Wearing a bright green short skirt and stepping on black sky-high Wang Yujia, she ended this year's national tour at the National Center for the Performing Arts.
When she returned, some audience members chanted "Wang Yujia, I love you", she put her hands on the top of her head, and responded with a big heart, and the atmosphere was solemn and warm.
This is the first time that Wang Yujia has returned to China to hold a tour after 3 years. 12 performances in 19 days, becoming a major event in the classical music circle.
9 cities, each of which was packed. In many cities, tickets are no longer available in less than 2 minutes. On the second-hand platform, the ticket price was speculated to more than 5,000 yuan.
She didn't give any interviews on this trip, but she still had a lot of discussions. Iconic outfits such as tight miniskirts, backless outfits, and sky-high hats frequently appear on social platforms.
© National Centre for the Performing Arts, Niu Xiaobei
As an icon in the classical music industry, Yuja Wang's international appeal is undoubted. She has won numerous awards and performed in some of the world's leading concert halls.
Gramophone, an authoritative British classical magazine, named her "the 50 greatest pianists of all time" and was the only Chinese to make the list.
The Financial Times was even more prolific, praising her for "the combination of technical ease, colour versatility and sheer power has always been remarkable".
Her national tour, with her "encore song full of surprises", is known as a "model worker". However, she only returned once in her first game in Shenzhen. The reasons behind this are worth exploring.
01
12 games in 19 days
The scene is full of charm
For this national tour, Wang Yujia's schedule is very full.
The first stop is at the Poly Grand Theatre in Suzhou. On the evening of December 1, she wore a rose-red dress, a swooping bow and 7 returns. When the last note of the movement fell, the audience stood up and applauded throughout the theater.
The video of Wang Yujia's return to Suzhou Station comes from the official account of Suzhou Poly Grand Theater
On the evening of December 12 in Xi'an, she changed into a white short skirt and responded enthusiastically to the audience, setting a return record with 12 tracks.
So much so that in the end, everyone felt that she was working too hard and couldn't bear to let her play anymore.
©Julia Wesely
Three days later, the Qintai Concert Hall coincided with the snow in Wuhan.
Wang Yujia held the piano and bowed quickly, greeted the audience, and then opened with a slow "Kiss of the Holy Child". She broke her own record with 13 returns.
The video of Wang Yujia's return to Wuhan Station comes from the official account of Qintai Concert Hall
In the last 4 days, Wang Yujia traveled to 3 cities and played 4 performances intensively.
The National Centre for the Performing Arts postponed the "Amber Impression" Amber Quartet Concert, which was originally scheduled to start on December 16, to the 19th, and arranged an encore for her.
Tickets went on sale on December 15 and sold out quickly after launch. Even the standing ticket was sold for 580 yuan a piece.
In the final performance of the tour, she returned with 10 tracks lasting 48 minutes, which was a half-long performance.
© National Centre for the Performing Arts, Niu Xiaobei
Every time I saw Wang Yujia stepping on the sky and trembling up and down the stage, people would sweat for her, for fear of accidentally falling.
That's what makes her so appealing, though.
She likes to wear ultra-short tight skirts with high saturation, and each set of skirts is carefully matched, regardless of other people's eyes. 15 centimeters high, step on the piano pedal to sonorous and powerful.
This style was controversial for a while, but she turned it into a feature.
Wang Yujia is petite and easy to trip over long skirts in traditional dresses. She Xi used to wearing short skirts, and said, "I'm not going to change, people will get used to it." ”
02
The first in Shenzhen
Only 2 songs returned
Because of Wang Yujia, some people who don't usually listen to classical music also came to the concert hall and walked into the concert hall.
Therefore, higher requirements are put forward for the order of the performance site.
In the first performance in Shenzhen on December 9, it may have been because of the uncivilized behavior of individual audience members that interfered with her performance. On that day, she only made one return, making it the least number of performances on the tour.
Qiqi, a post-90s girl, was present that day and felt a little regretful.
She added an extra 620 yuan to grab the ticket for No. 9 in the hands of scalpers. Because I like the piano and because I like Wang Yujia's chic energy, even if I spend a little more money, I am willing.
© Xinghai Concert Hall Li Lewei
Before the opening, Qiqi heard that Wang Yujia had performed 10 additional songs in Guangzhou two days ago, so he was full of expectations. It's just that she didn't expect this to become the worst piano recital she experienced.
She sat in the N zone, and when she first took her seat, she saw a child next to her seat, and she chuckled in her heart, secretly praying that she would not be a bear child.
As a result, the child did not make any noise during the whole process, but the parents next to him chattered endlessly, explaining the content of the game to their son every 10 minutes.
This is nothing, the whole coughing sound is non-stop, as well as the sound of blowing nose, mobile phone ringing, alarm clock, and from time to time there is a mobile phone falling on the ground and making a "clang" sound, which is very harsh. As for taking pictures with the flash on, it is the norm.
Coughing is a physiological reaction, Qiqi can understand, but other aspects can be controlled. Looking at the flickering mobile phone screen in front of her, she suddenly thought that she was in a star's concert.
She admitted: "As a listener, I found the atmosphere unbearable. ”
©Norbert Kniat
Although some staff reminded that the whole process was holding a "no photo and video" light sign, it had no effect. As soon as they turned around, someone took out their mobile phones, and she even saw someone in the front row taking pictures of Wang Yujia's shoes.
Qiqi's position is a little far from the stage, but he can faintly see that Wang Yujia is not very happy, and there is almost no smile in the whole process.
After the performance, the audience cheered for about 5 minutes before Wang Yujia came out to accept the flowers.
Even if the applause was enthusiastic, she only returned to the stage in a "forced business" style for 2 songs, and after playing it continuously, she never appeared on the stage again.
Remembering the theme of the performance, "Beginning in silence and ending in silence", Qiqi couldn't help but feel a little ironic.
©Julia Wesely
Li Min, who also likes classical music, temporarily bought an additional performance of Shenzhen Concert Hall No. 10 because he didn't get a ticket for No. 9, but he received a surprise.
Because of the experience of No. 9, everyone on No. 10 was extra cautious.
Li Min told us that most of the people in this event were online, and the whole process was very quiet, "Although the coughing sound continued, people would consciously cover their mouths and noses with tissues to reduce the sound, and they could hear that they were already very restrained." ”
© Qintai Concert Hall Xia Junjun
Before the opening, the concert hall repeatedly broadcast the voice "Please mute your mobile phone". Free bags were also distributed at the site to reduce the frequency of mobile phone drops. When encountering an audience with a stolen camera, the staff will also remind you as soon as possible.
During the intermission, everyone coughed intensively, and the scene became very dramatic for a while.
Perhaps because she felt the sincerity of the audience, Wang Yujia returned to the stage with 10 songs in one go. When an audience member says what she wants to hear, she will play it seriously.
The other theaters that toured later, both the audience and the venue, are also trying to create a good performance environment.
The National Centre for the Performing Arts repeatedly reminded before the performance, and put masks and throat lozenges at the entrance of the concert hall, and also set up a down jacket storage cart in the venue, which is visible to the naked eye.
03
between musicians and listeners
You need to go both ways
In the world of classical music, Yuja Wang has always been a special existence. Her technical and personality make her a star-like presence, appealing not only to the traditional audience of classical music.
Some people come out of curiosity, while others want their children to enjoy the first-class art scene.
The appeal of breaking the circle is undoubtedly a double-edged sword, it expands the audience of classical music, but it also brings some minor troubles.
© National Centre for the Performing Arts, Niu Xiaobei
According to The New Yorker critic Alex Roth, around 1900, classical music audiences could no longer shout or eat or talk during performances. The audience must sit and listen intently and motionlessly.
Previously, Yuja Wang's piano recitals in Europe were full, and many of the audience wore formal attire as a sign of respect.
When she played at the San Francisco Symphony Hall, there was silence, not a single person moved, not a single flash, and the applause was all on point.
©Norbert Kniat
Examples of musicians being displeased because of listener misconduct are not uncommon in the field of classical music.
As early as 10 years ago, in the middle of a concert by the Polish pianist Zimmermann, he suddenly walked out. After returning, the rap label canceled the contract because the live footage had already been posted online. Because of this, he refused to return.
A similar story happened to the German violinist Anne Sophie Mutter, who once asked an audience member to leave. Because although the other party turned off the flash, the red focus light disrupted the rhythm of the performance.
© National Centre for the Performing Arts, Niu Xiaobei
Classical music is a niche field, and musicians and listeners need to respect each other in order to run for each other.
Wang Yujia's tour has brought more people into contact with classical music etiquette, and then quickly corrected deviations, which is actually a good thing.
Although there is still a long way to go on the road to the popularization of etiquette, a big step has been taken.