Beethoven : Concerto pour piano n° 5. Yundi.

   in Piano International (Sep, 2014)
The Chinese pianist Yundi, born in 1982, has affinities with Beethoven, as his 2012 CD of the ‘Pathétique,’ ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Appassionata’ Sonatas (also Deutsche Grammophon, DG 4765049) testifies. Beethoven’s spiky sprightliness strikes a chord in Yundi, who has made recordings of Chopin and others marred by languid, sluggish tempos. Sadly, these also afflict the Schumann Fantasie he performs here. Daniel Harding’s ponderously fustian conducting of the ‘Emperor’ sometimes stymies Yundi’s best efforts.

I remember interviewing the pianist on his first trip to New York, when he was still a promising Yundi Li (indeed, when he was relaunched by EMI with an amputated name and some disappointing CDs, one waggish critic exclaimed, …