Listening to Yunchan Lim

[PPeso]

Undoubtedly the most hyped new kid on the pianistic bloc, on balance
quite deservedly so. There are several videos on YouTube including the
hugely popular Rach PC3 at the 2022 Cliburn. A few comments on his cd
discography:

2020 rel November Seoul (KBS Studio 16) [Young Musicians of Korea Vol.3]
BEETHOVEN --- Sonata No.14 in c sharp, Op.27 No.1 "Mondschein" [KBS AMC
2-194 tracks 1-3] / LISZT --- Anneés de Pèlerinage: II Année (Italie),
S161 [KBS AMC 2-194 tracks 4-10]

Not shy about exploring innovative ways to use the sustain pedal way
more extensively than most of his peers, something that makes perfect
sense in the Mondschein. The whole Italie witnesses a strong affinity
with mid-century Liszt, as will be apparent at the Cliburn.

2022 June 10 Forth Worth, Texas (Bass Performance Hall) [Semifinal Round
of the XVI Van Cliburn International Piano Competition] LISZT --- Études
d'Exécution Transcendante, S139 [Stainway & Sons STNS 30217]

And here it is. Probably his strongest performance at the Cliburn, and
one of the best complete Trascendental Etudes this side of Lazar Berman.
Incidentally there are tons of good stuff at the Cliburn rounds, not
issued officially: worth listening to are the Scriabin PS2 Op.19, the
Bach Recercare a 3, the Beethoven Eroica Variations. A good Mozart PC22
K482, less convincing a rather mannered PS9 K311.


2022 Oct 7-11 Tongyeong (Concert Hall) BEETHOVEN --- Piano Concerto No.5
in E flat, Op.73 "Emperor" (Gwangju Symphony Orchestra, Hong) [DG 40297
tracks 1-3] / SCRIABIN --- 3 Morceaux, Op.45: No.1 `Feuillet d'Album'
[DG 40297 track 8] / 2 Poèmes, Op.69: No.1 `Allegretto' [DG 40297 track
7] / MOMPOU --- Scènes d'Enfants: No.5 `Jeunes Filles au Jardin' [DG
40297 track 6]

A rather cautious reading of the first two movements of the Emperor,
gets somewhat more energetic only in the III mvt but still no surprises
and limited sparkle. The accompaniment does not help, with the Gwangju
Symphony Orchestra led by Seokwon Hong nothing more than functional. The
encores are more promising: atmospheric Mompou, and once again
interesting use of the pedal with impressionistic resonances and timbral
nuances in Scriabin.


2023 Dec 17-20 London (Henry Wood Hall) CHOPIN --- 12 Études, Op.10
[Decca 487 0122 tracks 1-12] / 12 Études, Op.25 [Decca 487 0122 tracks
13-24]

The big-label official debut. As witnessed by the above-mentioned Liszt
recitals, collections of relatively short pieces work quite well with
Lim at this stage of his career, probably better than sonata-form
structures. About Chopin, his admitted "chief influences" are Friedman,
Cortot, Egorov and Horowitz for the Op.25 No.7. Quite revealing: no
particular interest in the milestone readings by Ashkenazy (1959-60),
Cziffra, Pollini, Sokolov 1985 (Op.25), Richter (bits here and there).
Thanks goodness, no interest in Perahia 2001. Instead, Cortot as a
benchmark makes perfect interpretive sense, as Lim seems to be
approaching the Etudes as a story-teller discovering the One Thousand
and One Nights. In his view, the Op.10 "starts with the Big Bang and
returns to nothingness", and each etude is less concerned with displays
of pianistic technique than with explorations of inward feelings and
emotions, including an Op.10 No.6 that "conveys the sentiment of someone
drinking alcohol and singing to forget the pain of reality". Oh well.
Consistently, the Op.25 No.7 - the least athletic one - is in Lim's
words "the heart of all Etudes", and the special reference to Horowitz's
interpretation says it all. Not everyone will be fully sold to his
approach, but Lim's reading of the Etudes is a strong recommendation,
worth coming back to.

[DeepBlue]

Post by PPeso
Undoubtedly the most hyped new kid on the
pianistic bloc, on balance quite deservedly
so. There are several videos on YouTube
including the hugely popular Rach PC3 at
the 2022 Cliburn.

Too dry, no finger legato, percussive attack,
incapable of singing, no discernible ability
to bend or suspend time.

The fireworks are there, however one can get
both music and fireworks from HJ Lim, Cziffra,
Weissenberg, Berman or von Karolyi.

Sorry.

PS. He does not play Albeniz or Faure, and I
would wager a penny that when finally does
attempt them he will sounds like a de luxe
sewing machine.

[PPeso]

Post by DeepBlue

Post by PPeso
Undoubtedly the most hyped new kid on the
pianistic bloc, on balance quite deservedly
so. There are several videos on YouTube
including the hugely popular Rach PC3 at
the 2022 Cliburn.

Too dry, no finger legato, percussive attack,
incapable of singing, no discernible ability
to bend or suspend time.

About the Rach 3, even he agrees he could have done better at the
Cliburn. But as a general assessment of his artistry and technique this
is remarkably inaccurate. He can be whimsical and amusing (see his
Beethoven's Bagatelles), articulate his phrasing as a belcanto diva (see
the Chopin-Bellini Casta Diva), and display a very effective rubato when
needed (see the Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2). And he his 20 years old, he
has plenty of time to refine his considerable talents.

Post by DeepBlue
The fireworks are there, however one can get
both music and fireworks from HJ Lim, Cziffra,
Weissenberg, Berman or von Karolyi.

The words "Weissenberg" and "fireworks" should never appear together in
the same sentence.

Post by DeepBlue
Sorry.

No worries.

Post by DeepBlue
PS. He does not play Albeniz or Faure, and I
would wager a penny that when finally does
attempt them he will sounds like a de luxe
sewing machine.

Happy to take the bet.

[DeepBlue]

Post by PPeso
The words "Weissenberg" and "fireworks"
should never appear together in the same
sentence.

Have you ever heard Weissenberg live at
or near the peak of his concert career?
If so, please provide some details. TIA!

[PPeso]

Post by PPeso
Undoubtedly the most hyped new kid on the pianistic bloc, on balance
quite deservedly so.

A little lagniappe to my own post. I just watched the recent Verbier
recital on Medici.tv. Talking about Eusebius and Florestan... After a
couple of Mendelssohn's songs without words the first part is an
introspective, intimate, inward-looking, nuanced reading of
Tchaikovsky's Seasons. Beautifully done, without the footprint of salon
music unfortunately associated with this piece the few times it is
actually performed (Pletnev is the exception and by far my top
recommendation). Boy, that did not prepare me for the second part of the
concert, Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition. There are two basic
approaches to this piece: one can go with Richter and follow the
original quite closely, without messing around too much with its
black-and-white idiosyncrasies; or one can go with Horowitz and
transcribe it as a virtuoso showcase in technicolor. Now, Lim goes
Horowitz on steroids and transcribes the transcription adding tons of
CGI special effects and sweating profusely in the process. This may be
one of the most narcissistically extroverted readings of the Kartinki,
as if Pogorelich and Lang Lang had met by night on the Bald Mountain and
decided to go wild with Mussorgsky. As a pianistic feat this is
mesmerizing and outstanding. As an interpretation I hated it thoroughly.
The encore is Chopin's nocturne Op.9 No.2, which returns to the dimmed
atmosphere of the two Mendelssohn's lieder that open the recital.

[DeepBlue]

Post by PPeso

Post by PPeso
Undoubtedly the most hyped new kid on the pianistic bloc, on balance
quite deservedly so.

A little lagniappe to my own post. I just watched the recent Verbier
recital on Medici.tv. Talking about Eusebius and Florestan... After a
couple of Mendelssohn's songs without words the first part is an
introspective, intimate, inward-looking, nuanced reading of
Tchaikovsky's Seasons. Beautifully done, without the footprint of salon
music unfortunately associated with this piece the few times it is
actually performed (Pletnev is the exception and by far my top
recommendation). Boy, that did not prepare me for the second part of the
concert, Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition. There are two basic
approaches to this piece: one can go with Richter and follow the
original quite closely, without messing around too much with its
black-and-white idiosyncrasies; or one can go with Horowitz and
transcribe it as a virtuoso showcase in technicolor. Now, Lim goes
Horowitz on steroids and transcribes the transcription adding tons of
CGI special effects and sweating profusely in the process. This may be
one of the most narcissistically extroverted readings of the Kartinki,
as if Pogorelich and Lang Lang had met by night on the Bald Mountain and
decided to go wild with Mussorgsky. As a pianistic feat this is
mesmerizing and outstanding. As an interpretation I hated it thoroughly.
The encore is Chopin's nocturne Op.9 No.2, which returns to the dimmed
atmosphere of the two Mendelssohn's lieder that open the recital.

Can he do this?

It should be required in all piano competitions! ;-)

Cheers!