I wonder if he does it on purpose... you know... acting like a retard when he plays. Have any of you seen his DVD: "Live at Carnegie Hall" ? I really cringe when he opens his eyes wide and lets his mouth drop open like he's a retard enjoying going to the bathroom. No offense to any retards here but man it is so distracting; I just wonder if anyone's told him how ridiculous he looks? I can never really take him seriously because of that. The video here does showcase his nutty side, or maybe it's a happy side? I'm sure he's having fun when he plays, but those expressions are incomprehensible. I may not play virtuoso pieces like he does, but when I do play piano I'm at least making sure I look confident, at ease, and without mouthing the beats like Lang Lang does. I'm just not impressed with someone who feels they have to be a vocal metronome either. If I wasn't born so long afterwards, I would say that I miss the old days when Beethoven would play with fire in his eyes, like he's in battle with the piano, or when Liszt would stare at each of the audience members like he's playing only to them.
I heard that he said he is just like that, his personality. You know Fu T'song, the Chinese guy who can play Chopin quite well (3rd place Chopin Competition 1955, after Harasiewicz and Ashkenzay)? I heard that he had a talk with Lang Lang recently, and told him that everything he liked nearly everything Lang Lang did, but his facial expressions are awful. And Lang Lang replied like: "I don't act like that, I am like that". Seems like he is just like that, nothing to do about.
like in the tour: a reporter askes basso: have you used drug? and his replie: Ofcourse not. I think that says enough.
