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Lang Lang: Live at Carnegie Hall- Amazon |
Lang Lang is popular in America
2005-11-27
You can tell that Lang Lang is quite popular in America judging from the reaction of the audiences at Carnegie Hall.
You often read a lot of unsuitable comparisons between the two young pianists Yundi Li and Lang Lang. For example, after commenting on Lang Lang's grotesque and faked stage mannerisms, someone wrote that for those who enjoy more refined stage choreography, try Yundi Li's live International Chopin competition DVD. I do not believe Yundi Li has arranged any stage choreography for himself. His natural facial expressions and body movements are simply results of his ability to understand the music he performed on stage. If you are capable of deep feeling when you perform on stage, your mind will have no room for any stage choreography. You will be able to understand Yundi Li better if you had watched him performed when he was still very young. He is able to immerse himself deeply in the music whenever he performs. Someone wrote that judging from the steam and progress Li has made, Lang Lang's position is certainly under threat. This kind of worry is really not very healthy as it seems to imply that there is room only for one young male Chinese pianist in this field. Judging by the popularity Lang Lang is enjoying now in America, there is no need to be over concerned about Lang Lang being threatened as that may create rivalry feeling between the two young pianists. Hope the two will coexist peacefully with each other. Recently, I have come across two extremely different views about Yundi Li's virtuosity. On one hand, you read something like: "this Recital Confirmed that Yundi Li Belongs with the `New Pianistic Superstars' Wrote American Record Guide". On the other hand, a completely different view is given such as: "You want great pianism: listen to Josef Hoffman, Rachmaninov, Ashkenazy, Richter, Volodos, Kocsis, Schiff, some of Gould, etc. Even Yundi Li is not near the level of these greats". Such comparison is obviously inappropriate. First of all, does every pianist mentioned in the list here have equal virtuosity? Do they all belong to the same calibre of pianism? Each one may excel in his own way in different expects of virtuosity. Although Yundi Li is overwhelmingly regarded as a virtuoso, I would not describe him as a `New Pianistic superstar'. On the other hand, if you think Yundi Li is not near the level of these greats, you are certainly entitled to your own opinion. 
Incredible technique, aristically good also
2005-11-27
Despite his grotesque and faked stage mannerisms, Lang Lang's performance are poetic and thoughtful. Such is the case with his Abegg variations as well as his somewhat mannered yet full bodied Chopin Nocturne. As for the Liszt, Lang Lang concerns himself with the episodic details rather than the structural whole (which is fine depending on one's tastes). Other pianists may have better interpretations (Arrau, Richter), but Lang Lang is growing as an individual artist.
By the way, for those who enjoy more refined stage choreography, try Yundi Li's live International Chopin competition DVD. On another side note, a reviewer's assertion that Lang Lang's popularity is the result of the chinese government is totally inaccurate and biased. He or she fails to take into account that AMERICA is the one marketing Lang Lang not CHINA. 
A performance what is never seen before.
2005-10-09
This young performer brings us an unbelievable combination of the genuine musicianship and a fantastic instrumental skill. I was almost breatheless when I watched this DVD the first time. Mr. Lang Lang is for me a living personification of the sentence, that the music doesn't know the borders. That is simply a wonder: a Chinese performer with so great thoughtfulness for European music. I played this DVD at conservatory where I teach and all my students were charmed immediately and their charming was present during many following days after the listening. And not only pianists were charmed! That is, after my meaning, very important. I am looking forward to Mr. Lang Lang's next DVD recordings and hoping he will come to play to Czech Republic, too. He could be one of the greatest highlights of the "Prague Spring" festival during following years.
Vaclav Buzek, composer, Conservatory Teplice, Czech Republic. 
The "Liberace" and "Emeril" of Pianism - Much Ado About Nothing
2005-09-27
Does Lang Lang have skills? Some. But with so many other great young pianists, one wonders why a few mid-level pianists with great marketing connections "and" perhaps the Chinese government are promoting Lang Lang as "a great pianist" -- he's simply a flashy entertainer who flails his hands in the air, purses his lips into the sky, and provides you with a fun(ny) Liberace-like show instead of genuine focused or convincing virtuosity and musicianship. If you want to hear China's best pianist try Yundi Li. Now why all the fuss about Lang Lang? Is it because Lang Lang's father, an Er Hu player (a famous two-stringed ancient instrument played like a cello, but resembling a skinny banjo) is considered a national treasure and could get his kid into Curtis the way George Bush probably got a C- George W. into Harvard and Yale? Once a pianist is connected, success starts to happen, whether the pianist is mediocre or not. This is especially true in the case of Lang Lang, who in live performances sounds like...well, like he should be back in school instead of on the professional circuit. Save your money and buy other piano DVDs on the market with much more substance: Richther/Michaelangeli, Cziffra, etc. In my view, Lang Lang is a product of commercial capitalism trying to pass on flashy "fools gold" as the real thing. You want great pianism: listen to Josef Hoffman, Rachmaninov, Ashkenazy, Richter, Volodos, Kocsis, Schiff, some of Gould, etc. Even Yundi Li is not near the level of these greats, though he is young and appears to have genuine potential. Li's Chopin is marvelous and he actually earned a prize in Warsaw, instead of earning notoriety via connections. Lang Lang appears to me as a product of Chinese cultural advertisement unbacked by substance. As Josef Hoffman once said, you can't learn much from bad piano playing, so save your ears and eyes for real talent.
Good... but not if you are a real classical music lover
2005-08-13
There is plenty of virtuosos out there who display the same exuberance and technical skills with more musicianship (think of Stephen Hough in the young generation). Therefore, don't expect Cziffra or Horowitz: what you get here is a show, a bit like a concert of Pavarotti in Madison Square Garden... The problem with Lang Lang is that he is a miniature pianist, good for colourful and short pieces (Schumann's ABBEG), not for big architectural works (he might actually do well with Prokofiev). As a result, the best on the DVDs are the pieces that last less than 5 minutes. On the other hand, Schubert's Wanderer Fantasie, a classical masterpiece which requires an extraordinary concentration is totally uninteresting, sometimes even tasteless and sloppy. It has been played by the masters who have left unforgettable recordings (unfortunately no DVD...), my favourite being Maurizio Pollini and Alfred Brendel to mention recordings with good sound quality, but there is plenty more, Murray Perahia for instance, known for his musicianship more than his virtuosity. Liszt's parpaharase on Don Juan is simply boring! I strongly disagree with a former reviewer who likens this interpretation to Jorge Bolet's. Here, you have no idea where all this is going, it sounds like a patchwork of cadenzas and tricks without any purpose and Lang Lang makes so many faces that it actually gets disruptive to watch.
I still give it 4 stars because I am sure lots of people might like it (the audience at Carnegie Hall gave him a standing ovation), but if you live for classical music, I suspect you will be disappointed. To make a comparison, this DVD reminds me of David Helfgott's recording of Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto after the movie "Shane" made him famous: a lot of hype and immediate public success. If at the time you thought it was a terrific performance, you will certainly like this DVD. But if you prefered Horowitz or Argerich, this DVD is not for you. As far as I am concerned, I will give Lang Lang 20 years to mature, hoping that he won't get completely spoiled by the audience. After all, he has so much talent...  Read for more: http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html%3FASIN=B...
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