This just in...

LONDON-The richest headhunt ever seen in classical music has ended with the world's most coveted pianist switching teams at a critical moment for the industry.

The Chinese musician Lang Lang, 27, has signed for Sony Classical for $3 million, an executive familiar with the move at his old label Deutsche Grammophon told me. A Sony spokeswoman in London said that the company wouldn't comment.

Lang Lang is credited with an explosion of music teaching in his own country, where more than 40 million children are said to be taking private piano lessons. A tinkling of Ravel can be heard from high-rises in boomtown Tianjin.

You can read the rest at http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/b...t=entertainment

$3Million! Wow, those are surely rock star figures. And he doesn't even play the guitar.

Yeah ... and he's only 27. Not bad. Not bad at all.

I mentioned this to one of my concert pianist friends, the reply...

When CBS Masterworks (now Sony Classical) stole Karajan from DG, he died. When they stole Horowitz from DG, he died. I hope Lang Lang has longer life than that!

Sellout. If there's one pianist in this world that I can't stand it's Lang. I should ask the people I know at UMS what his concert fee is now...maybe it's approaching Mutter-like proportions from a few years back. Whatever it is, it's too much. You know something is amiss when Lang's own teacher at Curtis, Gary Graffman, states that, had Schumann, heard Lang's interpretation of his music, he would have had a heart attack. It's no coincidence that DG "dropped" Yundi Li. Lang's self-admitted aim to be number one (something that should be found in sports and not music), had much to do with Li's dismissal ("him, or me"... Lang went so far as to have orchestras barred from playing with Li in the same season as he), as well as Li's refusal to give in to crossover repertoire of the kind Lang plays so often. From an interview with Lang in BBC magazine in '08 "... asked how he rates his coeval Yundi Li, I'm greeted with a complete change of facial expression and a firm "no comment". I suppose, a little emperor must countenance no rivals." I've turned down free tickets to hear him and have no intention of ever changing my mind.

Huh.......you're on a first-name-basis with him?

I wonder how he knows if someone's calling him by first or last name. I guess it's by tone of voice.
If he has a good ear.

Like, if someone says, "Lang......" -- that's first name.
If they go "LANG!!!!!" -- that's last name.

Which, clearly, from his playing he doesn't. Yeah, I guess everyone is on a first name basis with him, eh?

You know, actually, I should amend my first comment, since Lang sold out long before this new deal.

I don't like him either. If I look for something on YouTube I completely ignore his performances and rather choose another pianist, no matter what the ratings of his performances are... I just cannot stand him.

Putting his ego aside, would you say Lang Lang is talented and deserves the accolades?

Hummmmmm, thinking...thinking...no. How do clowns like Bang Bang get contracts! Sure he can play a few thinks ok, but honestly their are far far far far far far far better pianist in the world!

Then again he caters to the ignorant and that's why he's famous. I guess it's simply a matter of who sells the most and Lang Lang sells. I guess we can't be mad at him. We can only sigh at the thought of a whole generation getting influenced by such a distorted view of the classics.

stores if you were offered $3 million you'd take it and be a sellout too. And so would ALL of us. Every musician who hit it big could be called a sellout. Kenny G, Diana Krall, Yanni....

Look how Susan Boyle sold 6 million (!) albums after appearing on the british version of American Idol. Sales and marketing will always trump great pure musicianship.

Now go back to your street corner and busk for quarters...and "keep it real bro"

The fact that he took the offer is not why I consider him a sellout, though the reasons leading to why he was offered that contract to begin with are. I'm sorry, but sales and marketing will NEVER trump pure musicianship.

Tell that to Britney Spears, Madonna, the Rolling Stones, Elton John... Wake up, music is now an entertainment industry, NOT a musical industry. That's why jazz and classical are the 2 least popular genres around. I don't consider "rap" music, but hey it sure sells.

You may be the greatest piano player, but if no one's heard of you, you'll still be poor. That's reality.

It might be a huge amount for a classical artist but $3 million isn't much at all for a multi album contract in the music business. A acquaintance of mine (19yo very pretty blonde can't sing ,can't write and can't play but she can shake her ass on MTV) has earned over $3m from her first album with only one "hit" and she's poor compared to what Stef Germanotta and Nadir Khayat who both can play and write have made from Lady GaGa's first album ...$30m and still counting in about 7 months .....