Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Lang Lang--Hurrah!

I prefer André Rieu for that (though he's not a pianist). His music is actually pretty good, too. And there are others who do have some appeal to younger people as well.

But that doesn't mean we have to like the way he plays. That Hungarian Rhapsody was just awful. I don't care how enthusiastic the applause was and how few people there knew about classical music (looking at the video, it was broadcast on Dutch tv as well, so it probably reached quite a few people), I thought it was horrible.

I repeat what I said on the first page of this thread, 'he raped the Appassionata!'.

And I do have it memorized.

raped?

raped

hahaha what do you mean by that, friend??

Judging by the audience reactions, the passion between them and LL was shared, so can we really speak of rape?
How about public impropriety instead?

@The Journey, we are talking about the appassionata here.

He's tempo was all over the place, the whole theme's were barely recognizable by it, whole passage's lost their meaning by an overpowered rumbling left hand where right was doing the melody. He made extreme pause's in places where you just have to stay in time. It was truly bad.

I have heard this happen in the Concertgebouw. It is as if his initials refer to the place he is playing from at that moment: Liberace Land

Yeah, that's basically how I feel about his performance of the Rhapsody as well. Same flaws.

i saw on the television the other week Lang Lang recieving a master class from Barenboim, where they enthusiastically analysed the appasionata together. so it can't have been that bad unless you think Barenboim is a poor pianist also

Not a poor pianist at all, but he's not near my top5 of best Beethoven performers! And as you will notice, Barenboim also constantly talks about the things I just said, the tempo, the themes, and the rumbling loud right hand.

the word 'rape' in the context of fine pianism usually refers to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spXPWMsvF8w

or this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWvYtfOOjhM

the guy in the 2nd video is a well-known serial rapist.

hope this clears things up.
this is not quite the same type of rape as Lang Lang is associated with.

That begs the question, what kind of rape is Lang Lang associated with? (I thought just the piano, didn't know he was a sex offender :|! )

Well you see, a rather long time ago, LL viciously raped this thing known as 'good taste'...

Regarding Lang Lang.... I don't know him personally but a mutual friend grew up in the same village and is the same age. They both took piano together, and were close childhood friends. They went around together to all the competitions as small children.

People in China never thought he would have much of a career. He was considered to have average technique (by Chinese prodigy standards), and he apparently ALWAYS had below-average taste.

Anyway, say what you want about Lang Lang. As you can tell from my tone, I have little love for the man. However, he has powerful stage presence and charisma. EXCEPTIONALLY powerful. His playing is ALWAYS filled with EXTREMES of contrast-contrast in texture, contrasting dynamics, contrasting articulations, contrasting emotions. He gets a powerful reaction out of people, whether it's positive or negative.

Of course he doesn't DESERVE the cool $20 million a year that he MAKES.... but who ever said life was going to be fair?

Now imagine if wasn't such a clown...
But you can't hold it against him-like every good pianist, he plays it the way he hears it and for him, that is the way it MUST be.

His Don Juan is godly, whether or not you like him. Don Juan is just the type of thing that suits him. Just the type of thing that his retard-antics, coupled with the insane amount of practice he did on it, can make into a great performance.

As others have said, it would be nice if he played everything that well. Most of his performances I find hideous. That Chopin 10/3 that someone posted on this thread and everyone was gushing about has got to be one of the worst crimes against music he's ever committed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj9GzX-7Hy4&feature=related

3:50 is pretty bad, too.

Best comment below it: 'If I were the piano, I'd punch back'

LL comparing Prokofiev's 3rd concerto with Street Fighter:



I hope this may fuel the discussion a little more ;-)

I like this one, on his YT channel.

MarshalGZhukov (2 months ago)
Dude your playing is truly criminal. I don't see any other solution besides a firing squad for you.


to which he replies:

bedlach (2 months ago)
Come and get me, sucker.

I just need to point out that no matter what you guys say... LL has the last laugh! He's making millions off of people who ENJOY his music, his performances. Yes these people may be tasteless idiots who know nothing about classical music, how pieces should be played, etc... but in the end, they ENJOY LL's music and are willing to pay for it. To me, that's a sure sign of success. Now I will admit, I don't care much for his music, but it does not give me or you the right to attack people who do enjoy his music. I mean, seriously, just a different cup of tea. After all, how many "somewhere over the rainbow" versions are there??? And you know what? he wouldn't be as as famous as he is now had he just BLENDED in with everyone else, playing what you guys consider "proper" playing.

Nahhh regretted this comment anyway, nevermind.