I love the sweetness of the tone in Lang Lang's interpretation. I fell in love with this piece when I was about 7 years old, and still love it 60 years later. So beautiful and tender.
This performance was absolutely marvelous! I don't understand why people only look for his face expressions and don't listen to the wonderful music he plays. Lang Lang is quite original at his own way. About the performance: "If we only played what we learn at school, we would be all playing the same thing..." - Lang Lang
I find it amazing how so many people can read the same sheet of music but interpret it so differently. This is a great example. This song is such a beautiful piece, and this man has made another beautiful interpretation of the song
It's amazing and quite funny! I had never listened to any recordings of this song but I had played it before, and my version sounds closer to Lang Lang's than Pollini's. I guess I put lots of rubato in my Chopin...
He is very theatrical, for sure, and some find that off-putting. He is, though, getting a lot of youngsters to listen to and be passionate about piano and music in general. There is good in that. And frankly, he IS talented.
Lang lang sounds incredible when you don't look at him. Everyone of you critisizing Lang Lang, show your performance. I doubt if you guys can play even 10% as good as this guy. Beautiful playing with great quality of sound and control. Not easy to play with such an control.
The comment section disturbs me. Why so much hate? He is a very good musician. And before you bring up any nonsense about I know nothing about music, I played piano for ten years.
Luckily enough you're cognizant of the fact that the more critical you of beautiful things, and everything in the universe is beautiful in it's own right, the more it will calm and heal any turmoil or injury in your heart/soul/mind/body. That's probably why your name is sun, for you are probably always sitting by and patiently enjoying life in all it's glory, causing beautiful things to sprout out of the cosmic soil we live in.
Speaking on behalf of detractors of Lang Lang if I may, it's not that we hate him. I'm sure we all love him as a fellow human being. It's just that we also kind of adore the music and he, having set himself up as a leading public exponent of it, is unfortunately doing it a disservice. Some might even say, in the service of himself. It's a similar feeling as if let's say someone you've known for a little while and think is nice and consider a friend starts being less than complimentary about one of your oldest, dearest and most trusted friends just to amuse people at a party. Many might find them witty and good value. You'd rather they didn't open their mouth. Well, regardless of skill, Lang Lang either has an inadequate understanding of a lot of music; or has a very good understanding and is deliberately taking liberties with it. My guess is the former. Either way we wish he didn't. Of course this is all a matter of opinion. I can understand those who are less precious about the music not minding if it is widely valued as being something somewhat less beautiful than it was intended to be when written.
theone saracen My friend from high school is an exquisite piano player. She was playing pieces on the level of Chopin's Revolutionary Etude by age 11 and her mother was even more spectacular, having played her whole life. They know most everything including how your form should be while you play and they absolutely adore Lang Lang. Also you obviously don't understand the true beauty of music, being as nit-picky as you are. You're one of them elitists. Sucking the beauty out of any little thing you think is worse than your standard. Good luck in life because you will need it.
Brimikonizzle Thank you and good luck to you too, we all need that. But in all seriousness, one of the most precious and important aspects of the true beauty of this music (rather than say an Elvis song) is Humility. And Lang Lang is deficient in this, or at least in bringing it out. It doesn't matter how many amateur pianists you know. And if we are saying that nobody should criticise anything, then neither of us can speak in terms of quality, whether it is the exquisiteness of your friend or her spectacular mother, or the woefulness of Lang Lang. It's not straightforward at all, I know. You are right to be positive about things of course. But judgment is essential if you care about anything at all. If that makes me 'one of them goshdarn elitists' then so be it.
theone saracen I don't think that Lang Lang is woeful. When I listen to him play and don't watch the video, I like it. It's not necessarily how it was written but I don't really care. Some people play pieces how they aren't written by accident, he does it on purpose. Kinda like playing from the heart. That being said, I think he's goofy as hell. I do NOT like watching him play. When it comes to the theatrics behind his performance - I think you are spot on. An interesting video is Daniel Barenboim teaching Lang Lang at a masterclass. that's something to watch because Lang Lang has ZERO showmanship when he's playing for Daniel. Lang Lang gets picked apart more than other players [I think because Daniel knows Lang Lang can do what is taught and the others aren't at his level] but he plays beautifully.
This interpretation made me cry - every note is evoked so passionately and sentimentally. Beautiful, makes me curse the fact that I didnt' rebel strongly enough when my family forced me into accounting... I would love to see him perform live~
Thank you for share this wonderful artist , who , by the way , is a beautiful person which I've had the chance and honor to knew at New York. Lang Lang is a complete artist, and not a pop music player as some people think . No. He's a gifted man with a depth sensitivity . Besides, he's my friend . Kindest regards , Miguel Angel Botello
An aeolian harp is sounded by the wind - thus presenting varying strength and intensity of tone It might be what Lang Lang has in mind, imaginative as he is.
Talent will not come to fruition without hard work and, no doubt, Lang Lang works hard. So, if he wants to fully express himself outwardly, I feel he has earned that right.
this is the best version of this etude I ever heard. Really beautiful performing... thank you for uploading it! And thank to Lang Lang for being too wonderful :D
This is me after for 15 months of practising. I feel like I don't have the patience for slower pace. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fVmhNVYqSU4.html
I want to take a blind test for the people who hates Lang Lang's play. He plays just the score wants. Why there is so many hates in this video? My favorite musician is Kissin but Lang Lang is fabulous too. Please get rid of your prejudice.
+Han On My Idea was to make a list of all the people how talked bad about Lang Lang and the making a video were he is playing but not shown. Than see how many "expert" like his performance ...
He is banging the top notes a little too harshly. It is suppose to be a flowing melody shinning over the top... not over-powering or obnoxious slamming and stomping. The one pianist my piano teacher refused me to listen to when I was learning this piece was Lang Lang. And I think the reasons are pretty apparent.
That transition from speaking to the audience and then instantly diving into his own world as he began the piece. His face instantly switched and he was one with the music. And as he gets into more of the music it's even more amazing, I'm warming up to his way of expression. I know it's a minor thing but it's worth mentioning. It's interesting how at the end of the piece it was as if he had drifted into another world and as he opened his eyes he looked eager to go back to that feeling but sadly it was the end of the piece. One day I wish to be so composed like him while playing, I can never close my eyes for long without missing a note. It must be an amazing feeling to play at such a high level and be so relaxed about it
I recently bought her CD. Overall I was disappointed. Her early recordings on RU-vid are exciting to watch, but without the visuals she does not have the dynamics of Horowitz or Lang Lang.
If you hate seeing Lang Lang play piano, then don't look at thee screen! His musical abilities are truly amazing. If this were someone else playing the exact way, would you judge him/her the same? I dislike his physical motions, but it's the music that matters, not his motions!
Vanessa Lee Chill, not hating on Lang Lang. I'm actually a big fan of his; I was just saying that it would take me a while to be able to put on a show like Lang Lang without making any mistakes
+Vanessa Lee - Lol it's not like he was hating on Lang Lang and his skills, he was just making fun of his facial expressions, which were definitely strange. No need to be triggered.
Chopin's music is universal, there is no failing. Everyone likes it, even people who dislike classical. He transcends boundaries of opinion. Chopin must be the best composer to have ever lived. It is often said he never wrote a bad piece, and I agree.
This etude of Chopin's perfect and accurate, it is delicate. The Lang Lang rubato only compromises the purity of the etude making it a not nice variation. Listen to the interpretation of Rubinstein and Pollini
Sorry to be pedantic here but this lovely etude by Chopin is not a SONG. It is a composition for piano. Songs have words or lyrics. Having listened to many great pianists playing this difficult study I think that the early recording by Alfred Cortot is just magnificent.
Lang Lang's interpretation sounds like a throw back to a much earlier style of playing when the performer was as important as the composer. Nowadays many people object to this way of playing as can be seen by the negative comments here. Maybe this isn't a performance to live with but as an encore it works well. At his best Lang Lang is a great player.
Lang Lang is awesome. I heard him play Rach 2 and it was beautiful. The haters are jealous. Basic jealousy. Remember he is a performer! And he does preform! Why do you think they call it "piano performance." Liszt was no different. He was a superstar and was paraded through the villages. I would rather watch an excellent artist place expression into his music than an excellent artist just look bored. This is all part of the presentation.
This etude of Chopin's perfect and accurate, it is delicate. The Lang Lang rubato only compromises the purity of the etude making it a not nice variation. Listen to the interpretation of Rubinstein and Pollini
Totally disagree w/ you. Music is all about expression. Human beings were not meant to be metronomes. It gets boring when musicians play notes w/o expression. That's the beauty of life..... variation. Expression makes any piece friggin awesome.
Simón Fereira How does he not know the difference? Of course he knows the difference but chooses to play with deep expression true to him. Why do you think he is able to have the hearts of so many young pianists? I see what you mean when you say it compromises the purity of the etude as it is nicknamed Aeolian Harp which is an instrument played by the wind but he has his own interpretation and lots of people like it. What’s wrong with that?
Looking at the comment section for this video disturbs me. Since when did music become something that people criticized based on looks? If you want to criticize art based on its visual appearance then i would suggest looking at a painting instead.
They are all ostentatious movements for the camera. They appear quite phony I remember an interview with Horowitz and he was asked that. He then hammed it up with facial expressions for the camera. Lots of great pianists in the world. I can do without Mr. Showboat.
I don't get why the most people 'hate' Lang Lang. I like his interpretation of op. 25 no1 very much, espacially the rubato he put into this piece. And I do not exspect a 1:1 version to Chopin. It's just an interpretation of how he feels the piece. Some may agree, some may disagree with him, but hating him is ridiculous. He is a professional musician and knows why he plays the piece in the way he does.
I close my eyes when I listen to Him because He has so many facial reactions that I don't want to be swayed by His outward appearance. Yes. He does a GREAT JOB. Even with my eyes closed.
Never liked Pollini, but I took your advice, and now like him considerably better :) My favorite version is still Brailowsky's, which unfortunately does not appear to be on youtube.
Sorry to disagree with the majority here. Everyone has theiir won interpretation, and Lang Lang has gone for a heavy handed approach. I like it a lot! To say that he is some sort of a trainee is simply ridiculous. Would that I could play half as well.
One has to love how it's become an internet fad for inexperienced teenagers to pass divine judgment down on one of the world's greatest concert pianists. Criticizing his interpretation is remotely valid, calling him a bad musician for how he looks or saying that his technique is terrible isn't.
I haven't been playing piano long and i know that Lang Lang is really good but the thing that bothers me is that when he plays he has a sex face and its kind of disturbing. Nothing against his skill because you don't become a concert pianist by being bad.
hello562826 I'm not all to experienced in music either. I was in choir for three years in high school, took a music theory class, and am beginning piano as well. I know where your coming from when you say the constant O face taking away from the performance, but I believe it is actually the key to his skill. One of the best choirs I've ever seen perform was an all male choir from Japan, and their choir director never stood in front of them to conduct during songs. Instead they all had their own unique, individual movements that helped them focus on their breath, phrasing, dynamics, etc... They looked really dumb when we started watching, my friends and I started giggling silently, but after a few moments we just shut up because they were brilliant. As weird as they looked, you could tell that all these dumb looking physical movements were the key to the beauty in their music because they all were 100% pouring into the song the beauty of each individuals soul and it took the music to a whole new level. I know you werent shitting on him too much or anything, just wanted to share. Good luck with your piano playing and just curious, what is your dream piece that you want to play some day? Since I'm indecisive I have 5, all by Chopin: Polonaise #6, Ballade #1, Scherzo #2, Etude #12, Waltz #6 and 7... ya know what im too indecisive, just all of them, he da best!!!
Brimikonizzle Thanks, good luck to you as well. I really don't have a dream peace that i want to play because i want to play about 65% of all the songs I hear, but if I had to pick it would probably be gloomy sunday because I think that it is really interesting.
I do appreciate the analysis occasionally of why a lot of people hate him. (I am not a fan btw but I don't hate him I still respect him as one of the best but still he's just not my type lol don't hate me just my opinion lol I am not a very interesting person lol).
Who the hell do you think you are? Lang Lang is a talented pianist for sure but his playing is undeniably divisive and what right do you have to act all pompous and insult people's intelligence because of their subjective opinion? It's a perfectly reasonable opinion to hold.
Exaggerated? Don't make me laugh, 80 % of the people who comment aren't judging the music, rather -- judging Lang Lang himself: ask yourself, would you (the 80%) be commenting like that if the artist had been changed to Maurizio Pollini? Lang Lang has made screw ups and this's not one of them -- lovely played and I respect the fact that his interpretation differs.
I totally agree with you, i don't understand why people are judging by his facial expressions. Everyone has their own style of playing and Lang Lang played beautifully.
Lang Lang is a great pianist and a great performer and a great entertainer. He plays this piece with power and emotion and not just softly and pretty like most interpretations I've herd. People give Lang Lang a hard time because he looks like a dragon ball Z character. But I don't give a F because his music is what us professionals call THE BALLS
idk why people hate him..why we must judge people by their style (or race maybe?)..even the composer never blame person who play their song different from the original..his style is unique..if everybody play the same, the world is flat.
Does anybody know what age Lang Lang started practicing this etude? Concert pianist Danae Dorken says that she recommends students start it as early as possible in their studies. I had my 1st formal piano lesson at age 32, and now I'm 55. I just started looking at this etude about 4 to 6 weeks ago and would like to be playing through it at a slow to moderate rate before May this year. So, at what age did Lang Lang start this etude? His voicing, phrasing and dynamics are impeccably delightful 😊. I particularly love how he fades the volume into the beginning and out of the ending of key phrases, specifically the start and end of the study - absolutely exquisite! I count about 15 moments where the sound seems to fade off of the keys into a fine imaginary dissipating mist - very devine.
Where I see Lang Lang, the comments are full of envy. Certainly I don't perceive all parts in this piece because this is the first listening but here I can see and listen a pianist. The austerity of the classical world sends away young people. The free expression is the key. The second time I'll close my eyes but I'm sure his facial expressions are also in the sound. XD
I wish I could make myself learn this beautiful piece. Such a talented artist. As usual, somebody has to make negative comments about someone in the "concert field" who's making a lot of money! More power to Ling Ling!
I've read a couple of comments now. To those who call Lang Lang an actor: Acting means showing something which isn't real and authentic. He would be acting if he were playing a role. He most certainly wasn't playing a role. What role would it have been? Hamlet? He is a musician who expresses his feelings physically which hasn't to do anything with acting. Actually it's absolutely natural and much more authentic than what a lot of other pianists have done.
Those 307 people who disliked this obviously don't appreciate the true art of playing the wonderful instrument known as the piano. It is the most beautiful instrument in history, in my opinion. This sounds almost as gorgeous as Vladimir Horowitz's version. I am 11 years old and I can play it, but most of it sounds like crap. And if you think he makes weird faces, he is expressing the piece! Sometimes it might look a little awkward, but I would like to see YOU go up and do that! God knows I cant
This is the most harp-like I've heard on a piano, at the beginning. At the end it sort of becomes a battle between a fat soprano and an ensemble, but none of what I said is negative towards this. Lang Lang nailed it!
What I expect is *respect* for the greatest composer of piano music and his work. For one thing: you don't add random notes for effect, as you would when you play a Beatles song on the piano. As for the score: I play this etude myself (though very badly) and for myself. As for the Proms: I went there (though not for LL) and noticed that the respect for the music was 100%, from the performers as well as the audience.
In my humble opinion, I don’t think it’s a disrespect to the composer. I believe Lang Lang was inspired at the moment. Many musical artists, at a given moment, may perform faster or slower, louder of softer, an exaggerated rubato, because of a momentary inspiration. At this moment in the performance, it seems that Lang Lang was playing Chopin’s Etude as an encore, therefore he must have been playing with more freedom. I say, “Let it be.”
His music is alive! Even (or - specially) with mistakes and not very classical inerpretation. This is music in100% - of Him. And THAT'S WHY - IT'S SO A L I V E ! We hear at the moment - the music, the phrase - just BORNING in only one, specific for this moment - way. I think He plays every time - differently. He doesn't care rules. But for me - it doesn't matter. He is free and happy - playing piano. Like a bird. So am I. He makes me free and...happy too. Thank You, Lang!
i see nothing but hateful idiotic jealous and spiteful comments. there are only a few positive ones. this is the first time ive heard LL play a chopin etude and this is already one of my favorites along with Ashkenazy. i want to hear him play more
i was looking for a interpret who play different this piece bcs i listen some recordigs and are very similars, but this one was different and i like it!
I am enjoying listening to different interpretations of my favorite Chopin etude. I don't dislike any of them and I think this one is wonderful as well by a great pianist. Have to agree with Andrew Sun on the disturbing comment section - unnecessary.
Woman with RU-vid Channel that always has preview photo of her trying to look as pretty as possible into the camera: MOVE YOUR ELBOWS LIKE AN IDIOT Lang Lang: STIFF
Watching in 2017 xD, also for those (still) criticizing Lang Lang, every pianist has their own interpretation in addition to playing the piece note for note, dynamic for dynamic, so there's no such thing as a "terrible interpretation" as long as you don't butcher the piece with complete deviations from the original manuscript
He has a solid technique and really feels the music he plays. He is at least sincere and for that I don't blame him. All the best ! :-). And i don't think people should criticize him that way. Taking a quote from Brahms: Once you finish a composition it does not belong to you anymore.
