“There’s nothing Wang can’t do at the piano keyboard, but Liszt’s writing seemed to bring out some of her most astonishing skills. When she tore into the big opening theme that runs through the entire concerto like a fixation, she did it with a blend of power and subtlety that seemed almost paradoxical — how does she make this attack so big-boned and yet so soft-edged, without any hint of clatter?
In the broad, rippling passages of the slow movement, Wang set out to entrance listeners with the lyrical sweetness of her playing, and she pulled it off. The scherzo emerged with brittle clarity, and the finale drew the concerto’s various threads together into forceful melange.
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.”