Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Having read so many conflicting reviews of this CD I could not resist buying it and listening to it myself. BBC Magazine called him 'a talent in a million' whilst Gramophone were less enthusiastic. So which do I agree with? One thing I'll mention straight away is that the sound is far too dry. Some of the 'floating' pianistic effects that Lang Lang uses, such as in the Rachmaninov 2nd movement and the 2nd of the Op.118 by Brahms, relies on a warmer recording to capture its essence. No doubt the live audience would have been delighted, but on this record the effect is lost. I have heard Lang Lang in concert and he is indeed a talent in a million, as BBC Magazine enthuses. But to label him as such on the basis of this CD would be wrong as it does not show him at his best. Indeed, I would not give a top recommendation for any of the performances on this CD - It is only interesting/worth buying in that it is the debut CD of a rising star. His next recording is of the Rachmaninov 3rd concerto, which I listened to live. You will understand what I mean by the 'floating' effect when you hear his opening phrase (as long as they haven't recorded it as drily as this CD).

Since hearing Lang Lang perform in Seattle a few months ago, I've been eager to get ahold of this CD, his first recording. I was very curious to see whether his personality and uniquely emotive style of playing would come through on CD. I finally found a copy of the recording, I certainly was not disappointed! The record faithfully reproduces his spirit of his performance.

It is a joy to hear, as well. The pieces are well chosen (with the possible exception of the Rachmaninoff, in my opinion), and the recording quality is superb. I do not share the editorial reviewer's concern about the final piece, myself, and I find the Tchaikovsky Dumka to be practically worth the price of admission on its own.

If haven't heard about Lang Lang, this might be a good time to see what the buzz is about; if you have heard him play, I suspect you'll be delighted by this recording. I certainly was, and this one will definitely spend a lot of time in my CD player.

After seeing Lang Lang play twice in one week I can give an honest review. He has some of the best showman qualities that great performers possess but is lacking in substantial overall pianistic ability and maturity. He concentrates too much on his look and celebrates, in my opinion, his ego. Horowitz was proclaimed as "the greatest pianist alive or dead" but his music had little showmanship. The music went from the heart and then directly too the fingertips.
But Lang Lang has a maturity beyond average pianistic ability. I have scarcely heard anyone play Brahms as well as Lang Lang, which is a great and well-deserved compliment. But his maturity does lack in pieces like Islamey and Rachmaninoff's Second Sonata. These are heavy virtuoso compositions that are recieved with reservations and little power from Lang Lang. He plays in a perfectly crisp tone and does not confuse the listner. He rarely uses the damper pedal which can be a blessing when playing Hayden and a curse with Rachmaninoff. I give this cd 4 stars based on content. Hayden, Brahms, a beautiful Dumka by Tchiakovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Balakirev. It has pieces for everyone and seems to be a promising start for just a 19 year-old pianist.

I'd heard almost nothing by this much-hyped pianist when I found this at the library (hey, I still haven't heard everything by Horowitz, Ashkenazy or Eschenbach, so the waitlist is long). I figured starting with his first cd made sense, and I think it's very fine for a player his age at the time, if nowhere near the depth of the true masters.

I enjoyed the Brahms very much, though it seemed a trifle emotionally reserved. But at 18 one hasn't lived much, so that's to be expected. The Rach was decent enough and not as showy as I'd expected, odd for a very showy composition. The Haydn is solid but not especially moving, as with most of the pieces here, but I can't neglect the fact that this is all done by a teenager. That makes it quite impressive, and Lang gets points for tackling a program that would challenge any pianist of any age. Balakirev's piece is a true test, and Lang handles it well. It's hardly world-shaking, but is very impressive for a player of his age.

This would be a fine cd to give to a young piano student, as both impetus and to document what intense dedication can accomplish.

I look forward to enjoying his latest recordings to hear how he's matured.

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

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.

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.

The brilliance of Lang Lang's playing really comes through on this live performance recording. After listening to this recording you can understand why he has received such high praise and expectations. The expression that Lang Lang brings to these pieces exemplifies his mastery. After saying all of that there are a couple spots in which there is some applause. While this is expected in a live recording, they only appear a couple of times. I am not sure if this is an attempt to remind the listener that this is a live recording, but they were distracting to my enjoyment of this recording. All in all, I would recommend to any lover of classic music and/or the piano

An unpolished gem? I'm sorry, but I'm trying to be nice. What I really think is tentative, hesitant, and error-laden. This sounds more like a high-school recital than the beginnings of a future piano star.

I know that Lang Lang has evolved into a great talent, but this was sure one bumpy start. I can't imagine anyone but Lang Lang fanatics wanting this in their collection.

Lang Lang: Live At Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood is a 2001 Telarc recording starring pianist Lang Lang . Here, we get to hear Lang Lang play Haydn, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Balakirev. Richard E. Rodda has written the music notes. Highly recommended. 5/5.