The video of Yundi's erratic performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee," now racking up thousands of views on YouTube, may have made some listeners wince.
We're wondering if it was meant as a joke, especially since it comes from a pianist known for his pianistic refinement.
If it's high-speed pianism you want to hear, you could do worse than to watch some videos of another Chinese pianist: Yuja Wang.
Classicalite recently recognized her fashion sense by including her pic in our Top 10 Pub Shots of 2013. Her wardrobe may make headlines, but it's her musicianship and technique that has won her a loyal and growing audience.
We're wondering, too, if she set some sort of record for speed while tearing through this flashy encore. Her rock-solid technique lets her fingers fly at near-hummingbird frequencies, while staying completely in control.
Another one of her favorite encores is Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca," arranged by Russian pianist Arcadi Volodos. There are at least three different videos on YouTube of her playing this arrangement, but this one is probably the best.
Finally, if it's a jazzier version of "Flight of the Bumblebee" you want to hear, we invite you to leave the piano world for a moment and listen to the Mnozil Brass. They weave the Kill Bill and Green Hornet themes into "Flight of the Bumblebee" with a quite marvelous effect.
Mnozil Brass is an Austrian brass septet--especially known for incorporating performance art and absurdist theater into their entertaining, highly creative performances.
And this video duly shows they can play scorchingly fast, as well.
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