As pianists go, Yuja Wang and Víkingur Ólafsson couldn’t be more different. Although both are brilliant, she is a dazzling performer whose reputation of possessing an almost otherworldly technique always precedes her. He is a consummate musician whose subtle explorations of the music, for example, in his recent world tour performing the Goldberg Variations (88 times!), have catapulted him into the upper echelon of classical pianists. Individually, they are superstars of classical piano. So, one might wonder how they would sound together.
On Feb. 26, the packed house at Walt Disney Concert Hall got the answer, in a program that showed off pieces demanding technical fireworks and pieces that displayed quiet, reflective playing. (Actually, the audience at Walt Disney Concert Hall the previous night got a chance to hear them perform as well. The Tuesday concert was added after the Wednesday concert sold out.)
Ólafsson and Wang, who have been on tour for the past month, performed works for piano four hands, including Luciano Berio’s Wasserklavier, Schubert’s Fantasie in F minor, D. 940, John Cage’s Experiences No.1, Conion Nancarrow’s Study No. 6 (arranged by Thomas Adès), John Adams’ Hallelujah Junction, Arvo Pärt’s Hymn to a Great City, and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, Op. 45.
With their lids removed, the two Steinway grand pianos faced in opposite directions next to each other so the soloists were essentially sitting side-by-side. Wang used an iPad while Ólafsson switched between an iPad and a paper score (with the help of a page turner). Wang was out front maybe because she is the more recognizable of the two, or maybe because her long sparkling dress (which she changed during intermission into a sexier one with a slit up the side) was more visually appealing than the dark suit worn by Ólafsson. Interestingly, however, Ólafsson and Wang did not look at each other as much as one would’ve thought. Perhaps they could see enough with their peripheral vision, but each seemed to be intently focused on his and her own playing. One thing was clear: they were both intensively tuned in to the music.
At the risk of overusing the dinner metaphor, the program consisted of two main courses—the Schubert and the Rachmaninoff—and the smaller palate cleansers, although that does not quite do justice to the shorter pieces on the program.
The first half started with the Berio, two minutes of quiet reflection in a minimalist piece, beginning almost imperceptibly, and ending in the same manner. This is Ólafsson’s forte, but both performers quieted the audience with their barely audible but delicate playing.
The Berio transitioned almost without pause into the Schubert masterpiece. Composed in his final year, the Fantasie stands as one of his most sublime works with a simple, but distinctly Schubertian theme that runs throughout the piece. The Fantasie let the performers showcase all their skills, from the almost spiritual, heartbreaking theme to the turbulent inner section.
Next on the program were two other palate cleansers, including the short Experience No. 1 by John Cage, which like the Berio was a quiet, almost meditative piece, and the Study No. 6 by Conion Nanacaro, which was originally composed for player piano with the two pianists playing in different tempos (5/8 and 4/8 for the second piano’s left and right hand respectively and 3/4 for the first piano). Although the Nancarro wasn’t as serene as the Cage, both nevertheless gave the audience the opportunity to clear the auditory palate, and the performers a shortish calm before the Adams storm.
Hallelujah Junction was inspired by the tiny truck stop on Route 49 on the Nevada-California border near where Adams has a mountain cabin. As Adams put it, Hallelujah Junction is a “great title looking for a piece.” According to Adams, “The ghost of Conion Nancarro goes head-to-head with a Nevada cathouse pianola,” referring to the fast-paced, highly rhythmic piece that seems to ricochet from one piano to the next. Ólafsson and Wang gave a full-throated performance with enough energy generated to power a house. This brought a standing ovation from the already excited crowd and two curtain calls for the duo.
The second half of the concert was devoted to two works, the brief and tranquil Hymn to a Great City by Pärt, an aperitive for the main work, the Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninoff, Op. 45.
Rachmaninoff composed the Symphonic Dances simultaneously for orchestra and two pianos. Like Schubert’s Fantasie in F minor, which was composed in the last year of his life, the Symphonic Dances was the last work Rachmaninoff composed before his death. Apparently, the two-piano version was premiered in Beverly Hills with Rachmaninoff and Vladimir Horowitz at the pianos (That would have been something to hear!). But Ólafsson and Wang were worthy successors as each took turns playing melodies while the other accompanied and together sounded orchestral, probably the way Rachmaninoff intended.
By the end, it was clear that Ólafsson and Wang were perfectly paired. Each complemented the other’s playing style, and together they were a formidable duo.
Of course, the audience was not going to let them leave without playing encores, and anyone who has seen Wang in recital knows that she will sometimes play many encores. The pair returned three times to perform the Slavonic Dance Op.72, No. 2 in E minor by Dvořák, the Hungarian Dance, No. 1 in G minor by Brahms and, fittingly given the other tranquil pieces on the program, the Waltz in A-Flat Major, Op. 39 No. 15 by Brahms. Unlike the rest of the program, for the encores, Ólafsson and Wang played on the same piano, which made the program that much more intimate.
—Henry Schlinger, Culture Spot LA
For information about upcoming concerts, visit www.laphil.com.
Photo credit: Yuja Wang and Víkingur Ólafsson perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Feb. 26, 2025, in Los Angeles. Photo by Timothy Norris, courtesy of LA Phil.