This February, Yuja Wang will return to perform with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Czech conductor, Jakub Hrůša. The program will feature awe-inspiring compositions by Franz Liszt, Zoltán Kodály and Bohuslav Martinů.
The concert will begin with Kodály’s sparkling Concerto for Orchestra which was written in 1940 for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 50th anniversary and performed the next year by the orchestra at the helm of its music director, Frederick Stock. The composition is reminiscent of some of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos with it’s baroque-like passages and its similarity to the concerto grosso form.
The next offering in the program will be Lizst’s Piano Concerto No. 1 which will feature Ms. Wang’s virtuosic playing. She received rave reviews after recently performing the same piece with the San Francisco Symphony, with the San Francisco Chronicle writing:
“Through it all, Wang’s extraordinary keyboard technique — fluid, masterful, terrifyingly precise — served as a reminder of why a concerto can be so much fun, for performers and audiences alike. It’s a thrilling high-wire act, and we got to hear her risk defeat again and again without missing a step.”
The concert will conclude with Martinů’s vibrant Symphony No. 1. Largely known for his chamber and vocal music at the time, Martinů decided to write this for the Boston Symphony Orchestra in an effort to help catapult him into the forefront of the American classical music scene.
Performances will take place on February 9, 10 and 11.
Photo: Manuela Jans