Yuja Wang: The Israel sessions

Yuja Wang: The Israel sessions

Daily Comfort Zone

norman lebrecht

May 07, 2024

‘Tell me, Yuja,’ asks Professor Arieh Vardi in a little-seen conversation on Israel Educational Television, ”why a fugue in the middle of such a composition?’

‘Shalom, Arik,’ says Yuja.

‘Show me how you do it,’ says Arik. ‘Teach me, please.’

Comments

  • Jonathan Z says:

    His name is usually spelt Arie.

  • yaron says:

    “Inrermezzo with Arik” went on for years and years. It was very successful in conveying the joy of music, mainly because Arieh Vardy himself seemed to enjoyed every minute. He treated the same both world stars and young musicians -mixing serious conversation with good mysic making. And of couese he is a wonderful teacher as well.

  • BenHarmonics says:

    This is from Vardi’s show, Intermezzo. He also did great interviews with Murray Perahia, András Schiff, But this video is from

    • Gabriel Parra Blessing says:

      The Perahia interview is great because Perahia is great. Schiff, on the other hand, comes off as such a pompous ass. And that’s because that’s exactly what he is. Hands down the most overrated pianist of the past several decades.

  • Micaela Bonetti says:

    Have a look on young wonderful Yeol Eum Son’s Bach “Intermezzo” with Arie!

  • A.G. says:

    Six years ago, one might add.

  • Peter Feltham. says:

    Well she can always fall back on her 2nd career if the piano work dries up.

  • Kael says:

    Posting this six-year old video in the heat of a global conflict, you didn’t just use Yuja Wang for some agenda now Norman? What an insult to her and to her listeners!

    • Misha says:

      It is not a global conflict, it is a war against subhuman Hamas terrorists you evidently support

      • Keys2K says:

        You’re either choosing to ignore the children in Rafah, or are fully aware and have dehumanised them. Either event is deplorable.

        Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Teitzei 1: “You shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.”

        • Debra Gold-Dorfman says:

          It sounds as if you’re ignoring the 100(or so) hostages(including 2 VERY YOUNG children), who are, prayerfully, still alive. Israel is not ignoring them.

          • Michael says:

            Quite obviously Israel is not up to the task, with all the damage. The US needs to take over and calm the situation.

          • Keys2K says:

            No child should suffer. Not the 2 very young child hostages you mentioned, not the est. 600,000 children in Rafah (as of 2 days ago at least).
            But if you’d prefer to place a higher value on one child’s life over another, go ahead I guess.

      • idk lol says:

        Oh it’s very much global, might just involve a handful of countries but the whole world has a lot to say about a war that’s supposedly “not global.”

  • Gabriel Parra Blessing says:

    Interesting all the down votes on otherwise totally anodyne posts. Gee, I wonder why that might be?

    It’s clear that for many goyim Israel’s “original sin” is the mere fact of its existence.

  • Andrew T says:

    The actual conversation was “Ni hao, Yuja”, followed by “Shalom, Arik”. Why is Yuja’s fully appropriate greeting taken out of context, making it sound like a clueless response to Vardi’s question?

  • Steve Rogers says:

    This is so charming, we see a human side to Wuja which is so nice.

    • Petros Linardos says:

      If only Yuja were treated here with more respect. I can’t wait to listen to her live this summer.

  • david toub says:

    Honestly, this was a totally annoying and insulting interview. Many of the questions were asinine (“why a fugue in the middle of the Prokofiev Toccata?” is just one of the dumber questions). She is an amazing pianist, and I would have rather seen more insightful questioning than “how do you do it?” as if any of these things could be answered by Yuja Wang or any other pianist.

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