# Yundi Li



## Judith

Just discovered this pianist but can't make up my mind about him! 

Watched him on You Tube. Very strong but maybe too strong. He also looked a bit nauseating when performing.

Is he trying to rival Lang Lang?


What does anyone else think?


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## KenOC

Now goes by his given name only.


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## Pugg

Judith said:


> Just discovered this pianist but can't make up my mind about him!
> 
> Watched him on You Tube. Very strong but maybe too strong. He also looked a bit nauseating when performing.
> 
> Is he trying to rival Lang Lang?
> 
> What does anyone else think?


Yes he does, he was on the Mezzo channel, just as Lang Lang very overacting.


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## KenOC

Pugg said:


> Yes he does, he was on the Mezzo channel, just as Lang Lang very overacting.


I wonder what y'all would have thought of Liszt.


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## pcnog11

I think there is a new generation of younger classical music performer such as Yundi Li or Lang Lang has a fine line to walk, they sometime cross the line without knowing it. 

The line is to define if they are a true fine musician such as Rubenstein, Ashkenazy etc. or they are a superstar in the pop culture. The line is so fine that they do not realize it is there. I think most of these younger classical musicians aspire to be the former but they end up being the latter because of the spot lights, marketing and media attention. 

These younger musicians could engage a younger generation of classical music lovers, I remember seeing Joshua Bell about 10 years ago in the US and half of the audience was young teenage girls. This seems to be a classical music "Beatles" effect. Nevertheless, these young musicians needs to stay true to their aspirations and only through this path, they can develop the substance they need to be successful.


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## lextune

He won the Chopin Competition in 2000, the youngest pianist to ever do so, (and the first Chinese pianist). It was the first time since '85 they awarded 1st prize, (the previous two competitions no competitor was deemed worthy). 

He had enormous promise, (not to mention the enormous pressure). I don't know all of his recordings, but I have heard several that are quite good, mostly the ones recorded after his 2000 triumph.

It is tough to judge Chinese pianists. One always has to remember that up until recently they were taking their lives in their hands by playing 'classical music'. 

In 1958, a 19 year-old Chinese pianist named Liu ShihKun finished 2nd at the first Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow. He returned a national hero. Then came the "Cultural Revolution", and a few years later, he was imprisoned, and starved to the point of death for several years. His crime: He had played the decadent music of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart.

The point is that it wasn't until the last few decades, (basically no time at all, in the scheme of music) that the Chinese school of piano started to emerge. The piano is now beloved in the country, and accepted by the Chinese regime, (for now), but for this listener, most Chinese pianists lack depth. They are the biggest part of the current piano trend, which is the 'have notes; will play' virtuoso. 

Individuality, creativity, uniqueness of tone, or of interpretation are severely lacking. It is not just the Chinese, but they are padding the numbers.


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## pcnog11

It happen about a year ago, please see the following link:

http://slippedisc.com/2015/11/breaking-yundi-crashes-out-of-chopin-concerto/

Never heard about anything like this is established pianist such as Brendel, Ashkenazy etc. Maybe he crossed the line? Who knows.


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## Guest

I'm not a fan. Good technique, but I'd like more expression.


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## Pugg

Kontrapunctus said:


> I'm not a fan. Good technique, but I'd like more expression.


True, they all study on technique, like robots.
( no soul in it)


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## Crystal

Yundi Li was the winner of the 14th International Chopin competition. He *was* really good, but he's getting worse and worse. Lots of memory crashes, really a shame. I don't enjoy his playing, I prefer Lang Lang than Yundi.


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