Work: Variations, Op.41

No doubts about the Canadian pianist in Chopin or in jazz-inflected Nikolai Kasputin; reservations about his Rameau and Beethoven.

Yuja Wang’s latest recital at Carnegie Hall, which took place Tuesday evening, is best compared to a triple-decker sandwich with very excellent bread and questionable innards. Ms. Wang is known for her intimidating technique: powerful, playful, and superlative. Her energy is at its highest during her showy encores, and her pianism is at its most impressive with virtuosic Russian repertoire.

Premier prix du Concours Chopin, le pianiste produit une impression mitigée : d'une agilité impressionnante et d'une pulsation irrésistible dans certaines pièces, il se montre trop présent ou trop banal dans d'autres.