As part of the Colburn Celebrity Recital series at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, two of the most accomplished pianists performed challenging dual piano works by a wide array of composers.
By John Lavitt
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 03-03-2023
In a performance that received five standing ovations and three encores, Víkingur Ólafsson and Yuja Wang brought their in-demand recital to the Walt Disney Concert Hall last week. Both pianists are in demand, both live and in the studio, for their innovative virtuosity. The Icelandic pianist is a study in the passionate introspection of an existential man. In contrast, the Chinese Canadian is a dynamic ball of strength and bravado. They are like the Yin and the Yang of piano players, coming together on stage to form a whole.
With their pianos facing opposite directions, they rarely engaged with each other, but it was clear that their pianos were having an intense and assertive conversation. Indeed, their heads turned to make eye contact only when the pieces demanded perfect coordination for a start or a climax. Reflecting his character, Ólafsson played the L.A. Phil’s old-school luminous Hamburg Steinway. In contrast, Wang brought to life the the orchestra’s New York Steinway, which reflects the dynamism of her glamorous playing. Indeed, the piano choices were key because the pianos were the dominant presence in the room, even beyond the charisma of the players.
Right from the opening, the two-minute Wasserklavier, the tone for the night was set. The first of six short pieces written by the Italian composer Luciano Berio (1925-2003) between 1965 and 1990 blends nostalgia with an undeniable modernism. From this opening piece onward, an intensely intimate conversation began between the two gorgeous pianos, with the two accomplished pianists as passionate interpreters.
Although the content of the conversations was written by multiple composers, ranging from Franz Schubert’s Fantasia in F minor for Four Hands and John Cage’s Experiences No. 1 to the Symphonic Dances of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), the interpreters brought each piece into the context of their artistic conversation. Thus, the night became an artistic exploration into classical music’s emotional depth and creative will in multiple formulations.
Perhaps the most engaging transition of the night was from Franz Schubert’s Fantasia in F minor for Four Hands and John Cage’s Experiences No. 1. The two pieces of music are so profoundly different. Yet, they worked perfectly in the forest of the capable fingers of the two pianists. Composed in 1828, the last year of his life, Schubert’s Fantasia in F minor for Four Hands contains epic emotions of tragic lyricism.
From a resigned nostalgia for a mythical past to a vital celebration of Arcadian motifs, the piece conveys the meditative sadness of the Romantic era. During the playing of the four parts for four hands, the two pianists perfectly conveyed such a challenging range of lyrical expression.
In contrast to Schubert, John Cage’s Experiences No. 1 is a wonderfully halting and awkward conversation between two nervous people at a party. Seen through the lens of the music, the desire to connect is often overcome by the fear of being hurt. The question of the piece is whether agreement and understanding can build to the point where suspicion and paranoia are left in the dust.
Played with delicacy and precision by Víkingur Ólafsson and Yuja Wang, John Cage’s Experiences No. 1 was a declaration of the duo’s success. Together, they enthrall an audience by allowing the pianos to optimize their potential as forms of intimate yet epic expression and emotion. Indeed, it was a celebratory night at the Walt Disney Concert Hall that will be remembered and relished for years to come.
Photos Courtesy of Timothy Norris for the Los Angeles Philharmonic
