# Disappointing Yuja Wang, scam youtube



## kon

I love Rachmaninoff's beautiful concertos and Yuja seemed to be a new powerful interpreter of No.3.
Someone says her a new amazonese like Argerich and really looks very powerful in youtube.
But her Rach3 concert with Phila Orchestra was very disappointed.
She was very passionate but not enough power to make a loud voice.
How foolish to expect Horowitz sound for a little girl who has no competition career!

She has rather a fine sound like Pires though.
So I hope she study Mozart and Schubert that could be also virtuosic even though looks less fabulous.
She couldn't be a real musician unless stop exaggerating gesture.


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## StevenOBrien

kon said:


> I love Rachmaninoff's beautiful concertos and Yuja seemed to be a new powerful interpreter of No.3.
> Someone says her a new amazonese like Argerich and really looks very powerful in youtube.
> But her Rach3 concert with Phila Orchestra was very disappointed.
> She was very passionate but not enough power to make a loud voice.
> How foolish to expect Horowitz sound for a little girl who has no competition career!
> 
> She has rather a fine sound like Pires though.
> So I hope she study Mozart and Schubert that could be also virtuosic even though looks less fabulous.
> She couldn't be a real musician unless stop exaggerating gesture.


I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say. Are you saying that you think the one on youtube is "faked" somehow? Maybe she was just having a bad day with the Philly orchestra?


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## Aramis

kon said:


> But her Rach3 concert with Phila Orchestra was very disappointed.


- Oh, she played me so badly - he said

(I could never get disappointed by musician who got famous more because of one skimpy dress than the actual musicianship, btw - you must have some serious expectations first)


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## kon

-You are right, Aramis.
I hate her dress either, but I thought it didn't matter.
But now I became assured one's attitude is the most important thing.
Thanks.


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## Kieran

C'mon, she wears the skimpy dress as part of a HIP performance. It's authentic, innit?


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## Weston

Ummm . . . links? 

I need to-- umm -- compare this performance to Argerich to be in the know.


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## Vaneyes

Like her or not, she's won competitions, studied with Gary Graffman at Curtis, concertized with some of the world's top orchestras, while recording for Deutsche Grammophon.

kon, your accomplishments, please.


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## KenOC

Vaneyes said:


> Like her or not, she's won competitions, studied with Gary Graffman at Curtis, concertized with some of the world's top orchestras, while recording for Deutsche Grammophon.


And in fact I'm very happy to see Yuja Wang in those dresses. But let's not let it get out of hand. For instance, Martha Argerich? Naw...


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## quack

KenOC said:


> And in fact I'm very happy to see Yuja Wang in those dresses. But let's not let it get out of hand. For instance, Martha Argerich? Naw...


Just be thankful it's not Brendel.


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## trazom

Vaneyes said:


> Like her or not, she's won competitions, studied with Gary Graffman at Curtis, concertized with some of the world's top orchestras, while recording for Deutsche Grammophon.
> 
> kon, your accomplishments, please.


Lang Lang's pretty accomplished, too. She just seems like another keyboard celebrity.


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## KenOC

quack said:


> Just be thankful it's not Brendel.


I feel faint...


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## Couchie

Well, Argerich could never pull off Yuja's dresses. I get the subtle sexism that only unattractive women conservatively dressed can be successful in professional endeavors. If she wears a dress too short, she is attempting to distract from a lapse in talent... what an utterly stupid proposition.

I really like Yuja's Prokofiev. She exercises the 2nd piano concerto with a deadly precision I have not seen in any other pianist. Argerich wouldn't even attempt it... no comparison there.


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## DavidA

Aramis said:


> - Oh, she played me so badly - he said
> 
> (I could never get disappointed by musician who got famous more because of one skimpy dress than the actual musicianship, btw - you must have some serious expectations first)


A pretty sweeping statement of a young Pianist who has won glowing opinions. I have one of her CDs (without a picture of her in a skimpy dress, btw) and the playing is pretty astounding. Interesting though, that in the beginning of the YouTube film of Rach 3 the producer seemed to be more interested in her short dress than the music! Does her no real favours artistically.


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## julianoq

I recently listened to her album with Dudamel and found her playing astonishing. Her dresses may be controversial (I personally don't mind) but her playing is outstanding! :tiphat:


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## KenOC

Some people are just uptight. One of Yuja Wang's performances was famously memorialized by the Philadelphia Inquirer as a "****walk."


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## EricABQ

KenOC said:


> Some people are just uptight. One of Yuja Wang's performances was famously memorialized by the Philadelphia Inquirer as a "****walk."


Well, that comment certainly says a lot more about the person who wrote that line than it does about Ms. Wang.


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## PetrB

KenOC said:


> Some people are just uptight. One of Yuja Wang's performances was famously memorialized by the Philadelphia Inquirer as a "****walk."


LOL. So, like so many other judgements which are variable dependent upon qualifications of the redeeming feature(s):

It is O.K. to be a s l u t _if_ you can play the Prokofiev second piano concerto.


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## kon

Oops! She really won the competitions? 
I didn't know that because I couldn't find and there's no comment in the guide book.


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## kon

julianoq said:


> I recently listened to her album with Dudamel and found her playing astonishing. Her dresses may be controversial (I personally don't mind) but her playing is outstanding! :tiphat:


Her playing was astonishing and touch was lovely.
But not strong enough to make a loud sound.


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## DavidA

kon said:


> Her playing was astonishing and touch was lovely.
> But not strong enough to make a loud sound.


Did you have the volume turned up sufficiently? Or need a hearing aid? She seems plenty loud to me.


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## trazom

I wonder if she be as successful if she wasn't so cute and 'scandalously' dressed? She is quoted saying that any publicity is good publicity. Makes me wonder how many great pianists out there are unknown simply because they opted not to show more cleavage.


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## Couchie

trazom said:


> I wonder if she be as successful if she wasn't so cute and 'scandalously' dressed? She is quoted saying that any publicity is good publicity. Makes me wonder how many great pianists out there are unknown simply because they opted not to show more cleavage.


Liszt was a s l u t who only got famous cause of his good looks and popularity with the ladies. 
Stravinsky was a hack only famous for his scandals.

I like this game.


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## Aramis

Couchie said:


> Liszt was a s l u t who only got famous cause of his good looks and popularity with the ladies.
> Stravinsky was a hack only famous for his scandals.
> 
> I like this game.


I prefer the other game, called "the fame and the hype". You win if you still got your fame after your hype doesn't work anymore.

Liszt and Stravinsky won it, let's see about Yuja Wang.


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## Pedro de Alvarado

Playing Rachmaninov naked: that would be ****ty.


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## mstar

kon said:


> I love Rachmaninoff's beautiful concertos and Yuja seemed to be a new powerful interpreter of No.3.
> Someone says her a new amazonese like Argerich and really looks very powerful in youtube.
> But her Rach3 concert with Phila Orchestra was very disappointed.
> She was very passionate but not enough power to make a loud voice.
> How foolish to expect Horowitz sound for a little girl who has no competition career!
> 
> She has rather a fine sound like Pires though.
> So I hope she study Mozart and Schubert that could be also virtuosic even though looks less fabulous.
> She couldn't be a real musician unless stop exaggerating gesture.


I prefer,not to listen to much Yuja Wang - I find Kissin, Argerich, Berezovsky, and others to have interpretations that are more pleasng to me. As for gesture, I've never _watched_ Yuja Wang play, though when we speak of Argerich, her gestures are for a good reason, as well as necessary for her speed. Even so, both her and Annie Fischer seem to be able to play very speedily, without letting the work "run away" with them. 
As for Yuja Wang, I agree with you in finding Argerich's overall interpretation and playing of the work more pleasant, and even more expressive, without extremity.


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## science

It's normal for an attractive young woman to show off her body. It doesn't take away from her other talents, for which she would deserve the same amount of respect regardless of her appearance. Of course if you disagree, that's your right, and perhaps you should consider moving to Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, where the women behave (for now) the way you think they should.


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## Flamme

There are many very attractive and dare i say SEXY female performers of violin, guitar, cello....Should they hide their magnetism?


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## Jobis

Flamme said:


> There are many very attractive and dare i say SEXY female performers of violin, guitar, cello....Should they hide their magnetism?


I have the same problem with them as I have with say... Hvorostovsky or Netrebko (in the opera side of things), who are too egotistical and arrogant. Music is about the sounds, it shouldn't matter what a performer looks like, it doesn't enhance the music at all. If the only thing getting the seats filled at a Yuja Wang piano recital is her looks then something is a bit off there, then again I don't know how skilled she is so I couldn't say.


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## DavidA

Jobis said:


> I have the same problem with them as I have with say... Hvorostovsky or Netrebko (in the opera side of things), who are too egotistical and arrogant. Music is about the sounds, it shouldn't matter what a performer looks like, it doesn't enhance the music at all. If the only thing getting the seats filled at a Yuja Wang piano recital is her looks then something is a bit off there, then again I don't know how skilled she is so I couldn't say.


I think if you take all the egotists out of music then there is a very small pool left to fish from. Comments like this amaze me! Some of the greatest musicians have been showmen with huge egos, expressed in one way or another. I mean, if you hadn't got ego in the first place, how could you possibly think anyone would want to listen to you?


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## Blancrocher

Flamme said:


> There are many very attractive and dare i say SEXY female performers of violin, guitar, cello....Should they hide their magnetism?


I'm less concerned about how individual performers choose to express themselves than in how the classical music industry (and public) pressure performers to express themselves.


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## Vaneyes

Blancrocher said:


> I'm less concerned about how individual performers choose to express themselves than in how the classical music industry (and public) pressure performers to express themselves.


Surely, personalities, attitudes, selling power, are taken into consideration before contracts are signed.

Other than a label marketing a certain persona or theme from album to album, I don't think there's frequency of anyone pressuring a classical music artist to behave in a certain way. They certainly will be reminded, according to contract clauses, what is not acceptable. For instance, gross misconduct or avoiding recording and publicity requirements.


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## KenOC

So why does Yuja Wang wear those skimpy dresses and have all those provocative pictures taken? Follow the money! Forbes talks about a close parallel in another branch of music: Who makes the most money in pop?

"The honor goes to Madonna, who pulled in $125 million over the past year, making her the highest-paid musician in the world. The bulk of Madge’s millions came from the tail end of her MDNA Tour, which grossed $305 million. She augments her income with heady merchandise sales at concerts, as well as her Material Girl clothing line and Truth or Dare fragrance."

"Gaga ranks second with $80 million; she grossed over $160 million on her latest tour before succumbing to a hip injury. Had she been able to finish, she would have likely topped $200 million. Her ARTPOP album was released after the end of our scoring period, but should give her a boost on next year’s list. She could easily reach the No. 1 spot with a successful set of concerts, the main driver for most major artists’ earnings."


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## trazom

Couchie said:


> Liszt was a s l u t who only got famous cause of his good looks and popularity with the ladies.
> Stravinsky was a hack only famous for his scandals.
> 
> I like this game.


Liszt and Stravinsky wouldn't have gotten away with performing in a microdress either. Bit of a stretch to compare Yuja Wang's situation with Liszt's: He was famous even before he grew into a young adult, and Stravinsky wouldn't have tempted more audience members by showing more skin.


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## DavidA

I think comparing Wang to Madonna or Lady Gaga is a bit far fetched. Of course money is one driving force. Then how many musicians have not allowed it to bother them? Not many, I guess! I believe it was John Lennon who famously said that money should be abolished but died worth £75 million!
Yuja Wang is creating an image for herself. Nothing wrong with that if here playing can back it up.
Read the NY Times review of a concert:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/18/arts/music/yuja-wang-at-carnegie-hall.html?_r=0


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## KenOC

DavidA said:


> I think comparing Wang to Madonna or Lady Gaga is a bit far fetched.


I don't think it's far-fetched at all. And I certainly wasn't criticizing Ms. Wang (or those two worthies Madonna and Gaga either!)


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## tdc

Personally I don't understand all the fuss, she wore a tight dress, wow. Its less skin than you would see on someone if you went to the local beach or swimming pool.


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## KenOC

tdc said:


> Personally I don't understand all the fuss, she wore a tight dress, wow. Its less skin than you would see on someone if you went to the local beach or swimming pool.


Well, this is CLASSICAL music. You're supposed to dress (as I read here recently) like a Victorian-era undertaker. Or maybe undertakeress.


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## trazom

KenOC said:


> Well, this is CLASSICAL music. You're supposed to dress (as I read here recently) like a Victorian-era undertaker. Or maybe undertakeress.


I'm sure there's a happy medium between those two extremes somewhere. It's not like people were asking her to wear a chastity belt.


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## Centropolis

Honestly, it's marketing. As long as she can back it up with her playing, I don't have too much of an issue. Her dresses are a bit tight but it's not like ridiculous.

As an aside, I've spent a lot more time on YouTube watching Arabella Steinbacher than I do on Itzhak Perlman.


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## Vaneyes

trazom said:


> I'm sure there's a happy medium between those two extremes somewhere. It's not like people were asking her to wear a chastity belt.


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## ahammel

Jobis said:


> Music is about the sounds, it shouldn't matter what a performer looks like, it doesn't enhance the music at all.


And yet, here we are on page three of a discussion of what she looks like.


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## KenOC

ahammel said:


> And yet, here we are on page three of a discussion of what she looks like.


What she looks like is extremely important. And in fact she's a TOTAL FOX! I'd rather look at her than Wanda Landowska any day. And she doesn't play one of them harpy-whatsits either!


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## Vaneyes

I just realized some may not know what Ms. Wang looks like...in the infamous red dress.

That violinist isn't fooling me. He's taking it all in. Squinting eyes indeed.


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## KenOC

Vaneyes said:


> I just realized some may not know what Ms. Wang looks like...in the infamous red dress.
> 
> That violinist isn't fooling me. He's taking it all in. Squinting eyes indeed.


Well, yeah. He's got one hand on her waist, after all. Take a look! Sly dog.


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## DavidA

KenOC said:


> I don't think it's far-fetched at all. And I certainly wasn't criticizing Ms. Wang (or those two worthies Madonna and Gaga either!)


I would have thought that comparing anyone to Madonna or Lady G implies a criticism if not a downright insult! :lol:


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## DavidA

KenOC said:


> Well, this is CLASSICAL music. You're supposed to dress (as I read here recently) like a Victorian-era undertaker. Or maybe undertakeress.


Wasn't Frederick Gulda who gave a concert in the nude?


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## PetrB

Pedro de Alvarado said:


> Playing Rachmaninov naked: that would be ****ty.


Bartok liked to -- and did -- practice and compose in the nude. Now, he didn't do it publicly, but was he, too, "a S.L.U.T."?


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## carmen

*Re:Yuja Wang*



kon said:


> I love Rachmaninoff's beautiful concertos and Yuja seemed to be a new powerful interpreter of No.3.
> Someone says her a new amazonese like Argerich and really looks very powerful in youtube.
> But her Rach3 concert with Phila Orchestra was very disappointed.
> She was very passionate but not enough power to make a loud voice.
> How foolish to expect Horowitz sound for a little girl who has no competition career!
> 
> She has rather a fine sound like Pires though.
> So I hope she study Mozart and Schubert that could be also virtuosic even though looks less fabulous.
> She couldn't be a real musician unless stop exaggerating gesture.


She is the most powerful piano on todays market. What a blessing GOD has given her. That we as the audiance get to hear her. My husband is a concert piano player, he has been compared to Rachmaninoff and Chopin, he has composed more than 1000 pieces all the way from concertos including for all of the 44 piece orchestras to sonatas to love songs, etc. He my husband and I are memorized by her so the rest of your rude comments RE: Yuja is pure jealousy. Sorry for those of you who don't get raw talent, could u do better? NO WAY!!!! I don't see any of your names in lights.


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## carmen

Why don't you have something positive to say do u have any idea how many hours a day she practices apparently NOT! Also I love her attitude she knows who she is and she doesn't care about any of anyone's rude comments. Kudos to her.


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## Pugg

carmen said:


> She is the most powerful piano on todays market. What a blessing GOD has given her. That we as the audiance get to hear her. My husband is a concert piano player, he has been compared to Rachmaninoff and Chopin, he has composed more than 1000 pieces all the way from concertos including for all of the 44 piece orchestras to sonatas to love songs, etc. He my husband and I are memorized by her so the rest of your rude comments RE: Yuja is pure jealousy. Sorry for those of you who don't get raw talent, could u do better? NO WAY!!!! I don't see any of your names in lights.





carmen said:


> Why don't you have something positive to say do u have any idea how many hours a day she practices apparently NOT! Also I love her attitude she knows who she is and she doesn't care about any of anyone's rude comments. Kudos to her.


Why coming in and dig up a old topic just to have a go at posters


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