Yuja Wang & Vikingur Ólafsson / Piano Recital

• Classical Music

It would be hard to imagine two musicians more dissimilar: on the one hand, Víkingur Ólafsson – a rather introverted artist, reserved in demeanour, nuanced in his playing. On the other hand, Yuja Wang, whose spectacular appearance – extravagant short dresses and skirts, mile-high Louboutins – usually attracts just as much attention at her concerts as her no less spectacular playing. What they both have in common: they are unimpressed by the opinions of others. And they are damn good.In this ProArte concert, the Chinese power woman and the Icelandic sound conjuror now unleash a veritable firework display of pianism. The backbone of their concert is formed by Franz Schubert’s F-minor Fantasy and Sergei Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances (originally: Fantastic Dances) – late works by the two composers that are almost like a life review. With short works by contemporary composers such as John Adams and Arvo Pärt, Wang and Ólafsson embed these two major works in an appealing new musical context.

PERFORMERS

Yuja Wang piano

Víkingur Ólafsson piano

PROGRAM

Franz Schubert
Fantasie für Klavier zu vier Händen f-Moll D 940

John Adams
Hallelujah Junction für zwei Klaviere

Sergej Rachmaninow
Sinfonische Tänze op. 45 (Fassung für zwei Klaviere)

as well as other works by Dave Brubeck, Arvo Pärt and others