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@Bech So now its: 1. You either think Lang Lang is great, or 2. you are some person who doesn't listen well....? How about listening to him, and still not think he is good (or world class, might be a better word)? I listened to him enough, I have been to a performance of him, and I don't like his playing. Sue me
Victor, I'll have to admit my choice of words for this subject are inclined toward "stirring the pot" a bit.
Due to lack of experience I cannot say my opinion of Lang Lang is valid. All I can do is judge with what I have to judge with at this time.
Listening to music relates to what the philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said. He said something like: "The works of the great philosophers cannot be read except by other great philosophers." That is read and fully understood. No doubt there is much "detail" in a pianist's performance that I am totally unaware of.
I simply liked what I heard from Lang Lang's performances and wondered what all the bad mouthing of Lang Lang was about.
Bech
Music. One of man's greatest inventions. And...for me, the piano expresses it best.
There are a few Lang Lang performances that I have enjoyed, but the majority have been far too 'showy' for my liking, and his facial expressions are almost unbearable. Sometimes it looks like he's even mocking the music.
However, despite these things, I'm not going to bad mouth him as a pianist, because he's a far better player than I am. Too many people give him abuse without the skill to back it up.
There are a few Lang Lang performances that I have enjoyed, but the majority have been far too 'showy' for my liking, and his facial expressions are almost unbearable. Sometimes it looks like he's even mocking the music.
That's actually one of his most beautiful performances, and his facial expressions aren't vulgar here, he just looks like he's having a wonderful time without being too over-the-top.
There are tons of concert pianists with varying levels, from world class to] state level. Of course, not all of them have major solo career, but all of them have followed the same direction at the beginning of their career. They want to be noted (a well known pianist), just not all of them are successful to be noted. Their intent, however, is the same which is fame, and money will follow. I do not understand why it is so hard for you to see this, it is such an obvious thing.
Your statement assumes you're correct. I would say the opposite is obvious. Saying someone wants to be able to make a living from music is obvious, but that is not the same as saying someone chooses any profession for money and fame.
Who says any profession, we are talking about concert pianist profession. We are talking about LL who is a concert pianist.
There are tons of concert pianists with varying levels, from world class to] state level. Of course, not all of them have major solo career, but all of them have followed the same direction at the beginning of their career. They want to be noted (a well known pianist), just not all of them are successful to be noted. Their intent, however, is the same which is fame, and money will follow. I do not understand why it is so hard for you to see this, it is such an obvious thing.
Your statement assumes you're correct. I would say the opposite is obvious. Saying someone wants to be able to make a living from music is obvious, but that is not the same as saying someone chooses any profession for money and fame.
Who says any profession, we are talking about concert pianist profession. We are talking about LL who is a concert pianist.
I said that saying someone chooses any profession(meaning including piano)for money and fame is not the same as saying that someone wants to make a living from that profession. The idea that an intelligent person would choose piano as career for reasons of money and fame, when the chances of that happening are well known to be so small, is IMO unreasonable.
Exactly, gaining money and fame is a wonderful by-product of a successful career as a concert pianist, but as pianoloverus said, it's not exactly a large market to financially exploit and many people wouldn't make it to that level. In an ideal world, people pick a profession because they love that area and wish to make a living from it, and if success comes from that passion - all the better.
Sadly, we don't live in an ideal world, and people pick professions solely for the money, but choosing a career as a concert pianist purely to make money would be foolish. Therefore, I'd say that all concert pianists (including LL), are there because they love the music. Nothing more.
Someone mentioned how every note in Lang Lang's music is audible and clear. The recording above proves that point!
Just beautiful.
Hailun HU7P 1799 John Broadwood and son square 1800 George Astor London square 1810 Gibson and Davis New York square 1830 John Broadwood and sons square
Aeolian-Hammond BA player organ Conn 652 theater organ 1922 Kotykiewicz two manual harmonium 1880s karn pump organ
Currently working on: Perfecting the Op 2/1, studying the 27/2 last movement. Chopin Nocturne 32/2 and Posth. C#m, 'Raindrop' prelude and Etude 10/9 Repetoire: Beethoven op 2/1, 10/1(1st, 2nd), 13, 14/1, 27/1(1st, 2nd), 27/2, 28(1st, 2nd), 31/2(1st, 3rd), 49/1, 49/2, 78(1st), 79, 90, 101(1st)
Due to lack of experience I cannot say my opinion of Lang Lang is valid. All I can do is judge with what I have to judge with at this time.
Say I just discovered cheap and unsophisticated but enjoyable Aussie syrah. I would never dream of going to some wine forum where knowledgeable people were discussing the best vintages of Chateau d'Yquem or Petrus, and start bloviating about how the only thing that mattered was that I liked my new discovery.
The first piece I ever heard him play was the Second Hungarian Rhapsody, my favourite piece ever and a source of huge sentiment (I grew up with the Cat Concerto).
My opinion of him cannot be saved. Regardless of his technical ability, which is obvious (I mean, he just rushes through that piece in amazing fashion), I feel the sound is completely butchered. I by far prefer Hamelin's version, which is almost 5 minutes longer.
Some of the other stuff I've heard from him is acceptable, but I just can't get past that awful performance.
From the newer piano players, I'd take Kissin (best Pictures at an Exhibition I've ever heard) or Hamelin, though I've never heard Kissin play the Second Hungarian Rhapsody and Hamelin does have his worse moments.
"Practice makes perfect, but obsession makes better."
The part where all the people start dancing and clapping is the best!!!!!! Lang lang is gonna get so beat up in the afterlife by the composers, ow he's in for it!
Currently working on: Perfecting the Op 2/1, studying the 27/2 last movement. Chopin Nocturne 32/2 and Posth. C#m, 'Raindrop' prelude and Etude 10/9 Repetoire: Beethoven op 2/1, 10/1(1st, 2nd), 13, 14/1, 27/1(1st, 2nd), 27/2, 28(1st, 2nd), 31/2(1st, 3rd), 49/1, 49/2, 78(1st), 79, 90, 101(1st)
The part where all the people start dancing and clapping is the best!!!!!! Lang lang is gonna get so beat up in the afterlife by the composers, ow he's in for it!
Yeah, that was just saddening. Totally in keep with the performance, though. Bad performance, bad audience.
"Practice makes perfect, but obsession makes better."
But he brings younger people to his audiences. Maybe some of them will learn to appreciate other performances. Classical music needs a broader audience!
Steinway 1905 model A, rebuild started 2008, completed 2012 Yahama CVP-401 Will somone get my wife off the Steinway so I can play it!
i heard lang lang perform an early beethoven sonata and the appassionata at the royal albert hall (and also some prokofiev but i forget what it was) and he finished of with a wonderful encore of chopin etudes and the A flat polonaise. personally i thought he played beautifully, with lots of emotion and in most cases adhering to what i believe is the score (although i haven't memorise the appasionata). i think he's a great pianist and very talented although i don't really agree with his A flat polonaise, but you get that with every pianist. As to his facial expressions, i don't really pay much attention to what the pianist looks like as its about the music.
All theory, dear friend, is grey, but the golden tree of life springs ever green.
