrs older than Klaus is. So what?

    • Phil Gow says:

      None of your business. Totally inappropriate and irrelevant comment.

    • Walter Delahunt says:

      Which power dynamics??
      Did I spot an Oxford comma?

    • Tiredofitall says:

      Not in this case. Since when is 9 years an in appropriate age difference? And who are you to make that determination…or insinuation?

    • Andrew Clarke says:

      He lied about his age …

  • Tony Sanderson says:

    This concert is being broadcast on Friday 11th August at 7pm BST on BBC4.

  • SlippedChat says:

    When I see these photos of Klaus and Yuja together, with Yuja in her typically abbreviated concert attire, I think of Katharine Hepburn’s famous quote about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, both of whom, like Klaus and Yuja, were marvelously talented, but “He gives her class, and she gives him sex [appeal].”

  • PoonFan says:

    Yuja’s not bad… We need Tiffany Poon in the BBC Proms!

  • Observing says:

    Sigh….remember the days when artists were promoted and praised for the genuine musicianship and artistry…instead of for their dresses and branding…

  • Unvaccinated says:

    Seeing as they’re letting anybody conduct professional orchestras these days… One to avoid

  • orchestra musician says:

    Apparently you didn´t bother to listen to the concerts, eager to repeat your easily refutable views about the quality of the ad nauseam….

  • Zarathusa says:

    Again! Consider changing the name! “Proms” is so adolescently high-schoolish!

    • Colin48 says:

      Promenade concerts were musical performances in the 18th and 19th century pleasure gardens of London, where the audience would stroll about while listening. (Wikipedia)

      Its use in the US for school dances seems to date from the late 19th century.

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    Should be a good concert!! Let’s make hay while the sun shines with this team. It’s great to see young people at the forefront in classical music; conductor and soloist alike.

  • pjl says:

    I don’t like to judge a concert from loudspeakers but from the broadcast Hampson sounded fine to me; I did not especially like his interpretation but age was not the key issue for me. The choir seemed slightly less good than in Paris (augmented there by a Cambridge University chorus) but the pacing and rhythm of the conducting was equally stunning. I look forward to the TV broadcast. The pianist was outstanding in the Rachmaninov; a delightful second encore also.

  • K says:

    Power couple? A Du Pre/Barenboim they are not.

  • Bob Epstein says:

    If you want people to subscribe you need to put in a way to overcome this 73-year old reader’s ad-blocker, as every other website does I’ve seen when this problem comes up. I have no idea how to “whitewash” the adblocker. Just sayin’. I love classical music.

  • David Roberts says:

    Yet another sniffy comment about this Proms season, presumably because of apparent lack of foreign orchestras… Well thus far the season has given us more opportunities to appreciate the under appreciated talent within the British Isles!

  • ParallelFifths says:

    Ah, the glamorous dividends of mutual bearding.

  • The Fun is Still Over says:

    I wonder if Dutoit is jealous that Klaus got his girl!

  • Nick says:

    Good for them. Love is a many splendored thing. Let’s just hope they grow up to be musicians.

  • Hip says:

    YW looks absolutely stunning and gorgeous even with no make up. She is so magnetic.

  • Edoardo says:

    I fail to understand this constant referring to them as “power couple” like they were Mr & Mrs Macbeth…

  • Tamino says:

    It’s the year 2023 and there are seriously people around who think they need to comment on an irrelevant age difference of two people who obviously have deep affections for each other? Shame on you!

  • Corno di Caccia says:

    A terrible Prom. The Walton was not good at all. The overall performance lacked poise. Thomas Hampson seemed to be learning his part as he went along. One thing’s for sure, Klaus Makela is no André Previn.

  • Corno di Caccia says:

    Who cares? As it was, Thomas Hampson was terrible in Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, turning this, the most dramatic of bass-baritone Oratorio roles into Sprechstimme was completely wrong.

  • Ivann4u2@hotmail.com says:

    They look so good together, they have the same passion, besides their age difference, I am glad to see Yuja share her life with a very inteligent and talented musician.

    I and I look forward to see them together in the future and enjoy their wonderful music.

  • Ralph Zamoyski says:

    I think that common interests, love of music and mutual attraction play a huge role here, after all Yuja is a very attractive young lady and no surprise Klaus would be totally under her spell, especially when long, intelligent and fruitful discussions fill some of the time. Im happy for them. I just want Yuja to stay such a refreshing character that makes every performance great.

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