Lang lang performing for billions

[liszt-essence]

During the opening ceremony of the olympics 2008 in Peking, Lang lang is going to perform for billions of people.

This is what I read in the papers today, and although I personally doubt there will be billions watching, I can imagine a billion, or at least millions.

Can you imagine performing for an audience of this size? Would you feel confident? Could you stand this kind of pressure, knowing how many people are watching you. Imagine having a blackout during a perfomance like that 

[jlh]

I can imagine a billion, or at least millions.

That's beyond me.  I can't even imagine seeing a million!

[thalberg]

Lang Lang is a total HAM.  He will eat it up.

[pianistimo]

practice makes perfect.  i doubt he will think about the pressure until it's over.

[sharon_f]

What an extraordinary honor for him from his native country!

[minor9th]

I know he's taken a beating in this forum, but at least they chose a pianist--it could have been a gangster rapper!

[rach n bach]

This is true....  wait, a Chinese Gangsta Rapper o.0

Anyways... it's *possible* there will be billions... it's gonna be televised folks...

[desordre]

 Dear fellows:
 I must say that it makes perfect sense, Mr. Lang playing in the Olympic Games.
 By the way, is not from Peking a famous circus?
 Entertainment at its best!
 

[pianowolfi]

During the opening ceremony of the olympics 2008 in Peking, Lang lang is going to perform for billions of people.

This is what I read in the papers today, and although I personally doubt there will be billions watching, I can imagine a billion, or at least millions.

Can you imagine performing for an audience of this size? Would you feel confident? Could you stand this kind of pressure, knowing how many people are watching you. Imagine having a blackout during a perfomance like that 

I would feel confident in such a situation if I could perform a very tender pp piece, delicatissimo, that makes people standing up from their couches and go closer to the TV. I would probably rather screw up if I tried to perform something tricky and fast.

[invictious]

Yes, to prevent blackouts due to lack of energy from nervousness, I can see that he is going to eat lots of chicken wings before the performance.

An honor though

[Kassaa]

Yes, to prevent blackouts due to lack of energy from nervousness, I can see that he is going to eat lots of chicken wings before the performance.

An honor though

Or dogwings

[jinfiesto]

They usually use a pianist don't they?

[gerry]

Any thoughts about what he should play? If he plays anything resembling that Yellow River Concerto thing I'll definitely lose my (fortune) cookies. Do you suppose the Chinese govt. will commission a committee of composers to write an extravagant (and most likely derivative) Olympic tour de force for him to play?

[liszt-essence]

Any thoughts about what he should play? If he plays anything resembling that Yellow River Concerto thing I'll definitely lose my (fortune) cookies. Do you suppose the Chinese govt. will commission a committee of composers to write an extravagant (and most likely derivative) Olympic tour de force for him to play?

What about 'benediction of god in solitude' by liszt, a real crowd pleaser and just 17 mins!

[sharon_f]

Any thoughts about what he should play? If he plays anything resembling that Yellow River Concerto thing I'll definitely lose my (fortune) cookies. Do you suppose the Chinese govt. will commission a committee of composers to write an extravagant (and most likely derivative) Olympic tour de force for him to play?

I think they might use Tan Dun. He is China's greatest living composer, enormously popular in both the East and West. He scored the music for "Hero" and the director of that film, can't think of his name, is directing the opening and closing ceremonies.

[mattgreenecomposer]

Tan Dun, thats a good guess; he is a very good composer-  I would like that.
In the USA I believe Basil Paladorus did the opening ceremony music.  (May he RIP) He was one of my favorite film composers.  (Conan the barbarian, Cherry 2000)  They usually get composers who arent extremely poplular it seems.  More "qualified" is a better word.

As far as Lang Lang goes, he's a great pianist.  Sure he's not even in the top 50 of pianists today and he's a total cheese ball when he plays, but I assure you if you got him in a room with any one who rips on him in this forum he would absolutely smoke them. 
And to take care of the billions watching, Propanolol.   It works wonders....

[pianowolfi]

T

As far as Lang Lang goes, he's a great pianist.  Sure he's not even in the top 50 of pianists today and he's a total cheese ball when he plays, but I assure you if you got him in a room with any one who rips on him in this forum he would absolutely smoke them. 

lol that might be true. Wish I witnessed this

[lostinidlewonder]

To me in a live performance theres little difference between 1000 people to 10,000. Also very little difference if it is a TV audience beacause you do not see their faces. I spoke on Radio before and I didn't feel any nerves, but speaking infront of a large live group where u can see their faces is a different story.

[totallyclassics]

I don't care what people say about Lang Lang!  I think he is awesome!  I've heard him  criticized for technical and emotional issues!   I think he LOVES music and he plays better than most of us........so we should leave him alone, encourage him, like we encourage each other, and get over OURSELVES!! 

Oh, and I am happy he is playing for the Olympics!  I will be watching!!
See.....I'm not too shy to share my opinion in a forum!  Just to shy to perform my feelings live in front of an audience!!!  LOL!!

Perhaps that is why I enjoy Lang Lang!  He is free and unashamed!   He just loves music and shares that love!  He also encourages and inspires children to take up a musical path!  I think that is wonderful!     

We need more Lang Langs in the world!  Congratulations Lang Lang!

[vlhorowitz]

I don't think our issues have ever been about Lang Lang's talent or his nervous system. The guy's obviously got some serious talent to make it quite far. Our issue is that he's essentially the newest replacement-dude for all the great pianists of the past. We shouldn't blame him any more than those responsible for putting him up so high.

His movements also make me very uncomfortable to no end. When I watch him, a small part of it is torture.

I would have liked to see Fou T'song, Yundi Li, or Chuan Qin instead of Lang Lang. But then again, the Beijing Olympics is a superficial show of how the country has stormed back into the spotlight. Lang Lang represents this perfectly.

[etudes]

there will probably be 6 pianists at the openning ceremony
Lang Lang,Yundi Li,Sa Chen,Yuja Wang,Siheng Song,Claire Huangci (probably she gonna play petrouschka)
  

[totallyclassics]

LOL!

Some of Lang Langs movements and even interpretation of the music make me a bit nauseated, however, I would still give anything to be able to play 1/10 as good as he does!  I have the passion for it, and the committment!  I just don't have the years behind me!!

By the way, I do have Yundi Li DVD, and he is good too! 

I guess I'm just saying that I am inspired by Lang Langs enthusiasm and passion!  I don't think any of it is a "show."     I wish pianists weren't so competitive!    However, I guess when you get to that level and play professionally, it's......"play better than anyone else or don't eat!"     I don't see one pianist better than another.......well to some degree.......simply DIFFERENT!   I guess as long as there are Billions of people in the world, there will be billions of opinions.......all of the different, but who is RIGHT, and who is WRONG, and DOES IT REALLY MATTER?  lOl!

That's all I'm saying....I guess!! 

[retrouvailles]

I'd rather see Snoop Dogg than Lang Lang perform at the Olympics.

On a related note, isn't Penderecki supposed to compose a piece for the opening ceremonies as well?

[ganymed]

lang lang with his obscure gestures would fit better into the para olympics opening ceremony

[elevateme_returns]

billions of people ?

isn't that more than a fifth of the world's population?

[Alde]

lang lang with his obscure gestures would fit better into the para olympics opening ceremony

ouch!  I take it that you don't like Lang Lang.

[jabbz]

The earth's population is 8 billion, is it not? 

[jlh]

The earth's population is 8 billion, is it not? 

Earth has a population of over 6.7 billion currently.

[jabbz]

Wow, was I ever wrong.

[psadagio]

Just reminding you it´s today that he´ll be playing. Anyone know what he is going to play yet?

[chopinmozart7]

i think it will be hard for the audience to hear what he plays

[cherub_rocker1979]

Uh, he already played.  And the piano was miked of course.  Although some say the piece he 'played' was pre-recorded.

[quantum]

Isn't it annoying when the announcer talks over the music    They should use subtitles for something like that. 

They only showed a glimpse of him on CBC.  Mostly the dance formation around him. 

I was getting a hint that some of the music was pre-recorded.  Like that Sarah Brighman duet when it sounded like it was more than just natural reverb that was going on and the guy was trying to sing along to the track as well.  Anyone find that the music parts sounded a little clippy, like the gain was set to high?

The lighting of the torch was cool.  I liked how the design unified the theme of the paper scroll. 

[shingo]

Anybody found a video of it yet on the internet if he has already played? I would love to see it if so.

Also when I was looking I found this headline, 'China's Superstar Pianist Lang Lang to Perform to Over Five Billion Viewers at 2008 Summer Olympic Games Opening'
 If there is a pop of 6.7 bil 

 

I don't care what people say about Lang Lang!  I think he is awesome!  I've heard him  criticized for technical and emotional issues!   I think he LOVES music and he plays better than most of us........so we should leave him alone, encourage him, like we encourage each other, and get over OURSELVES!! 

Oh, and I am happy he is playing for the Olympics!  I will be watching!!
See.....I'm not too shy to share my opinion in a forum!  Just to shy to perform my feelings live in front of an audience!!!  LOL!!

Perhaps that is why I enjoy Lang Lang!  He is free and unashamed!   He just loves music and shares that love!  He also encourages and inspires children to take up a musical path!  I think that is wonderful!     

We need more Lang Langs in the world!  Congratulations Lang Lang!

Well said btw.

[Bob]

I just saw it on tv.  I think it was him.  The audience, the field, all that.  It's so big I only saw him in the beginning when it was videoed up close.  Then I was only aware of some piano chords later on.  If I saw the right one.  It was with all the people in green with lights on running around.  I think you have to be there for that type of stuff. 

Lu Huan (sp?) and Brightman are singing now. 

[mikey6]

Anybody found a video of it yet on the internet if he has already played? I would love to see it if so.

Also when I was looking I found this headline, 'China's Superstar Pianist Lang Lang to Perform to Over Five Billion Viewers at 2008 Summer Olympic Games Opening'
 If there is a pop of 6.7 bil 

 
Well said btw.

The whole population might not have access to a TV

[pies]

a

[Bob]

I was wondering if someone would watch what gets onto youtube from China.  You know they're watching that stuff.  And you know some tourist is going to try it.



I found these.  It's not what I saw on tv though.

&feature=related

I'm not quite sure that's the right piece, but it says it's for the Olympics.


I don't see the green light runners.  Darn.  

[Bob]

I don't see it.  I do see a lot of videos that have been flagged for copyright violations.  Better watch it quick if if you find it.  Or just tape it off the tv.

[Bob]

You're in luck.  It's rebroadcast.  NBC  12:39am-5:00am Eastern time in the US.

[lau]

so i was just watching the opening ceremony, and i'm pretty sure i saw the whole thing and lang lang wasn't on it?

[squinchy]

Lang Lang played with a 7 year old girl sitting beside him. Cute. Then NBC zoomed out to the neat array of brightly-lit people and never went back in again.

I was almost waiting for another Yundi Li commercial, but none ever came.

[quantum]

so i was just watching the opening ceremony, and i'm pretty sure i saw the whole thing and lang lang wasn't on it?

Yes he was, but I guess it depends on your TV coverage and which camera angles were selected.  I saw about 4 seconds of him on CBC.  There were hundreds of dancers around him being lit up with all the effects.

[lau]

i saw him on the today show one day before the olympics, and he plays the hr2 again. he keeps playing that all the time.

[invictious]

4 billion people watched him play the piano on the opening ceremony with a little girl whom he's going to eat for dinner.

[tompilk]

it was obviously faked.
1. the piano had no mics
2. they kept the lid closed
3. the hands were ridiculously out of sync
4. the piano was wobbling about all over the place
5. the piano had no maker logo on the side, it was white
6. it sounded ridiculously pre-recorded, and was played through the speakers
There's no way he played it live.
He's too rubbish, he couldn't even play in sync, never mind the poor girl sitting next to him who played all of three notes. I think that's why they only showed him a few times, and the rest of the time focused on the lit-up dancer people...

[dana_minmin]

it was obviously faked.
1. the piano had no mics
2. they kept the lid closed
3. the hands were ridiculously out of sync
4. the piano was wobbling about all over the place
5. the piano had no maker logo on the side, it was white
6. it sounded ridiculously pre-recorded, and was played through the speakers
There's no way he played it live.
He's too rubbish, he couldn't even play in sync, never mind the poor girl sitting next to him who played all of three notes. I think that's why they only showed him a few times, and the rest of the time focused on the lit-up dancer people...

Agree with 1,2,3 and 6.
I think the piano was empty and yes it's pre-recorded.

[shingo]

The whole population might not have access to a TV

I just thought that as Jlh said "Earth has a population of over 6.7 billion currently", to say he would be playing to 5 billion seemed exaggerated.

[quantum]

There are some types of mics you can hide in a closed lid or under the piano such as PZM's or a mic strip made especially for pianos which is place on the sound board. 

[iheartpiano]

I did see Lang Lang briefly sitting next to a little girl.  I didn't pay attention to whether he was really playing or not.

And sorry to be OT, but did anyone find Sarah Brightman's performance a little creepy?