Iron hands and child's brain (not prodigy-child, stupid child). Unbearable.
A joint-venture of industry and stupidity.

Sandro Bisotti.

Unbearable he can be... and childlike he can act. But make no mistake, there is an extremely
accomplished, well-trained, and sensitive musician underneath all that, as well as considerable intelligence. Just acting like a clown on occasion does not make him stupid.

That reminds me Sandro, you still have not provided me your bio and photograph for the site.

>... and childlike he can act.

Or be.

> But make no mistake,

To play in this manner is IMHO a mistake. Music is also a sport, but he plays as music is only a sport.


>Just acting like a clown on occasion does not make him stupid.

The problem is that his playing has perfect relation with his acting. They are the same.
The music is so strong to save herself, the image of pianism (and of chinese and oriental pianism
which has many very good pianists) as poetic research is IMHO offended.

> That reminds me Sandro, you still have not provided me your bio and photograph for the site

Thank you.
I've sent bio, and I'll re-send within tomorrow. For the photo I 'll send in a second time
(I've not my recent photos, but I'll remedy).

All best,
Sandro.

Sorry, but I don't know what all the fuss is about regarding Lang Lang. I wish I could play half as good as he. Who cares if he moves around a lot. If I can get over Kissin's hair, then I can get over Lang's moves.



You're talking to fancy for me, here. I don't really get what you're saying.

You're talking to fancy for me, here. I don't really get what you're saying.[/quote]

What I've written. I consider him more a sport-man (a recorman of notes per second, may be. At the end of his Liszt-DonJuan he seems to have obtained the record) or a blacksmith than an artist. Infantilism and industry, not a trace of piano poetry. I repeat, for my taste unbearable.
But perfectly logic by a commercial point of view, and then I find his success normal.
By a musical point of view, I've heard on this site (and out of it) tons of interpretations much more fascinating and convincing than LangLang's.
For make two examples, do you really think that the chinese blacksmith can play Chopin near at
the level of Setrakian, or Carnevale (beautiful, IMHO, his Mazurka 17-4)?
I'm sure of no.

All best,
Sandro.

My dear Sandro Bisotti,
Yes, there are fantastic pianists on the site, but remember that Lang Lang is still very young, only 24 or 25 years old, I believe. He's not my favorite pianist, either, but I feel he truly lives and breathes music and will no doubt improve as he goes along. And I hope he never looses the enthusiasm he exudes when he plays. Watching him is more fun than someone who sits there like a zombie. As far a listening goes - you have me beat, there, as I don’t have time to listen to 2,000 cd’s and compare all the players. I do appreciate your opinions along that line even though it is a bit overwhelming.





don't agree with you.



Yes, I think he can do anything he wants to.

I don’t think the classical music world is desperate enough to elevate some “Chinese blacksmith” into stardom when there are a thousand really good players in the world. Even in the town where I live there are at least a dozen. I just came home from a concert and the players were as good as any I have heard. So to make it into the ‘big time’ is a great accomplishment and Lang Lang must be doing something right, besides being a good showman.

We all have our opinions and you have very strong ones. That’s fine, that’s what this forum is for. And I hope you're not too upset with me right now, (are you waving your hands in the air and mumbling obscenities? I married an Italian, so I know. )

Maybe Lang Lang holds the record for the most notes per second, and for the most vulgar rendition of the Liszt 2nd rhapsody. So what, others have been there before him (think Cziffra...)

For a well-formed opinion of Lang-Lang one should hear his recent recording of Chinese music. Not only is this a self-effacing and enterprising thing to do, flying in the face of commercial considerations, but here you hear exquisite, musical and poetic playing, shorn of any show effects - never mind whether you like that music or not. I guess he could be one of the greatest Debussy interpreters if he set his mind to it. There is far more to this kid than meets the casual eye.

Yes, I listened to it too. It's beautiful music.

[quote="pianolady"]My dear Sandro Bisotti,

>>
I don’t think the classical music world is desperate enough to elevate some “Chinese blacksmith” into stardom when there are a thousand really good players in the world.

Without any polemics: this is exactly what I think!
But a moment. Not "desperate", the chinese market about piano (concert, lessons, instruments,
concerts, recordings etc.) is fabulous. I'll prefer other there are better chinese testimonial
of this "boom", and I think many chinese pianists plays better than him. But this opinion is nothing;
the fact (absolutely positive, IMHO) is the interest of chinese culture for classical music and pianism.

> We all have our opinions and you have very strong ones. That’s fine, that’s what this forum is

Surely. Sorry for my being so direct in my opinions. But I find it's better to exaggerate
(without becoming personal, but it's not our case) than telling that all is the same, all are
goods, etc...

> And I hope you're not too upset with me right now, (are you waving your hands in the air and mumbling obscenities?

Let me tell you I like better your Chopin and the fact you are so agreeable to your
opinions about LangLang.....

Bye, and again excuse for my extremism.
"Au revoir" to next discussion (and next our recordings. Mine are much better now at 2000 CD than
when I was at 200, I cannot imagine as they sounds when I'll be at 20000... ..)

><For a well-formed opinion of Lang-Lang one should hear his recent recording of Chinese music. Not only is this a self-effacing and enterprising thing to do, flying in the face of commercial considerations, but here you hear exquisite, musical and poetic playing, shorn of any show effects -

Very interesting. Thank you for the suggestion.

Sandro.

Sandro, I'm glad you have a good sense of humor. We should get along fine, (except you still talk a bit too fancy for me. )
I hope you post your picture with your bio.

>Huh?

I love his facial expressions!

Forrest Gump would say, "Life is like that guy, Lang-Lang, you never know what you're gonna get.

Pete

Had to go back a lot to find this thread.

I went to Lang Lang’s concert in Chicago yesterday. It was everything I expected – wonderful music, plenty of facial expressions and wild arm and body gestures. Pretty much just as you see in the YouTube videos. However, that some people can’t get over his flamboyant stage presence and just listen to his playing is a mystery to me, as his tone was everything from the softest pianissimo and delicate, dainty runs to powerful, knock-your-socks-off fortissimo. He played great! Yes, he often did what I call ‘float into outer-space”, which is when he leans back and looks upward, or he just closes his eyes and plays. And sometimes he hit the keys hard and then shot both arms out to the side like he was an airplane (that was kind of funny). Other times, he reached up to the highest keys and then dropped his arms down and looked like he was going to fall off the bench. But even with all that, you can certainly tell that he puts his whole heart and soul into the music and thoroughly enjoys playing.

First on the program was Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A Major, D 959. It was pretty long, lasting around 45 minutes. I didn’t hear any wrong notes, but I don’t know the music, either. Then intermission. After that came Bartok’s Piano Sonata Sz. 80. Wow – that was something! Talk about unbelievably powerful playing! I thought the piano was going to disintegrate. He used music on this, but not on the other pieces. Next were selected Debussy preludes; three from each book. The first one was La fille aux cheveux de lin, which many of us here have played and recorded. His rendition was beautiful and very much standard to what I’m accustomed to. The final piece was Chopin’s Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53. I have mixed feelings about it. I think he just went a little overboard. That left-hand octave part – wow – incredible how he played it so fast! And ‘Joe Public’ probably didn’t hear them, but I heard several slips, like five or six. I wasn’t surprised, since he was playing so wildly. Still, if he could contain himself a bit, there would be fewer, if any mistakes. Perhaps because he is still so young that he does this, and maturity will settle him down. Of course the audience loved it and applauded forever, it seemed. So after that explosive piece, he came out for an encore and played Chopin’s Etude Op. 10, no. 3 in E-major. Again, beautiful playing – the outer parts soft and magical, the middle hard part strong and confident.

And that was it. Only one encore. Not sure why, as every other concert I’ve been to, the performer played three or four numbers. I did see a bandage on his finger in the second half of the concert that wasn’t there on the first half. Or maybe it was because he was to sign CD’s afterwards and the ‘managers’ wanted him to get to it. Who knows…

Anyway, I’m glad I went. As to his clothes - he wore a black suit with a mandarin collar and black shirt underneath, buttoned up and no tie.