Yuja Wang and the Oslo Philharmonic in Oslo Concert Hall – Reviews and recommendations

The Oslo Philharmonic does not have its actual season opening until a couple of weeks from now. Before that, the tour goes to the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall itself. The concert in Oslo Concert Hall on Wednesday evening was a kind of dress rehearsal before this prestigious event. The poster featured key works by Jean Sibelius, Franz Liszt and Richard Strauss – music that allows an orchestra to really show what it’s good for. The Oslo Philharmonic, under its young and forward-looking chief conductor Klaus Mäkelä, did this to their advantage, especially after the break. Pianistic circus The evening’s soloist was none other than Yuja Wang, who must undoubtedly be characterized as classical music’s biggest celebrity at the moment. She first lasted with one of the large and well-characterized piano concertos from the romantic repertoire, performed with great power and dramatic facts. Then a couple of encores with a fingerwork so stunning that you almost forget to breathe. Well, the element of show and circus is undoubtedly present when Wang comes to town. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that she is a phenomenal musician. PIANO STARS: Watch Yuja Wang impress in Berlin in 2018. Superhuman and demonic There is a five-year-old YouTube clip of Wang playing Prokofiev’s “Toccata” Op. 11. I guess I’ve seen that clip 50 times. One thing is that the technique is at a superhuman level. In addition, she acts as if Old Erik himself has taken up residence in her body. It’s so powerful and demonic it’s downright scary. These qualities were certainly also present in Wang’s performance of Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 at the Oslo Concert Hall. However, she is most convincing in parts where she shows off her incredible ability to articulate clearly and neatly in Liszt’s characteristic waterfall of tones. The more lyrical and heartfelt parts, on the other hand, sound a bit flat and unimaginative. She has something going for her when it comes to poetry and interpretive distinctiveness. BEIJING AND PHILADELPHIA: Yuja Wang (35) has studied piano at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. The really wild mood comes only after the two encores: first Vladimir Horowitz’s hyper-virtuoso variations on themes from Bizet’s “Carmen”, then Liszt’s arrangement of Schubert’s beautiful “Gretchen am Spinnrade”. I had hoped for one more insane pianistic tour de force, but it ended up with these two. Maybe just as well, really. Not magical enough The concert opens with music that is the exact opposite of circus: Jean Sibelius’ tone poem “Tapiola”. This is Sibelius’ last work, and is the culmination of the composer’s fascination with the old Finnish folk beliefs about nature gods and underground forces. There is certainly much to enjoy when the Oslo Philharmonic plays this deeply fascinating work. The string sound is rich and warm, and certain parts are shaped by Mäkelä with a striking, almost Mendelssohn-like weightlessness. Nevertheless, there is something about the suggestive, mythological and magical that is never completely released in Mäkelä’s interpretation. The storm towards the end, for example, sounds wonderfully controlled and detailed. All in all, there is something section-by-section-like about Mäkelä’s way of conducting the work which weakens the dramaturgy, and which means that the goosebump-inducing climax in the strings right towards the end does not quite have the impact it should have. Shining orchestra SHINES: The Oslo Philharmonic shines under the direction of chief conductor Klaus Mäkelä. Photo: Fred-Olav Vatne The most complete experience of the evening comes after the break, in the form of Richard Strauss’ enormous orchestral fantasy “Ein Heldenleben”. The work is a kind of ironic autobiography in tones that at the same time cynically point their noses at the highest ideals of Western culture. The performance is a demonstration of how strongly the Oslo Philharmonic can shine under Klaus Mäkelä. Not least, the orchestra’s concertmaster Elise Båtnes gets to show off, once again, what a great violinist she is. The highlights come like pearls on a string: the love scene is completely magical, and the subsequent battle scene a display of orchestral sonority and precision. Not even the slightly tedious last part of the work ever becomes boring under Mäkelä. Now it’s not far to the Royal Albert Hall, but this tastes like bird. That the piano phenomenon Yuja Wang chooses the Oslo Philharmonic as a partner for his only performance during this year’s Proms is yet another feather in the cap of an orchestra that has so far had a completely adventurous year. And yet it is only late summer. It could be an exciting autumn and winter at the Oslo Concert Hall. news reviews Photo: FRED-OLAV VATNE Who: Yuja Wang (piano), Oslo Philharmonic and Klaus Mäkelä (conductor) What: Works by Jean Sibelius, Franz Liszt and Richard Strauss Place: Oslo Konserthus Duration: 2 hours Date: 10 August 2022



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