Yuja Wang at Davies Symphony Hall, December 1, 2014

San Francisco Performances presents a solo recital by Yuja Wang
2014-12-01
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA
7:30 PM, Monday, December 1, 2014

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

• Chopin: Fantasie in F minor, Op. 49
• Scriabin: Impromptu à la Mazur in C Major, Op. 2, No. 3
• Scriabin: Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 42, No. 5
• Scriabin: Etude in B-flat minor, Op. 8, No. 11
• Scriabin: Etude in D-sharp minor, Op. 8, No. 12
• Scriabin: Sonata No. 9, Op. 68 Black Mass
• Granados: Goyescas: El fandango de candil
• Albéniz: Iberia: Málaga
• Schubert: Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960

• Schubert-Liszt: Gretchen am Spinnrade S.558/8
• Mozart: “Turkish March” from Sonata in A, K.332 (arr. Arcadi Volodos)
• possibly including other works by Mompou, Granados, Albeniz and Scriabin

• Schubert/Liszt: Selections from Schwanengesang, D.957
• Schubert/Liszt: Die schöne Müllerin, D.795
• Schubert: Sonata in A Major, D.959
• Scriabin: Prelude for the Left Hand Op. 9, No. 1
• Scriabin: Prelude Op.11, No. 8 in F sharp minor
• Scriabin: Fantasie in B minor, Op. 28
• Scriabin: Prelude Op. 37, No. 1 in B flat minor
• Scriabin: 2 Poèmes, Op. 63
• Scriabin: Sonata No. 9, Op. 68 “Black Mass”
• Mily Balakirev: Islamey

[7:35 PM lights down, announcements]

Franz Schubert (1797-1828): Selections from Schwanengesang (Swan song), D.957, (1828) arranged for piano by Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

1. [7:37 PM] I. Liebesbotschaft (Message of Love), S.560/10
2. [7:40 PM] V. Aufenthalt (Dwelling Place), S.560/3

Franz Schubert (1797-1828): from Die schöne Müllerin (the Lovely Maid of the Mill), Op. 25, D.795 (1824); arranged for piano by Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

1. [7:43 PM] XIX. Der Müller und der Bach (The Miller and the Brook), in G minor, S.565/2
   [segment ends 7:47 PM; ovation then off for a couple minutes]

Franz Schubert (1797-1828): Sonata in A Major, Op. Posth., D.959 (1828)

1. [7:50 PM] Allegro
2. [8:02 PM] Andantino
3. [8:10 PM] Scherzo: Allegro vivace – Trio: Un poco più lento
4. [8:14 PM] Rondo: Allegretto – Presto
   [set ends 8:25 PM; applause and bows and then off for set break at 8:27 PM]

[8:49 PM lights down]

Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915): Selected works

1. [8:50 PM] Prelude for the Left Hand Op. 9, No. 1 (1894)
2. [8:53 PM] Prelude Op.11, No. 8 in F sharp minor; Allegro agitato
3. [8:55 PM] Fantasie in B minor, Op. 28 (1900)
   [segment ends 9:04 PM; pause for applause]
4. [9:04 PM] Prelude Op. 37, No. 1 in B flat minor (1903); Mesto
5. [9:06 PM] Étrangeté (Strangeness), 2 Poèmes, Op. 63/2 (1911)
6. [9:08 PM] Masques, 2 Poèmes, Op. 63/1 (1911)
7. [9:09 PM] Sonata No. 9, Op. 68 “Messe noire (Black Mass)” (1913)
   [segment ends 9:17 PM; pause for applause, then off and out for a minute or so]

1. [9:18 PM] Mily Balakirev (1837-1910): Islamey (1902)
   [set ends 9:26 PM; off and back for multiple ovations, then in and whammo!]

1. [9:28 PM] Robert Schumann (1810-1856): El Contrabandista (the Smuggler), from Spanisches Liederspiel, Op. 74, No. 10, 1849; arranged for piano solo by Carl Tausig (1841-1871), 1915.
   [set ends 9:30 PM; off and back for multiple ovations, then in and one more without a word]

1. [9:31 PM] Frédéric Chopin: Waltz No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2, 1847
   [work ends 9:35; one more curtain call, then done for the night at 9:36 PM]

• Yuja Wang: piano.

Easy traffic today (must be the extended Thanksgiving lull) and then easy parking when two spots open up a block away from the hall. Oh happy day!

My first set experience was somewhat marred by feedback from the hearing aid of the guy sitting behind me – fixed only after turning around and getting the attention of his wife (who probably couldn't hear the nasty whine either, but at least knew what to do when folks started giving them the stink eye). Oh well, not too much you can do when that happens! At least I got to hear most of the set without the whine, and Yuja was fabulous, as usual. It's kind of funny how easy it is to take such stupendous talent and artistry for granted, as of any of us in the audience could even hope to hold a candle to her! So yeah, awesome!

Outside at setbreak for some cool air. The building across Van Ness at Fell seems to be set up for some sort of light show, as the lights are flicking on and off in a fairly organized fashion. Kind of cool for a minute or three, but I bet it's annoying to the folks facing west from the condos on lower Polk! City hall is lit up in bright red tonight. Wonder what that's for… probably not for the 49ers latest loss to the Seahawks!

The second set was even more engaging than the first, what with the somewhat more difficult compositions. Makes me think I should listen to a not more Scriabin! And the Balakirev? Whoa! Hot, hot, hot! Arpeggios up the yin yang, and with feeling!

First encore was similar to the rest of the second set – I'm gonna guess that it's another Scriabin piece. BZZZZZT. Totally wrong on the composer. Major props to SF Performances for updating their event page with the encore information within 24 hours!

Second encore was quite familiar, but I haven't yet matched my recollection of the tune to an actual title. Seemed like a Hungarian Dance or one of Dvořák's Slavonic Dances or some such work: especially nice because it was quite lyrical and dreamy, as opposed to being simply virtuosic. Chopin, of course! Stimulates me to think that I should put in some practice time at the piano so as to be able to whack at that piece myself. I especially liked that Yuja played with the meter of this piece, allowing it to speed up and slow down as if being performed by a pair of spinning ice dancers (of course, that's the way it's written, but still, it was very cool to hear it done so well!). Would have been nice for Yuja to tell us what she was going to play – or to wait for everyone to sit down! – but it made for a fun bit of listening nonetheless.

Lara Downes posted a nice promotional interview with Yuja at SFCV.

Stephen Smoliar posted a complimentary review for the Examiner, though he was uncharitably sour regarding the final encore.

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!