Yuja Wang: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 [HD] 

Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 is a milestone among the piano concertos of all composers. Only an exceptional pianist like Yuja Wang can convey its beauty. She is the measure of all things when it comes to virtuosity on the piano. Everything is just right here. Technique, timing, expression, dynamics, sensitivity. She plays the second movement simply breathtakingly beautiful and moving. What an exquisite orchestra. What a wonderful conductor. What a world class pianist. What a great concert..!

It's cold, wet and dark outside, the curtains are drawn and you stick Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2 on the turntable (yes, vinyl). You turn the lights off and sink back into a reclining armchair, the only light comes from the glow of the fire. You're alone with thoughts of people, places and events that have been important in your life.... then you wake up. You realise you fell into reverie at some point during the second movement. So you play it again wanting to hear the whole of the concerto uninterrupted. After all, it's Rachmaninoff's 'No.2' - nothing else will do.

I think the reason Yuja Wang performs so exquisitely is because of her deep emotional connection to the music. It is apparent in her facial expressions and the movement of her body; she is living deeply in the music. She doesn't play the music; she travels into it. She becomes the music. A concert for her is not another day at the office, it's when she is most alive. And the rest of us get to listen to the magnificent result.

I don't know anything about classical music, I don't know this pianist. But I know this concerto because it hits me to my soul. There is nothing like it, I can't explain it. I am moved and overwhelmed whenever I hear it. It's a journey to somewhere, I don't even know where. All I know is I expend every emotion along the way. This is a beautiful version of the most beautiful bit of music I've ever heard in my life.

This Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 makes me cry every time - it touches deep within the soul in a place where I can't explain.

Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 Opus 18, is one of the most wonderful pieces of music ever written!

Her fingers are like ballerinas on the keys. Her intense concentration and involvement are a beauty to behold . The music is beyond emotionally engrossing.

I've seen Yuja in interviews. She is always smiling and upbeat, actually bubbly in her personality. Then when she goes before the piano and begins to perform, it seems that she is transformed, almost as if one of the great composers like Rachmaninov has entered her soul and taken over. You can see it in her expressions and concentration, a total absorption of the music. What is even better is that she takes us along for the ride.

in one of her interviews, she said she could play the rach 2 "in her sleep", because she knew/loved it so much.

Absolutely unbelievable technique, e.g. 25:44 it's the fastest I've ever heard this played, yet not a single note out of place. There is no limit to what Yuja can do. Simply incredible.

I dated a pianist who had to go audition for her PHD in the states so I travelled with her and I sat there for hours on end listening to her play. I’ve memorized everything too and even learnt how to read sheet music because I had to follow it and turn the page at the right time. That’s what comes with dating a musician.

wtf is going on how are we all discovering this video for ourselves at the same time

To begin to understand this piece you have to understand how it came to be. Rachmaninov had endured a disastrous opening from reasons that are still disputed. Following that intense depression prevented him from composing. After working with a psychotherapist he was able to compose. The result was his 2nd Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. The most beloved in the romantic repertoire. This piece is a beautiful gift and serves as his triumphant return to composition. ❤❤❤

00:30 , 6:00 , 6:35 I come here after watching nodame cantabile. Never expect to sit through this performance until the end. Music really can touch your heart even if you know nothing about classical music

La tua interpretazione mi ha toccato il cuore. Sei bravissima. Si è acceso in me anche un pensiero. Chi come te ha avuto il talento che non si insegna ne si impara nei tanti master class quello o ce l’hai o no. Oltre al talento, hai avuto dal Padre Eterno, la bellezza fisica che ti fa affascinante e sensuale. Nella tua biografia si legge che da bambina già suonavi a memoria e apprendevi con facilità anche i brani più difficili. Sono di ritorno dall’ospedale pediatrico di Genova e ho visto tanti, bambine e bambini sofferenti a seguito di terribili malattie. Pensavo a chi a ricevuto tanto e a chi è stata tolta anche la salute per non parlare delle guerre in corso. Perdonami per queste mie considerazioni forse inopportune ma sono emerse dentro di me spontaneamente mentre ascoltavo e ammiravo la tua musica e la tua figura. Forse chi leggerà questo commento si ritroverà con il mio pensiero. Mi sono permesso di scrivere perché sono un anziano musicista e un pianista che si auto definisce per dirla come il mio grande conterraneo pesarese di ‘quarta classe’. Tanti auguri veramente di cuore per la tua luminosa carriere artistica e di vita.

We cannot tell the difference between Yuja and the master himself. It's a blessing from God.

I love this performance of Rachmaninov's Yuja Wang!

5:50 to me, this is what melancholy and happiness sound like. I think it's because of how well the violins and the piano mix together. The violins sound bittersweet, but the piano adds another layer of complexity to it, their synergy is immaculate. I came here because Mao Asada skated to this for her free skate at Sochi 2014, and out of all the different pianists who popped up after searching it up, I specifically clicked on this video because I saw that Yuja wang was the one performing it, and I had a slight memory of her bowing compilation on TikTok. I knew the amount of passion she had just from watching her bow to the audience, and I'm going to be honest, I kind of got teary eyed while listening to this! Thank you to Yuja Wang and the entire orchestra for performing this masterpiece with such grace and passion ❤Yuja even made me rethink quitting piano to start figure skating! LOL

Her clarity,intensity,and interpretation of the music is exceptional. No theatrics! No arms flying around,or bushy,unkempt hair tossing. Yuja's face and hands say it all! Truly the entire package!

out of all the interpretations ive heard, yuja is the most emotional and romantic. beautiful intepretation

I can’t find enough adjectives to describe my admiration for this wonderful Young Lady I am completely spellbound 💘

How dare they put adverts throughout such a timeless piece. Find other RU-vidrs with the whole concert with no adverts. Absolutely unbelievable.

from 19:00 to 22:00 is my favorite section of music ever. makes me cry everytime. what a pleasure to hear such music.

4:17 - 4:37 is so beautiful and romantic. I feel like it’s not talked about enough!!

I play just one moment of this beautiful peace of music over and over again. From 20:40 it feels like whole new world is starting to bloom. A M A Z I N G!

Sergei says at the beginning… “ the troops are coming…here’s the quick version of the drama.” He finds more time and we endure the majesty and misery like absolutely no one else can tell/live this. Oh and long live Queen Yuja

Her fingers are so powerful and fast, she plays this piece with such authority that nobody else can match.

The most beautiful Rach concert in my opinion. Therefore, I have spent the evening listening to the same piano concerto with four other (female) pianists. All performances had their merits. But no one can interpret all the emotions that this work contains like Yuja Wang, nor does anyone seem to enjoy the concert as much as she does. That alone enhances the pleasure I experience when I watch and listen to Yuja.

Yuja Wang is much more than a technical freak of nature. She truly understands the hidden mechanics and meaning behind the notes. Very mature renditions.

Oh to be an orchestra member who gets to watch Yuja play up close. Her fingers are like spiders scrambling across the keys in a blur. How is it possible to direct each finger to hit the correct key again and again? It is as Michelangelo said that God directs his hands to carve out the image within a block of granite. It would be the same for Yuja (and other great pianist) whose play is being led by a higher power. True greatness brings tears to my olde eyes.

20:30 moved me to tears like no other musician. I balled for the rest of the performance. God bless her soul

Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 is simply breathtaking; its beauty is beyond words.

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No2 is a masterpiece, and Ms Wang plays it magnificently! It is such a pleasure to watch not only her fingers but her face and body because there is so much emotion in her playing this piece. I thought she was going to fly right off that piano bench a few times! This was the second time I've watched this video, and I'm sure it won't be the last. Bravo!👏👏👏👏

For me this piece is the most beautiful piece I have ever heard.

THESE EXTRAORDINARY DIFFICULT PIECES THAT THESE PRODIGIES SEEM TO JUST SAIL & GLIDE THRU....UNBELIEVABLE!!! YUJA'S GOWN IS VERY PRETTY .

Браво концерт-2 композитор Рахманинов! Браво пиано Ю.Я.Ванг! Браво оркестр и дирижор Гергиев! Спасибо, браво!

Brings tears to my old eyes, no matter how often I have heard it - but never better . - Thank you, thank you!

This concert takes you to another dimension, where only beauty , joy and harmony exists. Happy the ones who have a soul that can appreciate it, and feel all the warmth that this music emanates, straight from heavenly realms...❤🎉

She’s a GOAT 🤯🐐 just discovered her today

❤she feels every single note through her body, a gift straight from spirit, remarkable ❤l could listen to her forever, so uplifting in this sad world ❤❤❤

I like the 2nd movement a lot. She is not given to maudlin as so many pianists are apt to do. There's a smooth flow, a story telling in her playing. The last movement is just incredible.

Music can do so many things. For example: heal a broken heart, help someone to make the right decision, beeing a companion in perhaps hard times, help us to see the underlying circumstances in something that is totally messed up. And so on. Or like here, for me: A total enjoying of the musical qualities of this playing. Thank you Yuja Wang, Valery Gergiev and Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra.

Yuja Wang is one of the greatest pianists of all time.

So great pianist ... I've heard this concerto too much time and by many orchestra .. but this one was the best

J’aime tellement Yuja Wang depuis toujours ,elle incarne pour moi la grâce sans jamais faillir au compositeur qu’elle interprète. Magnifique musicienne. ❤

Absolutely the best interpretation of the Rach 2! Yuja's performance is utter magic. Glorious fingering and phrasing...sensitivity and power! She is a miracle!

Yuja looks so elegant, her interpretation of Rac 2 is sublime. ❤

In my view, she is the greatest talent of her generation and one of the finest pianists of all time. Underpinned by ludicrous technique, the expression and emotion in her playing is just awe-inspiring. Amazing.

I COME HERE EVERY DAY AND WEEP FOR JOY.

An amazing pianist, forceful yet sensitive.

I have listened to this amazing concerto so many times . Yuja Wang’s performance is unparalleled to anything I’ve seen. I really love her and her talent. May she continue to perform for the decades to come.❤️🌹❤️

Magnificent performance. A display of an extraordinarily powerful human brain.

Love the smile, she's really enjoying the performance. Bless her ⚘️🎶

Scintillating performance....extraordinary technique in the faster passages, and wonderful sensitive phrasing in the slower passages. I love Yuja's wry smile at 27:27 after getting through what is a very tricky passage (light on notes, but evenness and accuracy essential).

This is one of the few musical pieces that I can play over and over and over again, and never tire. And she does it grand!

This performance captures all the nuances of Rachmaninoff - the passionm, the romance and the sadness all combined! Magnificent!!!

Out of this world in so many aspects- the writing, the sound of the orchestra, her phrasing- incredible-

One of the most wonderful pieces of music ever written!

We are indeed fortunate to live in a time when we can hear her at her prime. What a privilege. Everything about her is incredible.

She's channeling Rachmanioff! She's a making. She feels every note! We fèl it too. No matter how many times I hear this piece, I am moved to tears- as we all should be. It's pure love, passion and emotion.!❤❤❤

THE INTRICACY OF YUJA WANG; The brilliance! The astonishing orchestral beauty! The dynamics, the tone, timing, contour, EVERYTHING DOWN TO THE LAST DROP IS BEAUTIFUL

Just got home, and decided to hear this. Best 30 minutes in the garage ever.

She is pure magic. Yuja plays with her heart, and that makes all the difference.

Ms. Yuja Wang is maturing wonderfully as a really great pianist . Life itself, when viewed accordingly, can afford great insight, in het case, to a deeper "feel" for the music she performs Her greater focus on the art itself and less on the visual aspect of her performance is a testemony of her growth. ( She is no less pleasant to the eyes, quite the contrary, but in a more mature, deep, lasting way ! )

Yuja you are beautiful noble poetic and divine. Rachmananovs soul is singing thru your heavenly fingers

This is my favourite Rach. So many interpretations, and still I hold Yuja Wang together with Valery Gergiev and this orchestra the best for delivering this music. Sometimes you only need a toothpick to rule the music.

Бесподобно!! Юджи это явление мирового фортепианного искусства Она снова "вытолкнула" интерес к классической музыке в 21 веке Блестящая исполнительница, умница , тонко чувствующая композитора Стараюсь не пропустить ни одного ее выступления на доступных ресурсах и каждый раз изумляюсь ее игрой Это счастье жить во время когда она вышла на большую мировую сцену

4:00 this call and response with the piano and oboe melts me every time

Beautiful!! .... Can listen to Yuja play all day: her magical fingers running on the piano with so much feeling & emotion!!.... Have followed her career for many years.... Great orchestra as well....... Thanks for posting. 🙏😄

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 (1901) 00:06 🔸I. Moderato 02:21 _Tempo | [4]_ 04:47 _[7]_ 06:33 _Maestoso (Alla marcia)_ 08:09 _Moderato [13]_ 10:09 _Un poco meno mosso [15]_ 10:50 🔸II. Adagio sostenuto 14:34 _Un poco più mosso_ 16:53 _Più animato_ 17:55 _[25]_ 18:21 _[listesso tempo]_ 18:57 _Adagio sostenuto (Tempo I)_ 22:00 🔸III. Allegro scherzando 23:31 _Meno mosso_ 23:43 _Moderato_ 25:11 _Meno mosso |32]_ 25:45 _Allegro scherzando_ 26:30 _[34] (fugato)_ 27:36 _Meno mosso (Come prime)_ 27:49 _Moderato_ 29:29 _Moderato_ 30:52 _Allegro scherzando_ 31:34 _Moderato_ 32:42 *Applause* Yuja Wang, piano✨ Mariinsky Orchestra Valery Gergiev, conductor _Fondation Louis Vuitton • Auditorium_ _Paris, France 🇫🇷 September 20, 2021_

A masterpiece interpreted with divine passion and technique. A gift for those who love classical music. Bravo

First time I watched and the FIRST thing I noticed is at 0:42 how tight those base notes are with the double basses....great rhythm and timing, more so than a lot I've heard (and this is my favourite Concerto of all time).

Thank you, Peter Chen, for this Christmas gift! I heard it live in Münich at the "Klassik Open Air am Odeonsplatz" in July. With Münchner Philharmoniker unter the baton of Lorenzo Viotti it was incredible good, but this one with Gergiev is even better. Yuja and Gergiev are really the best team for Rachmaninoff. Rachmaninoff was well known for his unpretentious, tasteful playing without any mannerisms or romanticisms but with deep honest emotions...like Yuja! This rendition really is the greatest Rach2 I ever heard.

If Rachmaninof were alive he would fall over backwards to see that someone like Yuja Wang has surpassed him.

Tonight I listened to Rachmaninov 2 and 3 by Yuja wang, the best ever a gift to all of us thank you

THE MAGIC STILL HOLDS TRUE, YUJA AND RACHMANINOV IN THIS BRILLIANT CONCERT.

For me this performance is the most beautiful I have ever heard. on YT

Ever so many years ago, I rented a Lincoln Town Car for a week's vacation when they were running a special. On the way back to Las Vegas from Laughlin on a dark night, I put the cassette, yes, cassette, in the player on the car. I inserted the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 by the Cleveland Orchestra and the music began to play. It was an experience I'll always remember. I just happened to run across a blurb a few days ago that Yuga is performing in China this week. Wouldn't it be a dream for my Chinese wife and me to attend one of her live performances. Dream on! I'll just have to be content to listen to her recorded music and watching her on You Tube. Happy holidays to all of you.

Probably the greatest piece of classical music ever written.

I’ve been a fan of Yuja’s for many years. In my opinion this is her at her finest. Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto is a delight and she takes it to an even higher plane. Just wonderful.

Incredibile and wonderful. She is superhuman. What is she capable of to play with a sensitivity, precision and expression and to memorize is unbelievable. Wow.

Monumental recording, piano and orchestra echo and blend into each other. Yuya is a genius and director's control of orchestra places her interpretation on the right pedestal! 👏👏👏👏👏 10:10 25:48 28:44

Words are inadequate to describe this performance. Excellent!

Perhaps Rachmaninov's most beautiful composition.

this has to be the best interpretation of this concerto, no contest

I still say there is a popular song written to this. Full moon and empty hands

Quelle Merveille un très grand compositeur un grand chef d'orchestre une superbe pianiste magnifique orchestre = Harmony parfait💚💚💚💚

Diese Darbietung ist so voll von reinem sprühendem Leben, das uns alle in höchste Höhen hinaufträgt! Tausend Dank für diese ergreifende Interpretation und die unzähligen Übungsstunden ... 💥💞💥

Unforgettable performance by fantastic Ms Yuja Wang 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🎶🎶🎼🫶🏼

Yuja's piano is wonderful to listen to and seeing her perform with such passion is hypnotic. Beautiful❣👏🏽👏🏼

I reallly admit - this is a performance!! Thanks Yuja Wang!

My god. What a start to a piece of music.

Clap harder! Yuja is masterful and bright. Leading, but not forcing the piece forward. The conductor is amazing. A great recording. Some recordings of this concerto prove how easy it is to be good, but not great in terms of pacing and understanding the complete composition’s emotional resonance. Amazing.

A beautiful piece of music and a wonderful technician. You have a heart of stone if this doesn't make you weep.

I discovered this about two months ago, and I’ve listened to it almost every day since then Yuja incredible

This concert always leaves me speechless..I can ´t stop listening to it

I love this so much, but am also disappointed that the public did not respond with enough enthusiasm. Brilliant performance by both pianist and orchestra.

Super piano performance. Her technique is in automatic pilot, but her interpretation and emotional expression are just right. The orchestra is also in auto pilot lacking a tight direction from the conductor. Overall, it is an excellent performance.

is no one gonna talk about how he's conducting with a TOOTHPICK?! I thought the description was trolling

Beautiful Video featuring the finest Concert Pianist this days. She plays great music, enjoyed every minute of the concert as if I was there. She is so charmin, looking forward to see more of her in the future.