New Releases

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

I know she's known for her glamorous outfits, but I think she's jumped the shark.

[Oldnslow]

Yuja's got a long way to go to match Gulda's famous recital in the nude.....

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Yuja's got a long way to go to match Gulda's famous recital in the nude.....

How am I supposed to listen to a Gulda recording after reading that. 

[aligreto]

How am I supposed to listen to a Gulda recording after reading that. 

[The new erato]

I know she's known for her glamorous outfits, but I think she's jumped the shark.

Rather tasteless, and not for the first time. Whenpeople goes to these extremes, I automatically suspect they donæt know their stuff. Not saying she doesn't, but I would like people to focus on the music.

[milk]

I know she's known for her glamorous outfits, but I think she's jumped the shark.

I just googled "difference between dress and gown" but can't remember the answer 5 seconds later. It must be tougher on women for the hoops they have to jump through. Much of the formalwear on album covers, male and female, is unattractive to me. You almost would think to avoid it entirely because it dates so quickly. The tuxes, suits and gowns on album covers from the 80s and 90s are atrocious (but good for a laugh). Is there a thread dedicated to that? I recall seeing a "worst album covers" thread before. Even today the stuff that gets called "gowns" are often a bit cheesy. But it seems so much harder for the women to deal with. 

[Jo498]

There are some sartorial classics that don't age so quickly. The tuxedos from the 60s-80s are fine, what is often atrocious are the attempts at casual or semi-formal wear on covers (and the hairstyles). And even then, Karajan's black turtlenecks would be wearable without any flinching today.

[amw]

Wang has some kind of theory about fashion as part of an interpretive gesamtkunstwerk along with all other performer decisions (although she probably wouldn't phrase it that way) and I imagine chose the gown because it harmonised in some way with her concept of the repertoire she was playing; it seems reasonably appropriate for something like Scriabin 10 or the Rachmaninov etudes which are in their own way "in poor taste", morbid, decadent, sickly, etc. (At least these were adjectives applied to the music by contemporary, usually unfriendly critics.) Given that from the standpoint of performance she is probably among the top five or so of living pianists—interpretation is more debatable—and has more freedom in how to present herself than most female artists, she could basically show up to concerts in a fursuit and no one would be likely to object.

Interpretively: most of her Prokofiev has been reference quality, so the 8 should be equally good. Ligeti she will do fine in. I wasn't extremely positive about her Rach 3 but the Etudes-Tableaux are probably better due to being smaller in scale, and I've never heard her in Scriabin. I think it would be a must-buy (or must-pirate) for pianophiles & everyone else should stream first to sample.

[milk]

There are some sartorial classics that don't age so quickly. The tuxedos from the 60s-80s are fine, what is often atrocious are the attempts at casual or semi-formal wear on covers (and the hairstyles). And even then, Karajan's black turtlenecks would be wearable without any flinching today.

I bet some of those 70s tuxes might look a bit out of date now.

[amw]

Has this been mentioned already? Already out, am planning to sample.

[pjme]

Hmmm...let's be happy that fashion changes.

[Iota]

Wang has some kind of theory about fashion as part of an interpretive gesamtkunstwerk along with all other performer decisions (although she probably wouldn't phrase it that way) and I imagine chose the gown because it harmonised in some way with her concept of the repertoire she was playing ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdNZbbHBX_c

A live performance rather than cover art, but as evident in the written foreword, she considers what she's wearing to be very much part of the performance. I think the two align well.

[milk]

Hmmm...let's be happy that fashion changes.

A brief period of time when people dressed like aliens. I like it better than the 80s and early 90s though.

[André]

Hmmm...let's be happy that fashion changes.

The two gents on the right remind me of a Star Trek episode, but which ?

[Ken B]

I know she's known for her glamorous outfits, but I think she's jumped the shark.

Looks like a Miley Cyrus crossover album.

[JBS]

Has this been mentioned already? Already out, am planning to sample.

Been out for a while.  I have it, heard it....but I am not keen on Messaien, so my only comment is that it is probably best to hear this in small doses.

One oddity about this set, btw:  they include a bird feather with the CDs. So if you get it, watch out for the feather when you open it.

[TheGSMoeller]

Looks like a Miley Cyrus crossover album.

Then here's the cover for Yuja's crossover album...

[Daverz]

Perhaps she was singing Papagena in a production of The Magic Flute and didn't have time to change.

[amw]

The recording is very good—playing reminiscent of Cziffra in manner and on an equal level qualitatively. I'm not sure the interpretations necessarily best e.g. Hamelin in the Scriabin or Giltburg in the Prokofiev but it's definitely not just typing and it's less mannered and self conscious than some of her earlier work. Obviously you have to like the repertoire and the whole Cziffra-Horowitz-Rachmaninov school of audience-calculated pianism.

[amw]

Book 1 recorded 2017, Book 2 recorded 1971 (during Ashk's "good period").