Mozart gets a total Yundi makeover
Album Of The WeekFrom the 5* Lebrecht Album of the Week:
… In twelve and a half minutes, Yundi Li gives Mozart a total makeover. This is the most refreshing and innovative Mozart pianism I have heard in years….
Read on here.
And here.
En francais: ici.
In The Critic here.
Thank you for the intriguing review. I feel compelled to revisit K475 now. Personally, I found the third sonata, K457, to be the most enjoyable. And I believe the ‘Alla Turca’ is particularly well-received (This might be attributed to the piece’s inherent popularity.)
As one who has written adversely here about some of Yundi Li’s activities over the past decade, I am delighted that he has returned to his earlier masterful pianism. He was always China’s finest pianist and what has usually seemed his innate sense of modesty has frequently suffered when having to contend with Lang Lang who was never content to be merely a concert pianist. His overriding ambition was to become a superstar and he succeeded in freezing Yundi Li out of his first DGG recording contract and planned appearance at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics opening ceremony. I look forward to hearing the Mozart album.
Listening to Yundi’s Total Mozart Makeover, it comes to mind that perhaps Lang Lang’s recent Total Bach Makeover was unfairly received. Is one a truly more interesting or unique re-think than the other? Personally, though I’m preferring Su Yeon Kim’s recent Mozart.