Reviews

Introducing Xiayin Wang
by Alan Becker, American Record Guide

The fetching young lady appearing on the cover is yet another example of the orient’s continued domination of the international musical scene. Wang is a native of China and arrived in the United States in 1997 after studies at the Shanghai Conservatory. Having been the recipient of many awards in her native country, she continued her studies at the Manhattan School of Music and won the school’s Eisenberg Concerto Competition, as well as the Roy M Rubinstein Award.

Her eclectic program begins with the Bach-Marcello Concerto in D minor and continues with Mozart’s Sonata 10 in performances of both technical accomplishment and insight. While making little outward attempt to impress, Wang does just that, as the refinement and understated beauty of her playing – particularly in the slow movements – is of a loveliness to draw tears from a sensitive listener. Her immaculate appoggiaturas along with a touch of romantic expression clearly separate this artist from the
high level of average we usually hear from young artists today.

If I am slightly less enthusiastic about her performance of La Valse it is mostly because Wang seems reluctant to produce any sound that is not beautiful. Her sometimes strange rubato and very spare pedal works against the forward motion of the piece – giving the impression of starts and stops, though the closing pages le loose as they should.

No such problem occurs in the Scriabin grouping (Two Poems, Op. 32, Waltz, Op. 38 and Vers la Flamme). This is a world where touch and balance bring out the best from Wang, and washes of sensuous sound dominate the proceedings. Gorgeous is the only way to describe these performances that can easily raise goose bumps on sensitive skin.

Competing with Earl Wild, Wang plays two of his Etudes based on Gershwin songs. The playing is most refined, and the pianist obviously relishes the melodies and shapes them well. The pure Gershwin of Prelude 1 and I Got Rhythm complete this distinguished program by an artist we undoubtedly will be hearing more from. There are no notes on the music from this Canadian independent label, but don’t let that stop you from investigating.

Introducing Xiayin Wang
by Uncle Dave Lewis, All Music Guide

Yiayin Wang is a young pianist who hails from China and has graduated from Shanghai Conservatory; she has lived in the United States since 1997. Marquis Classics' Introducing Xiayin Wang is her debut disc, and her program is an ambitious mix of Bach, Mozart, Ravel, Scriabin, and George Gershwin, essentially combining composers from opposite ends of the piano spectrum and sidestepping romantic literature. Likewise, the opposite ends of the disc contain the best stuff, the Bach and two pieces taken from Gershwin's slim output for solo piano -- "I Got Rhythm" from his neglected Song Book volume and the first of the Three Preludes. It's a shame that we couldn't have gotten the other two, as they would have fit on the disc, but "leave them wanting more" seems to be the operative idea in this case.

Wang's Bach is superb -- she really makes the Adagio in this solo concerto, adapted from Benedetto Marcello, sing. The Mozart is a little less so; while her playing of the familiar K. 330 Sonata in C major is clean, polished, and attractive, it could use a little more heft; it's merely the weakest thing in a program that, overall, is not very weak. Restraint seems to be a hallmark of Wang's playing; in the first of Scriabin's Op. 32 Poèmes the little upwardly darting figures at the ends of the opening phrases are spelled out in pearl-like single notes, rather than as a flourish as is commonly done -- a nice touch. While her Vers la Flamme doesn't really catch fire, all of the various polymorphic elements that make up this piece are stated clearly as separate entities, and Wang has a very nice natural sense of Scriabin's elliptical approach to rhythm.

Introducing Xiayin Wang is recorded very quietly; one will need to crank it up to get the full effect. Nevertheless, Wang is quite an exciting player and has precisely those qualities that make the prospect of seeing this artist in concert appealing -- breadth of repertoire, sensitivity of touch, and a beautiful overall sound.