# Lang Lang



## Judith

I know he is not to everyones taste and yes, he is a bit flamboyant, also known to be a showman!! I saw him live last year. He was amazing and I do think he is a good pianist!! I sometimes get to the stage where I dare not admit that I like him!! Opinions please!!


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## Pat Fairlea

Judith said:


> I know he is not to everyones taste and yes, he is a bit flamboyant, also known to be a showman!! I saw him live last year. He was amazing and I do think he is a good pianist!! I sometimes get to the stage where I dare not admit that I like him!! Opinions please!!


Let me answer your question this way.
I was recently on a long flight and scanning the in-flight junk for something to pass the time. There was a fair amount of classical music on audio and I listened to all of it. Until, that is, it came to Lang Lang playing Chopin, which I abandoned after about 5 minutes. Too mannered, too much affectation, too much "Look at me" and not half enough Chopin.
Sorry.


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## Animal the Drummer

Pat Fairlea said:


> Let me answer your question this way.
> I was recently on a long flight and scanning the in-flight junk for something to pass the time. There was a fair amount of classical music on audio and I listened to all of it. Until, that is, it came to Lang Lang playing Chopin, which I abandoned after about 5 minutes. Too mannered, too much affectation, too much "Look at me" and not half enough Chopin.
> Sorry.


Admittedly I've had the same reaction to some of his Chopin, but I was pleasantly surprised by his recording of Mozart concertos. There's a musician in there somewhere IMO and I hope he can emerge more consistently as the years go by.

Judith, if you like him, keep following him. Just don't think his is the last word on the music he plays.


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## Guest

I heard him in Aspen about 10 years ago. Parts were OK, but the Rachmaninoff Preludes he played were seriously lacking in passion and musical interest. The notes were there, but that's about all.


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## Pugg

Judith said:


> I know he is not to everyone's taste and yes, he is a bit flamboyant, also known to be a showman!! I saw him live last year. He was amazing and I do think he is a good pianist!! I sometimes get to the stage where I dare not admit that I like him!! Opinions please!!


Those things spoils it it for me.


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## Adam Weber

Some of his earlier recordings are truly awful, but I think he's getting better. His recording of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto is a travesty, but his Prokofiev 3rd isn't half bad.


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## Pugg

Adam Weber said:


> Some of his earlier recordings are truly awful, but I think he's getting better. His recording of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto is a travesty, but his Prokofiev 3rd isn't half bad.


All sounds like the Lang-Lang show.


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## helenora

Pugg said:


> All sounds like the Lang-Lang show.


haha, yes, not even ilang-ilang


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## pcnog11

I think there is a lot of 'marketing' to make Lang Lang a star rather than a musician/performer.


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## Pugg

pcnog11 said:


> I think there is a lot of 'marketing' to make Lang Lang a star rather than a musician/performer.


You are spot on with this.


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## Krummhorn

Heard him play in local concert on a new Steinway. 

Wasn't impressed ... with either. The piano stunk - too bright on top end and not much bass for a 7 footer. Could have been the hall I suppose, but I've heard better playing.


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## Gordontrek

I've yet to meet a serious pianist who actually likes Lang Lang. He is an enigma to me- you watch him and he's all over the place physically. Swooning, swaying, making ridiculous faces, but if I look away I hear notes and nothing more. It's robotic. He's a showman plain and simple. As far as his technique goes, he's not bad, but is simply outclassed by other members of his generation, like Yundi Li, Yuja Wang and Evgeny Kissin.
Overall, he's the kind of pianist your grandmother enjoys watching on PBS.


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## Pugg

> Overall, he's the kind of pianist your grandmother enjoys watching


Both my grandmothers aren't that easily pleased.


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## Vaneyes

No Lang Lang concerts for me, though as a poster mentioned, the Mozart rec with VPO/Harnoncourt is decent. I'd like to hear him attempt some less-recorded 20/21. :tiphat:


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## Bettina

Vaneyes said:


> No Lang Lang concerts for me, though as a poster mentioned, the Mozart rec with VPO/Harnoncourt is decent. I'd like to hear him attempt some less-recorded 20/21. :tiphat:


Well, he did record Tan Dun's Eight Memories in Watercolor, which was composed in 1979 (Lang Lang's recording dates from 2001, if I remember correctly).

However, I'm not very impressed with that set of pieces or with Lang Lang's performance style.


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## Pugg

Vaneyes said:


> No Lang Lang concerts for me, though as a poster mentioned, the Mozart rec with VPO/Harnoncourt is decent. I'd like to hear him attempt some less-recorded 20/21. :tiphat:


But that's the point, do you want to see a showman or a decent performer.


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## Judith

I have gradually come to everyones way of thinking about Lang Lang and am favouring Stephen Hough. Strong pianist but easier on the ear and more mature in his performances. Listening to his Rachmaninov 3rd piano concerto which I also have by Lang Lang and can tell the difference!


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## Pugg

Judith said:


> I have gradually come to everyones way of thinking about Lang Lang and am favouring Stephen Hough. Strong pianist but easier on the ear and more mature in his performances. Listening to his Rachmaninov 3rd piano concerto which I also have by Lang Lang and can tell the difference!


He made some very good recordings, not all I might add.


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## TSWO

I can't stand watching him for more that 2 minutes, but if you close your eyes and try to forget it's him and just listen to the music you can understand why he is so famous (besides the marketing of course). Experiment: make someone listen to a recording of his without telling him who plays, ask him what he thinks, then tell him it's Lang-Lang, and watch what happens


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## hpowders

Adam Weber said:


> Some of his earlier recordings are truly awful, but I think he's getting better. His recording of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto is a travesty, but his Prokofiev 3rd isn't half bad.


Yes. His Prokofiev Third is a bit Romantic, similar to the Van Cliburn interpretation, but the Cliburn is more convincing, at least to my ears. I might also add that Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic don't provide a great accompaniment for Lang Lang the way that the Chicago Symphony conducted by Walter Hendl did for Cliburn.


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## Valjuan

Honestly, Lang Lang has never done it for me. Even if I close my eyes to his awful affectations, his playing doesn't justify giving him my ears. Just my personal opinion. Now Yuja Wang, I'm all about her...:lol:


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## Valjuan

Judith said:


> I have gradually come to everyones way of thinking about Lang Lang and am favouring Stephen Hough. Strong pianist but easier on the ear and more mature in his performances. Listening to his Rachmaninov 3rd piano concerto which I also have by Lang Lang and can tell the difference!


Stephen Hough is my favorite living pianist. Saw him in KC earlier this year and was vindicated in my adoration of him. Read his blog too; it's fantastic!


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## DavidA

Valjuan said:


> Stephen Hough is my favorite living pianist. Saw him in KC earlier this year and was vindicated in my adoration of him. Read his blog too; it's fantastic!


Hough is a bit chilly I find. Wondrous technique though


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## Valjuan

DavidA said:


> Hough is a bit chilly I find. Wondrous technique though


What's your opinion of Jeremy Denk?


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## KenOC

Valjuan said:


> What's your opinion of Jeremy Denk?


Is that a question for everybody?


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## Judith

Valjuan said:


> Stephen Hough is my favorite living pianist. Saw him in KC earlier this year and was vindicated in my adoration of him. Read his blog too; it's fantastic!


I saw him live last summer performing Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Was wonderful.


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## Judith

Valjuan said:


> What's your opinion of Jeremy Denk?


Very impressed with Jeremy Denk. Seen him on You Tube with Joshua Bell and he is on with Joshua on some of the CDs I have. I like him.


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## Guest

Not sure this will do much for Lang Lang's reputation in the classical world...


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## pcnog11

Kontrapunctus said:


> Not sure this will do much for Lang Lang's reputation in the classical world...


May be he turned away from classical music to a metalhead!

Seriously, this is part of marketing to show that he can do crossover than just classical music. He needs to expand the audience type in China.


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## Barelytenor

I simply can't abide him, whether watching or listening.

:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## Judith

Kontrapunctus said:


> Not sure this will do much for Lang Lang's reputation in the classical world...


Disappointed that he seems to be going into the "pop world".


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## pcnog11

Kontrapunctus said:


> Not sure this will do much for Lang Lang's reputation in the classical world...


Let's say Lang Lang is doing some crossover and some of you may be disappointed, object to it and saying that he has ruined his reputation in the classical world. Would you be disappointed when Yo-yo Ma was doing crossover with the Silk Road Ensemble? If not, why? What is the difference? Should classical musician demonstrate a level of flexibility in musical style and collaborate with others?


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## Bulldog

As far as I'm concerned, it would be a great idea of Lang Lang did a crossover and never came back.:tiphat:


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## Pugg

Barelytenor said:


> I simply can't abide him, whether watching or listening.
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> George


Just ignore him would be my advice.


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## Barelytenor

That is actually not difficult to do, Pugg!

:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## Phil loves classical

Glad to hear so much scorn for Lang Lang. He can't get into the music of even his native country's. They play the 2nd movement of the Yellow River Concerto with him on my radio station too often, complete blandness. he is all technique and no musical insight. Yes Yundi Li is much more bearable, but not a household name like LL.


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