Haydn, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Balakirev / Lang Lang

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This CD, apparently a recording debut, presents a Chinese pianist in his teens in live performance (at Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood). It has many successful elements. The first one is the pianist's selection of Haydn to begin his program, since few pianists these days bother to investigate the riches of Haydn's prodigious piano output. Lang proves thoroughly sympathetic to Haydn's idiom, in a delightful, witty performance. It's a huge distance from Haydn to Rachmaninoff, but Lang has complete command of Rachmaninoff's extravagant virtuosity, and he makes this bombastic piece--not one of the composer's best--sound like convincing music. The most impressive performance on the disc is the Brahms set, on which the playing is poised and mature. The way Lang builds the crescendo in the central section of the final Intermezzo is the work of a mature artist, whatever his age. The uncommon Tchaikovsky pieces are also excellent. Only in the final Balakirev, where Lang sounds just a trifle cautious, can one have even slight reservations about his abilities; perhaps he was just tiring at the end of the concert. Unlike many CDs issued today, this one makes a very satisfying listening program, just like the recital it reproduces (with excellent sound quality). --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

I. Moderato
II. Allegretto
III. Finale: Presto
I. Allegro Agitato
II. Non Allegro/Lento
III. Allegro Molto
I. Intermezzo In A Minor
II. Intermezzo In A Minor
III. Ballade In G Minor
IV. Intermezzo In F Minor
V. Romanze In F Major
VI. Intermezzo In E Flat Minor
Dumka (Russian Rustic Scene)
Nocturne In C Sharp Minor
Islamey (Oriental Fantasy)

Amazon.com

This CD, apparently a recording debut, presents a Chinese pianist in his teens in live performance (at Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood). It has many successful elements. The first one is the pianist's selection of Haydn to begin his program, since few pianists these days bother to investigate the riches of Haydn's prodigious piano output. Lang proves thoroughly sympathetic to Haydn's idiom, in a delightful, witty performance. It's a huge distance from Haydn to Rachmaninoff, but Lang has complete command of Rachmaninoff's extravagant virtuosity, and he makes this bombastic piece--not one of the composer's best--sound like convincing music. The most impressive performance on the disc is the Brahms set, on which the playing is poised and mature. The way Lang builds the crescendo in the central section of the final Intermezzo is the work of a mature artist, whatever his age. The uncommon Tchaikovsky pieces are also excellent. Only in the final Balakirev, where Lang sounds just a trifle cautious, can one have even slight reservations about his abilities; perhaps he was just tiring at the end of the concert. Unlike many CDs issued today, this one makes a very satisfying listening program, just like the recital it reproduces (with excellent sound quality). --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Is individualism in music really that bad?.......2007-05-29

I bought this disc alongside Yundi Li's Chopin debut album recorded with DG.
Frankly, Yundi's debut album was much more easy to the ears than Lang Lang's Tanglewood recital, unless you happen (and rarely) to dislike Chopin. My listening rate of this album to Yundi Li's was around 1 to 4 initially, gradually to out numbering the other.
Why so? The opening Haydn may account for some thing. It isn't badly played, but it is not movingly played. Lang simply hadn't warmed up yet. Then the other pieces in the set are not really charmers like Yundi's Chopin album.
However, once you are able to move beyond Haydn, you get into the performance arena of young Lang, and inevitably his playing captures the listener like magnet, starting with the Rachmanioff sonata, and bringing you right through to the last 'showpiece'. There has to be that amount of performance concentration, the uptight emotional depth, and the musicality running through ALL those pieces, ALWAYS backed up by outstanding dexterity in playing.
Oh, yea, you may call Lang's style showy; but if a performer is souless and deathly boring, what would you call him/her then? And to be showy implies that there IS some thing to be shown.

Not sure what to think.......2007-03-01

I love Lang's interpretation of the Haydn because it is so immaculate. He listens carefully that every note is placed carefully.

I'm not sure what is going through Lang's head with the Rachmaninoff, or the Brahms or the Tchaikovsky because everyone seems to have something negative to say about his playing. But I reserve judgement of his playing of the heavyweight compositions here for a later time.

I don't understand this obsession with Lang Lang. . . .......2007-01-08

I remember seeing Lang Lang play the Balakirev Islamey as part of a special on him (not a recital) on television. It was probably the worst performance of the piece I've ever heard. With all due respect, the piece is physically very demanding. I think Lang Lang put this on his program to prove a point and fails to do so. Clearly, it is out of Lang Lang's range. It may not be later in his career, but at this point, it definitely is. If you look at Evgeny Kissin, he wasn't playing Islamey, Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 or Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petroushka as one of his first performances or recordings. Kissin's way has always been to take a piece, no matter what it is, and go about three extra miles.

If you want to hear this piece played as it is meant to be heard, Andrei Gavrilov's performance of Islamey is second to none. His electrifying performance has amazing technique and power.

There is something about everything Lang Lang plays that is unnatural, a bad kind of unnatural. Quirky mannerisms don't belong in every piece that a pianist plays. Horowitz had a certain kind of quirkiness, but it is called personality. Lang Lang is a quirky pianist just for the sake of being quirky, with no consistency at all - it is not his personality, but a distraction from the music.

If you ever see Lang Lang in live performance, why does he make so much superfluous movement? A Lang Lang performance is about Lang Lang, and not his music. If you want to hear a supervirtuoso who is dedicated to the music, I recommend Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin or the up-and-coming pianist Sergio Tiempo. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Tiempo.

I don't really care if you think this review is useful or not, I'm just a pianist who feels very strongly against Lang Lang, and believe that his following is a bunch of people that don't fully understand (or understand at all) the art of the piano.

personal preference.......2006-07-29

For some of these pieces, I prefer the recordings of artists such as Daniel Barenboim, Martha Argerich, Emanuel Ax, Byron Janis, or John Ogdon.

Great performance.......2006-07-18

Lang Lang has an electrifying technique and style. I'm a professional classical musician, and I've listened to some recordings of the pianists that were mentioned here by other reviewers. All I have to say is that good music and great musicians should move people's heart. And Lang Lang does just that. If you thought Brahms was dull and Balakirev was trashy, you should listen to this CD.

If he keeps up, I think Lang Lang is going to be a legend.

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