Superstar pianist Yuja Wang joins Manny Ax to talk about bad pianos, encores, what influences her musical interpretations, and her love for Prokofiev. In our Newly Dead game, Yuja puts her knowledge of composer deaths to the test.

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts. 

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Music used in today’s episode includes:

Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat Major, Op. 31 No. 3 "La chasse": IV 

Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31 No. 1: I. Allegro

Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major, K. 545 "Sonata facile": I. Allegro

Concerto No. 2 Op 18 II Adagio Sostenuto

Scythian Suite, Op. 20: II. The Enemy of God, III. Night 

Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 6: IV. Marche Funebre 

Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": II. Marcia funebre 

Symphony No. 44 in E minor Trauer Sinfonie Mourning III Adagio

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.