Lang Lang Comparison

[krenske]

In the name of fair comparisons, and to promote an educated and methodical discussion on the topic of Lang Lang, I ask the following...

What happens when you put Lang Lang's recording of a given score next to a version by one of the great era of pianists, especially a famous recording?

For example, Lang Lang's Tchaikovsky Concerto compared to Rubinstein..

I recently spent about 12 hours straight, doing just this with a friend, who was about as much a Lang Lang supporter as David Dubal is not.

On the technical side, it seems at least in the Tchaikovsky Concerto, Lang Lang's piano was stuffed full of microphone, as there is no way this piano-heavy sound reflects the sound off the concert-stage, and by extrapolation, the sound imagined by Tchaikovsky. No, there is much more piano in this CD than you would get if you were seated inches from the instrument.

Anyway, enough tech talk, this was supposed to be about artistry!

[firebolt145]

I posted recently -

He over exaggerates expression as well, often disobeying the composer's marking. I heard a recording of Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto by Lang Lang and I lost count of the amount of times he made fatal changes to the expression. It was no longer a russian piece.

[mike_lang]

I find his agogic accents in the third movement to be clownish...

ML

[bradley]

His tempi are also very slow I find. I really hate it when people play things too fast, and tend to take things maybe at a slightly slower tempo myself, but there IS a limit 

[firebolt145]

Depends on which piece he's playing. Sometimes he plays too slow, sometimes he plays too fast.

Like I said, I believe he exaggerates everything to the point of changing the mood of the piece.

[allchopin]

I much prefer Lang Lang's Islamey over Brendel, Arrau, and of course Biret's recordings.  He is the only one to use the pedal sparsely which allows you to hear his perfectly clear articulation.

[houseofblackleaves]

Lang Lang is a genious if you completly disregard every other recording of the peices.  No seriously.

He interprets every peice differently then anyone had ever heard before, and that's why people hate him.

I don't like him, I don't hate him.  There.

[practicingnow]

Judge it for yourself -  if you enjoy his playing, if you find it interesting and compelling, then that's all that matters.  If you hate it, then you hate it. 
But remember that your opinion is as good as any of the "experts" in here.
How you YOU like his playing?
Personally I always enjoy him.
Intertesting, original, sensitive and communicative.

[brewtality]

I heard his Tchaikovsky first in a live broadcast from Melbourne. Apart from his arbitrariness, non-sensical subitos and rits (which served only to distort or even break the line) and lack of any genuinely interesting ideas, it was great playing. I'm 100% sure he could play very musically, but whether he ever does remains to be seen (or heard, rather)...

[faustsaccomplice]

I much prefer Lang Lang's Islamey over Brendel, Arrau, and of course Biret's recordings.  He is the only one to use the pedal sparsely which allows you to hear his perfectly clear articulation.

Horowitz uses the pedal sparsely and his articulation is in another league...no, universe... from Lang Lang.

[baron_von_heimlich]

The real question remains - Which Lang in his name is the more important one?

[allchopin]

Horowitz uses the pedal sparsely and his articulation is in another league...no, universe... from Lang Lang.

I didn't know Horowitz recorded the Oriental Fantasy.  I will have to check that out.

[kreso]

I didn't know Horowitz recorded the Oriental Fantasy.  I will have to check that out.

I have Horowitz's Islamey live from Carnige Hall! If you want I'll upload it..

[allchopin]

I have Horowitz's Islamey live from Carnige Hall! If you want I'll upload it..

Please do!

[kreso]

Please do!

No problem! Here it is:

https://rapidshare.de/files/27785802/Islamey__Vladimir_HOROWITZ__Jan_23_1950__live_at_Carnegie_Hall_.mp3.html

Here is also Andrei Gavrilov playing Islamey (somebody from the other forum requested this recording..)

https://rapidshare.de/files/27786726/Balakiriev_Islamey-Anderi_Gavrilov.wma.html

Enjoy!

[allchopin]

Thanks for the enlightment, kreso.
The Gavrilov is my newfound favorite, and the Horowitz certainly made me laugh at the end.  Amazing recordings in their own right.

[Waldszenen]

The funny thing is, Lang Lang has the potential to be extremely good and extremely crap - in the same friggen CD.

Want proof? Schumann's Abegg Variations were played brilliantly... then he ruined it with the Wanderer Fantasie (and to a lesser extent he Don Juan, which was alright). The Mendelssohn Concerto was played extraordinarily - but only after you had to put up with the first three vomit-inducing tracks on that disc.


In my opinion, he wants to be another Horowitz, trying intentionally to sound different, banging notes here and there. But only Horowitz could bang the piano and sound good while doing it. Everyone else who tried ultimately failed... like Kovacevich or Jeno Jando, and nobody wants that.

[Waldszenen]

No problem! Here it is:

https://rapidshare.de/files/27785802/Islamey__Vladimir_HOROWITZ__Jan_23_1950__live_at_Carnegie_Hall_.mp3.html

Here is also Andrei Gavrilov playing Islamey (somebody from the other forum requested this recording..)

https://rapidshare.de/files/27786726/Balakiriev_Islamey-Anderi_Gavrilov.wma.html

Enjoy!

BTW thanks for those recordings mate

[minor9th]

No problem! Here it is:

https://rapidshare.de/files/27785802/Islamey__Vladimir_HOROWITZ__Jan_23_1950__live_at_Carnegie_Hall_.mp3.html

Here is also Andrei Gavrilov playing Islamey (somebody from the other forum requested this recording..)

https://rapidshare.de/files/27786726/Balakiriev_Islamey-Anderi_Gavrilov.wma.html

Enjoy!

1. Thank you for posting it.
2. I'm a huge Horowitz fan and have always wondered what his Islamey would sound like.
3. That was the most horrible version I've ever heard! Heavily cut, handfuls of wrong notes, and not very intense--incredibly disappointing.

Incidentally, I just saw Lang Lang at Aspen and enjoyed him thoroughly.