Yuja Wang & Lynn Harrell: Rachmaninov Sonata for Cello & Piano in G minor 

This is one of the most wonderful moments for both the aging Harrell and the young Wang --- two of my favorite musicians (speaking as a musician myself) --- and a transcendent work by Rachmaninov --- and it's quite an experience to engage with it on the day of Harrell's passing.

Yuja Wang played for Mr Harrell many times. Her mastery of Rachmaninoff's incredibly difficult cello sonata shouldn't be underscored. Her playing is exquisite.

An absolutely gorgeous piece! My favorite part is right in the first 34 minutes of this video.

RIP maestro. Thank you for the decades of beautiful music.

I'm sorry to hear of Harrell's passing. What a fine cellist he was. In this performance, it's wonderful how the age difference between him and Yuja posed no problem for either, as the beauty of their music speaks for itself! Bravo!

STUNNINGLY GLORIOUS!!! THIS is what it's all about!!! Lynn Harrell, one of my ALL TIME favorite cellists. AND world class pianist performing a demandingly intense work! Unbelievable! Spellbinding! I'm crying............... My mother was an honors graduate in choral conducting and piano at Northwestern University, performed as a feature soloist with the Dr. James Allen Dash All America Chorus throughout Europe including for the Queen of England England during the mid-50's. My sister was awarded a full tuition scholarship to the Eastman School of Music on harp, was the harp faculty at the University of Colorado Denver, first call union harpist and played with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra-Denver. Her husband earned a master's and doctorate degree from Northwestern University on cello, retired after 34yrs from the Colorado Symphony Orchestra-Denver and after 25yrs as principal cellist in the Colorado Central City Opera Orchestra. I had a successful clarinet/sax studio for forty years and sang in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Chorus for 30yrs including three sold out performances in Carnegie Hall NYC. My point being, I appreciate the magnitude of technical, musicality and emotional intensity of this overwhelming performance. Thanks for uploading AND WHY the negatives? Please enlighten me. Thank you.

I'm still mourning the great loss of Mr Harrell. He was unsurpassed in his abilities and especially in his interpretation of this gorgeous sonata.

What a beautiful sounding ! Like a water flow , rolling stone , birds fying and swinging leaves. correct pitch , great combination and brightness with sorrow. Lynn Harrell is perfect and Yuja Wang has already maestro too ! Thanks for upload.

Yuja Wang is great, but Lynn Harrell is so convincing, the best living cello-player.

Breathtaking! WOW! One of the most amazing Andantes ever written anywhere, ever ever.

Wonderful! The synthesis of the old master with the young sprite in her fire-blue dress making such beautiful music sparkle, shine, and swirl around and around almost as a living thing is just magnificent. I smiled to see at the finish Ms. Wang offer her hand to Mr. Harrel and he embraced her. I imagine when he first saw the "mere wisp of a girl" he wasn't expecting much and when the music was over he was as bowled over by Yuga Wang as everyone is who experiences one of her performances.

Lynn has collaborated with Yuja before this and he, Lynn stated that he was never concerned with Yuja’s timing, that yuja is a master on the keyboard regardless of difficulty. Together such beautiful music !

2020 has been dreadful, in so many ways.. So much loss and isolation. At least we can enjoy sublime performances such as this.. RIP Maestro Harrell.

What an incredible performance you can tell they are in their element. No one exists outside their instruments, except their harmonies, just breathtaking...

This is why I marvel at the possibilities of the human mind and spirit.

What a beautiful performance! I am always amazed when people comment about Yuja's lack of emotional input in her performances. Just the playing in the andante of this sonata belies their comments. My wife and I heard her in Prokofiev 2nd in 2009 on the occasion of my 70th birthday. Have been entranced ever since! The way she and Lyn Harrell combine their talents is an absolute joy. Old and young together.

Какой ансамбль!! Нету слов чтобы описать всё величие музыки Рахманинова и просто фееричного исполнения!! Склоняюсь перед великими музыкантами.!

Wow-I had herd this sonata for the first time many years afo with Harrell and Ashkenazy which impressed me then.But this one is really outstanding.Thining that Yuja Wang was barely 20 years old adds to this performance.Harrel was THE cellist maestro.

Effortless cello playing. Gorgeous sound and none of the gyrations and gurning of so many others.

I'm extremely sad to learn that he passed away in april, I had practiced a lot with his recording, sush a great cellist. Truly a great piece of music has left us, may he repose in peace now

What a magnificent thrill to listen to these two accomplished performers read the moving and gorgeous Rachmaninoff Cello and Piano Sonata.

Have always enjoyed Mr. Harrell's superlative recording of this sonata with Mr. Ashkenazy. Wonderful to see this more recent performance.

This is absolutely great.I do not understand people who do not like this. This simply is the best.

A strong duo in balanced strength - a top version

It's a pleasure to watch and listen to these two maestros playing at sight this wonderful romantic masterpiece.

Extremely oustanding performance both in artistic mastery and acoustic clarity! Blown away!

R.I.P. Mr.Harrell

Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto is Op. 18. This awesome cello sonata is Op. 19. What an amazing composer! This performance is one of the best I've ever heard.

Yes, thanks heaps. Previous comment encapsulated everything, especially the Andante Movement. Thanks be to God that Rach wrote such extraordinary beautiful music.

The final movement of this piece is the pure musical expression of JOY. Wonderful performance.

What a fantastic performance Lynn. I was so happy to listen to this.

I was once at a festival and Mr. Harrell was giving a master class, after the master class he taught festival participants for another 4 hours. I then asked one of the participants why he wasn't going to perform on the same day. they said because we was tired and they planned a long day for Mr Harrell already. it was kinda hard for me to believe he gets tired even in his old age. his sound is new and fresh like a breath of fresh air. he's a super hero to me. I realized he wasn't indestructible that day lol

I didn't expect such a moving experience. Mr Harrell and Ms Wang inhale the same breath, exhale as one.

Mesmerizing

Che splendida interpretazione di due artisti lontani per l'anagrafe ma certamente non nel calore, la maestria, l'amore per questa musica sublime!

Well, he sure made you keep on your toes as an accompanist! The most individual interpretation I have heard. He sure made it his own. Sometimes the drama was searing. I know people will hate me for saying it, but I much prefer Wang's interpretation here than in the video with Capucon. Thank you for posting!

He is one of my favourites.Thank you !

Bravo Maestros Yuja and LH...brings tears to my eyes. speaking of passing, Ivry Gitlis is gone last week. ???? My cellist and I are learning Rach melodie by Modest A. which Mr Harrell has also recorded here on youtube 2/ Ashkenazy. at much younger age. I became familiar w/ Mr LH thru appearances @ Santa Fe Seattle version and in La Jolla when SF 1st came there pre LJ Chamber Music Fest. we're still in mourning. Kind regards DGunde viola, piano, organ , guitar, recorders poet of SD CA

Amazing performance from both! Thank you for the precious upload!

I'm blown away every time I listen to 16:27-16:33

Lynn will stay forever with his artistry. What a profound and cantabile cello. The partnership with Wang sounds beautiful. Thanks for posting it.

Yuja era una niña tan pequeña, entonces. Me inspira tanta ternura.

If my calculation is correct, Yuja is only 20 here, between once-in-a-century prodigy and mastery. She is certainly proving her promise. She blows me away. Yes, my poetic take on these two is justified. Dry analysis has no place here.

Wonderful duo!! Beautifully played!!!

A really good rendition of this delightful work. Both artists complement each other solidly. Thank you for such a treat.

Thanks to this magical encounter with the late Lynn Harrell, Yuja Wang decided to play chamber music. Like a grandfather passing the baton to his granddaughter.

E' la migliore realizzazione di questa sonata

Mr. Harrell was such a master! RIP. I have to say after listening to both this performance and the same piece by Yuja and Capucon I prefer Harrell's playing. Yuja, on the other hand, sounds a little mechanical in this performance. However, five years later at age 26, Yuja's playing with Capucon was much fuller and more lyrical. It speaks to the fact that even as incredible as Yuja was at age 21, she is still expanding and developing as a pianists and as a musician. Bravo Yuja!

Amazing performance

Magnifica intrpretazione

Thank you both for a divine moment

How sentimental this piece!😯

Just magnificent!

The genius of Rachmaninoff comes most clearly as the cellist plays the same note over and over and over at the bottom of the Andante anti-climax: 21:50

Exquisitely beautiful sensitive and warm cello playing from Lynn Harrell. Both soloists play beautifully.

Beautiful!

💛Amazing Thanks💜💯

Magnificent

I confess to not having heard this work before. Quite beautiful, and I think Yuja and Lynn were just great

This is a gift from the gods

Yuja, I love you.

How can anyone stop themselves screaming 'how fucking beautiful is the second movement' ? I'd have cried if I was there.

Thank you very march!

-- Une sonate enchanteresse. --

Awesome

SUPER

Brillante ejecución con un Magistral Nivel interpretatívo y un arrolladory esquisito Virtuodismo , unido a un excelente equilibrio sonoro del Piano y el Violonchelo . Bravo

esta es mi version favorita

The best!

There was a nameless video of Yuja improvising on Alla Turca in unbuttoned jeans from around the same time and although I was amazed, I didn't know back then she's such a gifted classical pianist performing with the very best in the world. Yuja and Hiromi are the best pianists of our time.

Greatest Cello sonata ever

10:47 that single note...

Rip Maestro

Dear Mr. Harrell: Please write to the Assisi Performing Arts Program. In regard to a Waldorf Astoria concert (performed in the past). Thank you.

Rachmaninoff impregna suas obras do sentimento russo a mim se assemelha como algo distante, que trás lembraças de momentos vividos...estes sons saindo das mãos destes dois excelentes e virtuosos artistas enaltecem a obra. parabéns.

Forgive me, please. But I just can't help it, it's too adorable. Beauty and the Beast

Nice dress!

in a way recalling me of Russia by all means !

This is a delightful performance. There is a certain easy, playful, genial quality in Lyn Harrel’s playing that I haven’t heard from anyone else. Despite the piece being brooding and agitated, it works (and his playing is serious and intense enough where needed). And Yuja Wang’s accompaniment is as good as anyone’s, on a par with Ilya Rashkovskiy (seen here with Mikyung Sung in a quite exciting recent performance): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ViBZoEJjPPg.html

这段而好忧伤

Why does he play on a three quarter cello?

That Ms Wang is provocative is merely an unexpected plus, a delicious aside to her as-serious-as-cancer professionalism.

Horowitz and Harrell would be the unbeatable combination.

31:00 32:07

Great performance, but could she stand any further away from him at the end? Hopefully it was just nerves and exhaustion.

Both musicians are sight reading the music! Do you have any idea what that means? Try seeing the glass half FULL! In the way she dresses, Ms Wang is celebrating her attractiveness. It is as much a plus, as is the now proverbial glass half FULL -- not as you see it, half empty. She and Khatia Buniatishvili are part of the contemporary new life and interest in classical music. If you like, listen, don't look.

That fresh uncle gets too mushy after the performance

fool! can you do better??

Yuja batte Lynn 3-0

she plays too loud. Period. They should cover the piano.

Two brilliant musicians. Terrible composition by Rach.

Take an extra bow on every note, why don't you? With all that natural power he needs to break up all the slurs just to play louder. Shame on him.

Ugh my that piano playing is horrible. She does not know how to pedal.