Yuja Wang and Víkingur Ólafsson: A Piano Duet of Ice and Fire

On Feb. 21, Symphony Hall broke into applause as world-renowned pianists Yuja Wang and Víkingur Ólafsson entered the stage. The duo presented a two-piano and piano four hands recital, hosted by the Celebrity Series of Boston. The concert included a range of classical and contemporary pieces from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances, Op. 45” to John Adams’ “Hallelujah Junction.” Their performance was a musical feast that transcended styles and conventions. Wang’s fiery energy was well-complemented by Ólafsson’s articulation of nuances, creating a unique musical duality of both tension and harmony.

Wang and Ólafsson sat in front of two opposing Steinway pianos, arranged so the keys visually formed one long line, and opened the concert with Luciano Berio’s “Wasserklavier” (“Water Piano”). Their hands floated above the keyboard, gliding over keys as if brushing through a stream. Smooth and light as their movements were, their notes were crystal clear, echoing throughout the filled Symphony Hall.

The fluidity of “Wasserklavier” gradually transitioned into Franz Schubert’s “Fantasie in F minor, D. 940,” a piece characterized by its detached notes, percussive chords, and staccatos — bouncy and sharp attacks on the keys. As the two pianos constantly shifted between light melodies and powerful, percussive passages, the performance was at once harmonious and dissonant. As one piano grew stronger, the other died down; as one reached the deeper notes, the other went higher.

At this poetic dissonance, Wang’s and Ólafsson’s distinctive styles began to diverge. Wang, dressed in her iconic gown and stiletto heels, added a unique personal flair that defied conventional perception of a piano concert, just like her piquant musical style. She sat closer to the audience, hiding Ólafsson behind with her silhouette. Her strokes were expressive, powerful, sharp, and intense, forming a much more fiery presence on stage. Ólafsson, on the other hand, often echoed Wang’s percussive chords with smoothened and elongated notes, as opposed to leading. Nonetheless, he still projected a strong stage presence with his introspective style, adding an emotional depth to Wang’s sharp and piquant style.

Their distinctive style became further magnified in the fifth piece of the night, John Adams’ “Hallelujah Junction.” Wang’s rapid and powerful movements, complemented by Ólafsson’s fluid scales, brought the frenetic and ceaseless nature of the piece to life. As the piece intensified in speed and tempo, it grew into a series of increasingly more percussive chords and more abrupt stops, reaching some of the highest and lowest notes of a piano. Wang and Ólafsson visibly moved in sync with the dissonance of the music. They moved so rapidly across all 176 keys of the two pianos that their hands became shadows. Wang, in particular, seemed on the verge of jumping from her bench, leaving one in awe of the power of her playing and the variety of sounds two pianos could make.

Wang and Ólafsson also tackled a wide range of styles in the two-hour performance. Apart from Schubert’s “Fantasie in F minor, D.940,” the duo presented a piano version of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances, Op. 45,” exploring the breadth of the Romantic period. Yet the concert was not devoid of more contemporary and exploratory pieces, further demonstrating the duo’s wide repertoire and skills. In particular, Conlon Nancarrow’s “No. 6 from Studies for Player Piano” added a sense of playfulness to the concert. An étude exploring the complex rhythmic variations of a pianist, “No. 6 from Studies for Player Piano” mimicked the sound of amateur pianists practicing scales and stumbling.

Once again, Wang and Ólafsson set their style and notes in effective juxtaposition with each other. The former focused on playing a disjointed and punctuated staccato bassline, while the latter focussed on a rapid and higher-pitched melody that was at times off-beat from the bassline. As the two world-renowned pianists deliberately stumbled upon notes and simple scales, the audience giggled at the lightened mood. A piece about building up experiences in playing the piano, “No. 6 from Studies for Player Piano” was a joyful and retrospective nod to the name of the previous piece, John Cage’s “Experiences No. 1.” Behind Wang’s and Ólafsson’s experiences and expertise were years of practicing scales, stumbling upon notes, and experimenting with techniques and styles.

As the two-hour concert came to an end, Symphony Hall again bursted into applause. Perhaps in part due to the audience’s enthusiasm, Wang and Ólafsson generously returned to the stage again and again. From Johannes Brahms’ “Sixteen Waltzes, Op. 39, No. 2 & 3” and “Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor” to Antonín Dvořák’s “Eight Slavonic Dances, Op. 72, No. 2” and Schubert’s “Marche Militaire in D. Major, Op. 51, No. 1,” they performed a total of four short encores, rounding off the concert with a focus on the Romantic-era pieces. Each of their entrances was welcomed with waves of applause, cheers, and excited murmurs of “No way!” And at the end of each piece, Wang responded to the cheers with her iconic bow, ending each encore piece on a powerfully confident note. Wang did insert a much stronger stage presence throughout the performance, from her percussive style to the bow. Nonetheless, the duo certainly deserved all the applause in the Symphony Hall with their stellar performances and immense talent.

For the entirety of the concert, Wang and Ólafsson kept the audience members on their toes. With a setlist that spanned two centuries of music, they presented a variety of pieces that challenged the conventions of a traditional piano recital. Wang’s fiery and powerful emotions both contrasted with and were complemented by Ólafsson’s smoothened and elongated artistry. The duo was constantly at tension in their distinctive styles, as if ice were meeting fire. This particular tension, coupled with their artistry and collaboration, defined their captivating performance.

—Staff writer Xinran (Olivia) Ma can be reached at xinran.ma@thecrimson.com.