Lang Lang

[classicchic79]

Hi, anyone heard of the young Chinese musician called Lang Lang? Recently he's won many prestigious awards internationally as well as performed many concerts with the NY philharmonic and other national renowned orchestras. Anyone interested in listening to his music please check the website

https://www.universalmusicstore.com for his autographed cds

there have been mixed reviews about him. Let me know what you guys think personally

[comme_le_vent]

hes talented for sure.

but he seems to be a showman -
horowitz was a great showman - he showed off while making great music

lang lang seems to show off but he almost forgets about the music....

i saw him on jay leno, and i dont know if that was my best introduction to him...lol

he played part of liszt HR6 and flight of the..

[thracozaag]

"Lang-Lang is the JLO of the piano"--Earl Wild.

[JeffL]

What's a JLO?
I saw Lang Lang play Tchaik. 1 in a TV broadcast from the Proms. I thought that his playing was very fresh and imaginative. I've heard this piece more times than I care to think about, but listened to it with fresh ears in this performance. I wish Lang Lang would do something about the facial expressions though.

[thracozaag]

JLO-Jennifer Lopez (and I though I was un-hip)
 Really...that performance from the Proms got panned by the critics (and I agree with them, in this instance).  His recital in nyc this year also got roundly panned (in a rather amusing fashion).  No doubt he's a talented player, though.

koji

[Shagdac]

Definately talented, though I don't care much for his presentation style.  

[Hmoll]

The originator of this thread posted the exact same thing on Chopinfiles and PianoWorld, and never posted again.

[JeffL]

JLO-Jennifer Lopez (and I though I was un-hip)
 Really...that performance from the Proms got panned by the critics (and I agree with them, in this instance).  His recital in nyc this year also got roundly panned (in a rather amusing fashion).  No doubt he's a talented player, though.

koji

Panned by the critics eh? Well, that proves it was good.

[thracozaag]

Not after hearing his recording of the Thaik.  As I said, the critic, at lest in this case were quite correct.

koji

[goalevan]

I like him

thought this was pretty impressive too
https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/play.htms?LINK=rtsp://ra.universal-music-group.com/dgg/rv-4748202-LangLang_liveatcarnegiehall_clip1.rm

[faulty_damper]

The originator of this thread posted the exact same thing on Chopinfiles and PianoWorld, and never posted again.

Kinda figured it was free advertising spam postings.  They always do it that way.  Some are even more creative and with hold it for a couple of posts so they can sneak the link in.  The best way to fight spam-ad posts:  Don't click on it.  I didn't.

[faulty_damper]

I like him

thought this was pretty impressive too
https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/play.htms?LINK=rtsp://ra.universal-music-group.com/dgg/rv-4748202-LangLang_liveatcarnegiehall_clip1.rm

That clip was impressive.  His performance solo at Lincoln Center with the Liszt transcription of Mozart was pretty un-emotional though you wouldn't have figured it by looking at his face.  But to give him credit, he didn't even plan on performing it that night if that other musician had arrived that night.

[thracozaag]

 That's what amuses me about his playing.  All the histrionics and faces, full of sound and fury ultimately signifying nothing.  

koji

[onemanband]

He is one of the gifted . Don't envy , do respect

[thracozaag]

[thracozaag]

 And let me just say, that I've gone to school with scores of pianists whose playing I admire and extoll far above that of Lang-Lang and they don't have one hundreth of his career success, which is a real shame.

koji

[joeltr888]

yech... what a contrived performance.

[gaspard]

Thracozaag (koji), you seem to be bashing Lang Lang playing because of his physical presentation or outward presentation.  You did not seem to provide any information regarding his musical interpretations, piano technique or phrasing of any particular composer. Andre Watts and Glen Gould dramatic presentations of compositions has not affected their careers to the degree that people were not willing to pay well to hear them play. That's because their musical interpretations were of certain composers were fantastic. I remember seeing Leonard Bernstein conduct and he would jump up in the air and come down on the down beat with a thump. The sound from the orchestra was appropriately big and the performance was exciting. His "sword fighting" style with the baton was something I would pay top dollar to see again (if he were alive) because the sound he received from the orchestra and the musical message he gave was the greatest.  

[ahmedito]

I agree with Thracozaag.... the reason he bashes him is because of all the gesticulation and stuff, without any results in his musical performance. SO far... I havent heard anything here that I like

[thracozaag]

Thracozaag (koji), you seem to be bashing Lang Lang playing because of his physical presentation or outward presentation.  You did not seem to provide any information regarding his musical interpretations, piano technique or phrasing of any particular composer. Andre Watts and Glen Gould dramatic presentations of compositions has not affected their careers to the degree that people were not willing to pay well to hear them play. That's because their musical interpretations were of certain composers were fantastic. I remember seeing Leonard Bernstein conduct and he would jump up in the air and come down on the down beat with a thump. The sound from the orchestra was appropriately big and the performance was exciting. His "sword fighting" style with the baton was something I would pay top dollar to see again (if he were alive) because the sound he received from the orchestra and the musical message he gave was the greatest.  

 All very valid points, and of course the three musicians you mentioned above (Watts more so when he was younger--sadly he's a shell of the once phenomenal pianist he once was due to arm problems) had much to say despite (or perhaps because) of all the histrionics.  Although Harold Shonberg once gave a rather scathing review of a Horowitz/Bernstein comparison in which "the latter had a wonderful time gesticulating and generally bathing his ego in the music, while the former gave off far more electricity staying motionless".  But Shonberg was always unfairly (I think) biased against Bernstein--however, the point was valid.
 Lang-Lang is not (in my opinion) on the level of these great artists.  I find nothing compelling about his playing in terms of sound, interpretation, or poetry.  As I stated above, I've had the pleasure of knowing many other pianists who don't have a microgram of his career that I'd much rather hear play.  

koji

[Hmoll]

I agree with Thracozaag.  LL is a former child prodigy. Maybe someday he might grow up and play musically. I'll buy tickets to see him then. For now, it's ludicrous to compare him with people who are/were masters.

[thracozaag]

 And to clarify, I don't begrudge his success in any way; more power to any classical musician that can make such gobs of money in these times; I just wish it would get divvied up among other worthy people as well.

koji

[Beet9]

I heard a recording of him playing tchaik no.1 and the mendelssohn no.1.  The Mendelssohn was pretty good, but i have never heard a crappier version of the tchaik in my life!  It was all fingers and no feeling.

[trunks]

Lang Lang gave a concert in Hong Kong recently playing the Rachmaninoff Concerto No.3. I did not attend the concert because (a) I never had a thing for the No.3, and (b) he only played that work in the concert.

I read the reviews from a local morning post the following day, saying that he has phenomenal technique but too much showmanship that requires maturity to level off. I agree with the reviewer.

In the Carnegie Hall debut he played the Mozart-Liszt Don Juan. Fine performance, but a bit flawed in the double wide leap passage simply because he played it too fast.

[Spatula]

Whomever started this post just abandoned it, like on other message boards I've seen.

Anyways, revering to the extreme difficulty of Rach No 3.  I read somewhere, although I don't know its source that there are only about 1000 such pianists in the world today that can fully perform all three movements (doesn't need an orchastra, but that they can at least do it) with a decent tempo.  So far I've come across about 17 different recordings from different performers:

some are obviously:

David Helfgott (not that great, but passible I think)
Horowitz (one of the faster renditions)
Argerich (voted one of best versions)
Jon Kimura Parker (haven't heard)
Earl Wild (haven't heard)
Evgeny Kissin (waaay... too slow for his technical skill)
Idil Berit (slower than Kissin's)
Rachmaninoff (the sound recording was bloody old so I can't say much about his own playing)

blah blah...I know theres much more but I cant think.

what do you think???

[Spatula]

Oh...yeah

and Lang Lang ...duh  

that's the topic of this post...double duh

[Spatula]

I wanna be a Virituoso! bah bah  

oh well I've have to stick to the stuff I can do now..

[f0bul0us]

If I remember right, Yundi-Li is going to be performing Rach 3 for one of his upcoming recitals in 1-2 years.  Both he and Lang Lang share incredible technical abilities, it'd be very interesting to compare their interpretations...

[trunks]

If I remember right, Yundi-Li is going to be performing Rach 3 for one of his upcoming recitals in 1-2 years.  Both he and Lang Lang share incredible technical abilities, it'd be very interesting to compare their interpretations...

Oh? Heehee . . . playing a Rachmaninoff concerto in a "recital"?

Technically Lang Lang has my vote.

[Dave_2004_G]

I think there's probably way over 1000 pianists in the world who could play this work...you'd be surprised

Dave

[trunks]

I think there's probably way over 1000 pianists in the world who could play this work...you'd be surprised
Dave

By the way why is it that the Rachmaninoff Concerto No.3 has been the subject of so much hype? I don't see any relationship between the quality of music and the technical demand. The Second Concerto is by far superior to all its other three siblings. It has lot more music than the Third could ever hope to offer. So why in the world is the focus always on No.3 ?

[bernhard]

By the way why is it that the Rachmaninoff Concerto No.3 has been the subject of so much hype? I don't see any relationship between the quality of music and the technical demand. The Second Concerto is by far superior to all its other three siblings. It has lot more music than the Third could ever hope to offer. So why in the world is the focus always on No.3 ?

One word: "Shine"

[f0bul0us]

By the way why is it that the Rachmaninoff Concerto No.3 has been the subject of so much hype? I don't see any relationship between the quality of music and the technical demand. The Second Concerto is by far superior to all its other three siblings. It has lot more music than the Third could ever hope to offer. So why in the world is the focus always on No.3 ?

Rach 2 wasn't played during "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"  . You're right (I.M.O), there's more music in the second concerto then in all the other three. But you gotta love the basic piano intro of Rach 3's first movement  

[f0bul0us]

Wow, what am I on? I meant to say during Shine, but I was thinking of the "Oompa Loompa" song from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory".  

[Spatula]

Actually I "prefer" Rach 2 more, it just seemed rach 3 was pretty entertaining especially the first time I heard it was on shine.  

[steinwaymodeld]

I think it's really personal taste about the Rachmaninoff Concerto you like.

Before the 50s, most people like Rach2 more than Rach3, and Racher was sicken tired of playing Rach2.(He replied very meanly to a audience asking him how did he get the wonderful idea of the Rach2)

For myself, I loved Rach3 for almost half a year, then I listened to a live performance of Rach2 and love it more than Rach3. Then half more year passed by and I now love the Rach V (which is Rach/Paganini Variaiotn) the most.


And Lang Lang, I used to like him a lot (you can ask Thraczoog). But then, I am tired of his playing so quickly.

He is like a very very sweet ice-cream, everything is extra sweet. (I once said, if Yundi Li is a dinner with appetizer, main course and soup. Lang Lang is a dessert buffet)

I own most of the LL's recording, and I have his Rach3 live performance in HK recorded and also encores. Which he plays the Grunfled's Soirees de Vienna....
I thought it was his arrangmenet for a moment and was awestruck, then I found out it's not his and i was pissed. And i think he played it dreadfully.

As he 'oversweetened' everything, his over using of rubato (in a very bizzare way) has been a problem. And it's not a matter of style, it just doesn't sound right. (As he plays the Racher, Scriabin, Liszt, Balavikra, Schumann as in this way)

But one thing i really appreciate LL doing is he kept putting new stuff into his programme notes (for eg Chinese Piano musics)

And Yundi Li, please quite playing (Chopin Nocturnes, Liszt sonata, Chopin scherzo) recital. Those are the thing I heard in your concert 3 YEARS AGO!!!! And he does play something special, like Prokofiev sonata, Prokofiev 3rd concerto, schumann A, Grieg A, Chopin1,2, Liszt 1. Why not recording them??? Because your agency company? I have no idea why they would want to raise your like a pop-star. Now see you have been beaten by 'Maksim the piano sucker'. I hope your agent can really see what a serious pianist like you should be standing in this market.

Best regard.

[edouard]

Hi everyone ,
I have a proposal: all people who obsess night and day over Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto can put all the relevant threads and make a new 'Rach 3' forum
there is more music in the world also...
as to Lang x2, i saw him on TV playing Tchaik First at the BBC Proms and i liked it first time round (which does not mean i would like it again). He appeals to non classical musicians as far as i can see. THen i saw him on some 8 grand piano festival. (yes all playing together) the flight of the bumblebee, but with 8 pianists its difficult to judge and not be assaulted by a flock of man-eating bumblebees !!
As to posting and then leaving the forum, its common practise among people who want to publicize and dont have the money to do it in a decent way.
edouard

[dinosaurtales]

Well, every now and then our piano recital series features a pianist, like LangLang, who is relatively young and hot on the scene, and for some reason, they only play big loud fast pieces, which is quite tiring to listen to for 2 hours straight.  They also love the theatrics - gazing up into the sky during a lush section, arms flailing about.  

I really hate that.  I much prefer a pianist that gets down to business and plays without all the junk.  

In Lang Lang's case I think he's bought his own advertising.

[f0bul0us]

They also love the theatrics - gazing up into the sky during a lush section, arms flailing about.  

I really hate that.  I much prefer a pianist that gets down to business and plays without all the junk.  

In Lang Lang's case I think he's bought his own advertising.

What you're fogetting is that Lang Lang is a young man, not an old war horse like Horowitz. Another thing, I'm sick of reading all these anti-charisma-like posts about someone who's simply doing what he does best and that's play an instrument that's intended to be made for the performing arts. Anxiously, I await the Carnegie Hall debut of every person who has run Lang's playing style through dirt just to see if they'll go down to the level they've held their noses so high above. But, as we all know, a sell-out musician draws a sell-out crowd.