Yuja Wang is one of the most gifted and influential pianists of our time. She possesses a technique of flawless precision, phenomenal power and stamina, a rhythmic sense as accurate as an atomic clock, and a diamond-white sound that whatever it lacks in warmth, depth and sonority, it makes up for in sheer clarity, dynamic range and glitter. Wang generates the kind of visceral excitement that Argerich and Horowitz did in their youth. The more difficult and complex the music, the better – and the faster she plays it – as this recital programme from a concert in Vienna in 2022 amply demonstrates.

She is at her best in works such as the Ligeti, Kapustin and Glass Études, which to be frank are miraculous examples of technical control, speed, pianola-like rhythmic precision and clarity that probably makes her the envy of her professional colleagues. Equally impressive are the Albéniz and Márquez works, where her ability to delineate and clarify complex textures and rhythmic figurations produces readings of astonishing brio and vivacity.

For me, the larger works that form the core of the recital are not quite so successful. In Scriabin’s Third Sonata, fine performance though it is, Wang lacks the richness, sonority and insight of Kissin’s recording for RCA, although here again her rapier-sharp rhythms, huge dynamic range and textural clarity are astonishing. I found her Beethoven Hunt Sonata, Op 31 No 3, rather less satisfying – slightly overdrawn dynamic contrasts, explosive sforzandos and an emphasis on speed and rhythmic syncopations. Exciting, but perhaps not completely idiomatic, although others may disagree. The engineering is excellent and as a complete package, this is a remarkable recital from a truly astonishing pianist.

‘The Vienna Recital’

Albéniz Iberia – Lavapiés; Málaga Beethoven Piano Sonata No 18 in E flat, ‘Hunt’, Op 31 No 3 Brahms Intermezzo in C sharp minor, Op 117 No 3 Glass Étude No 6 Gluck/Sgambati Mélodie Kapustin Jazz Preludes, Op 53 – No 10; No 11 Ligeti Études – No 6, Automne à Varsovie; No 13, L’escalier du diable Márquez Danzón No 2 Scriabin Piano Sonata No 3 in F sharp minor, Op 23

Yuja Wang pf

DG 486 4567

This review originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of International Piano. Never miss an issue – subscribe today