Lang Lang performs Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major during Last Night Proms 2011 inside the Royal Albert Hall. Edward Gardner conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Yes, he is playing with passion with His whole being, wonderful! Pls check out the now 11 -12 year old child pianist Alexandra Dovgan, when a bit younger she Also "played" a lot with mostly her face AND also body, just like Lang Lang coming from their hearts.
Come on people!! Enjoy the music!! He's enjoying himself and entertaining you. What's the harm in that? If an artist can't enjoy what he does then what's the point of doing this and making it his life?
You áre so right, Sven. He is living this lovely music with His whole being, enjoying himself like a child, with an innocence of a child. His Is so natural, so at ease with himself AND the world.
What`s funny is seeing all this haters talking shit about Lang Lang`s interpretation but seem to forget that Lizt was an entertainer in his time. I`m really sure he had crazy expresions too. Let`s not forget he was considered a star in that time, kind of like Bart Simpson when he was portrayed as Mozart.
Women used to throw panties on stage during Liszt's performances..oh, wait...that was Elvis. Actually, as you mention, Liszt was a mega star, and played to the women in the audience. Smart man.
Oh Liszt had facial expressions alright and much more! By all contemporary accounts, Liszt was a showman of the first order, and if he could juggle swords while playing La Campanella, he would have gladly done so, just to add more pizzazz and vow-factor to his presentation. Of course, Liszt is almost universally regarded to have been THE greatest pianist ever, and yet Lang is being condemned for a bit of showmanship. Ah OK, I see how that works. If anyone finds LL's facial expressions distracting, then simply close your damn eyes and listen to the music, which should be the only thing that matters anyway. And yes, I do find LL's expressions distracting, but my eyelids work, and I cannot deny that he's a virtuoso pianist of the very highest caliber. I agree with you, and people should either listen or sod off.
@@georgechadwick8642yeah. There's an account of women pulling at each others hair till they bled in Berlin in like 1841 or 2 at one of his performances
I like how he makes it look as if it is a walk in the park :-D For those who dislike his facial expressions; close your eyes because he clearly knows where the musical juice in a piece is. It's just music people! Just because it is classical doesn't have to mean it can't be entertaining.. he enjoys himself and I enjoyed hearing it and seeing him. Btw his facial expressions often reflect what's going on in the music, so I disagree with those who say he does it merely as a trick to entertain.
"His facial expressions often reflect what's going on in the music". Now, just how do determine that the faces he makes are a reflection of the musical content? It would seem to me that this is highly subjective at best. I think it's far more likely that he's pretty shrewd regarding the "transfixing" effect he has on his audiences with all that wistful gazing, unrestrained smiling, and of course that oh-so-graceful hand/arm wafting about. Viewers are enraptured by this alluring (I almost typed 'lurid') behavior, this cherubic face, this entire "persona" he has so painstakingly established. It's only too obvious, for shit's sake, that this guy is an entertainer - - one who knows unfailingly how to connect with his audiences, no matter how extreme his trick (to use your word) at the moment might be. Tell you what: If you have a strong stomach, check out the video of Lang's Rachmaninoff 3rd concerto. If you manage to watch all the way to the end (I've tried, but didn't make it), ask yourself, after you've picked yourself off the floor, if you sensed a connection between his completely off-the-wall shenanigans and 'what seemed to be going on in the music'. I'd love to hear from you again.
@@richardvolpe7664 not to be mistaken with the other thousands of Richard Volpe's.. "Now, just how do determine that the faces he makes are a reflection of the musical content? " That's easy Richard, there are soooo many elements that you can hear in pieces of music.. ; e.g. rhythm, tempo, harmony, melody... harmonic rhythm.. and a performer can use all sorts of personal inflections regarding phrasing, timing, dynamic shading, accents, emphasis, sense of coloration etc etc. And what can be heard can also be manifested in facial expressions of an artist.. but this shouldn't come as a surprise, it's inevitable.. if you think Lang Lang is too much, take a look at pianist Pierre Laurent Aimard.. he's known for being an advocate of modern music... and oblique as modern music can sound.. his facial expressions are also revealing of what's happening in that type of music. What I think is "far more likely" than what you suggest - Lang's facial expressions not matching his playing - ... is that you are musically illiterate, have never touched an instrument..or cared to actually get good enough at it that you think you were able to express emotions with it, let alone inviting others - with your playing - to speak of talent... or offering entertainment value with it....leaving you to be snobby and bittered. You don't like Lang Lang, we get it.. and it's fine. I wish you well and hope you enjoy the incredible amount of pianists/musicians that are out there strutting their stuff.
You say rhat what can be heard can also be manifested in an artist's facial expressions. Excuse me, but this statement is one of the most profoundly preposterous things I've ever heard. No, I haven't heard the French pianist you mentioned, but I've heard recitals by Horowitz, Rubinstein, Hough, Hamelin, Ashkenazy, Arrau, Dichter, Gieseking, Wild, Serkin, Janis, Weissenberg, Pollini, Schiff, Firkusny - - maybe you're faniliar with some of them. In all these cases, so-called connections between face and music were not to be seen. Must be, then, that the absence of facial expressions meant that their musical interpretations were flat, expressing little to nothing? If, as I suggested, you did watch the video of Lang's Rachmaninoff 3rd, it had to hit you like dynamite that his outlandish circus exhibition should go down in classical performance history as perhaps the most shocking, freakish display ever seen on a concert stage. And don't tell me he was expressing inner emotions! Visual memories of this outrageous demonstration are likely to haunt me for years to come as I'm listening to this concerto. Musically illiterate? Not if you consider that I have a Masters degree in music literature and performance from one of the country's finest music schools, and that I've taught at the college level and privately for 33 years. With orchestra, I've played 15 concertos by Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Saint-Saens, Beethoven, Prokofiev, Gershwin, Weber, Mozart and Bach. I don't admit to being snobbish, and the only bitterness I harbor has to do with the curious fact that audiences persist in their fascination with this - - this Liberace on steroids.
Franz Liszt, Piano Concerto No.1 in E flat major 0:29 I. Allegro Maestoso 5:51 II. Quasi Adagio 11:01 III. Allegretto Vivace - Allegro Animato 15:12 IV. Allegro Marziale Animato Although Liszt No.1 is never my top favorite piano concerto and although Lang Lang is never my top favorite pianist of these days, I cannot help but to live on this Proms performance 11 years ago...
I can see that half of comments are here Lang Lang's facial expressions and body gestures , this mean to me that his popularity more in rising as great pianist and success !!
When one looks at Lang Lang you re not seeing him at all. What you are seeing is the passion for a delicate passage or even a bit of humour when he gives that wry "cheeky'" smile. Look at him more closely and see the humour, passion and the serious side. I often think he is "playing' with the music and not just playing because he has to. He injects some form of pathos humour and seriousness all in one. Brilliant all round pianist.
Lang Lang is the most colourful virtuoso pianist - personality before the public today. A most splendid and individual performance of the Liszt first concerto in decades. You have to go back to Mischa Levitzki, Cherkassky, Francois and Cziffra for such 'interpretive' style pianism. Bravo!
I had to listen to Lang Lang play it twice - I was too entranced the first time by his emotions and his facial expressions - his playing moved me to tears. How gifted he is, how lucky to be so blessed. And how special he is - such talent, such talent that defies words. Thank you , thank you Lang Lang
Natalie van den Blink He's not "lucky" or "blessed"- he's a human just like the rest of us who happened to dedicate a lot of time and effort into one thing :')
Talent and hours of practice created a masterful pianist.Lang Lang please take care not to overexert the tendons in your fingers,we want you to be around for years to come.
then I guess Yuja Wang was just tired at the end of this performance ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B0TOvZ5U7nM.html @@richardvolpe7664
No doubt about it: Lang Lang is a star of the first magnitude. Yes, he is flamboyant as the woman says, but he also puts a punch into his performances that very few pianists can match just by virtue of the sheer enjoyment he derives not only from playing the music but also making the crowd incapable of stopping themselves from enjoying the music as well. Also notice at 5:40 the swell at the beginning of the chromatic scale ending the 1st movement. I've never heard a pianist do this. It's these little touches combined with just great technique that makes him a really popular and, sorry you Lang Lang-haters, a great performer in the classical world today. --J Joe (also a composer of a piano concerto no 2 in c minor)
John Uscian Thank you, John. I'd also like to add that another part of LL's magnanimous spirit is how he mentors young gifted pianists age 8-14. There are many videos of him here holding jr. master classes in which he listens to a child play and then if they are gifted he takes them under his wing and guides them through their studies. He's truly a "good" person with a heart of gold and a love of music that I rarely see in the classical music industry today.
@@JJTownley_Classical-Composer that Is so obvious that he is a good man with a great childlike, innocent, generous heart. A truly beautiful spirit!! AND a genius pianist. So likeable, Natural, at ease with himself AND the world.
Lang Lang you are wonderful your piano playing is marvelous, as piano player myself anyone here who is making negative comments know nothing about this great musician or classical music keep up the great work lang lang we love you ....
@@정성현-s7x well said he is a virtuoso and we can see that...I love his tribute to two of his musical heroes Liszt in the first place and Horowitz due to his minimalist playing in some passages
His skills are so incredible that he is just playing on the piano instead of playing the piano. He reminds me of a child who is a bit mischievous but with such joy he is totally into his game. A pleasure to watch. Bravo!
Words fail me. How can words truly describe how wonderfully he plays, feels the music deep in his soul and interprets it so perfectly. Such a wonderful touch he has. Having watched him on Parkinson's Masterclass I saw a charming, handsome and humorous young man, just two days older than my daughter... as for his facial expressions, many classical artists do that as they are caught up in the emotion and passion of the piece they are playing. There is no doubt that Lang Lang really feels what he is playing. For me he is the best pianist I have ever seen.
@@kevinm6790 You're right. Watts apparently couldn't play without making grotesque facial contortions, particularly the quivering lip action. Now while Lang's facial expressions aren't grotesque (except, of course, at the climax of the "ossia" cadenza in the 'Rach 3rd' and throughout Rhapsody in Blue), they do instill in countless viewers an uneasy feeling of 'squirmy' embarrassment. As I've said elsewhere, his playing is often good enough on its own, not in need of all his "watch me!" theatrics which, aside from their mesmerizing effect on many impressionable viewers, end up cheapening his image to an ever -growing number of observers.
Honestly, I think that he really is feeling the music. He makes faces, but that just shows he is expressing who he is through the music. This is very impressive to me, because so many pianists I've seen are stone-faced and almost look bored. Lang Lang shows passion where so many others do not.
You áre so right, he is so natural, playing like a child from His whole being. How refreshing after some Too serious pianist with great technique but not real passion.
Stone-faced? Bored? Have you never witnessed piano recitals by serious-minded artists? If you have, did the absence of smiling, grinning, winking, and fairy-like arm motions make a negative impression on you? Did they, as a result, show no passion, no feeling, no expression, as far as you were concerned? Well, I regret to say that you're one of thousands who've been duped into thinking that Lang is the "real deal", when in fact he's first and foremost the most arrogant, bizarre, calculating entertainer before the gullible public today! But hey - - go ahead and enjoy! The worst thing that could happen would be that he might someday outgrow and shed his showy antics, and turn into a respectable, stone-faced pianist. Oh my, whatever will we do then?
The coolest thing is how he is obviously totally enjoying the excellent sounds he his creating, in a seemingly completely relaxed and arrogance-free way.
Lang Lang's mannerisms or theatrics are all part and parcel of the way he expresses himself. There is nothing wrong about this. He has the constitutional right to freedom of expression, and he is effective in doing so. Lang Lang is worth over 20 million dollars and his fame is legendary - so its working for him. Lang Lang is very popular and people are drawn to classical music. Note well that the great pianist Franz Liszt had exaggerated mannerisms that some thought as offense. However, he is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as being the greatest pianist ever!!!
If one were to strip away the flash and ceremony, all the celebration that surrounds Lang Lang - one would be left with an outstanding pianist/musician. What a sensitive and insightful soul he is. A fan! :)
Its 2am. Everyone in the house is sleeping. Im working diligently to finish an essay that will get me kicked out of the class if left unfinished. Suddenly I come across this fellow and I am in tears at how hilarious he is.
❤ Lang Lang niesamowicie uzdolniony pianista.Brak słów. Co za wykonanie. Wielki Mistrz Lang Lang oczarowal swoich wielbicieli . Brawo dla Wspaniałej Orkiestry.
Absolutely brilliant, from the moment he touches the piano, one knows this Is a super talented, so likeable sensitive genius pianist who plays from his childlike heart which Is reflected, played in his body, face. He becomes the music AND Liszt soul. Thank you, what a treat!!
Happy 200th Birthday Maestro Franz Liszt your beloved music will endure throughout time....Only a true genius who has the understanding to grasp and view the many beautiful facets of life and his surroundings could have created such music.....we live such a short life take a moment to marvel what is around you...
I have a friend who is blind, for some reason the only part of a piano concerto that interests him he perceives with his ears. I myself frequently listen to music with my eyes closed. I respect Lang Lang for what he is, a great pianist.
WOW!! What an incredible performance from both Lang Lang and this orchestra! And I really like how he recognized the orchestra immediately after the end of this PC. And then bowed down himself. I don't care what anyone says about him, he's a humble, world-class musician immensely gifted with an almost supernatural ability to blow us away on the piano!
Oh my god! Did you say "humble?" Look and think again, for Pete's sake. This pretty-faced actor, with his extensive menu of facial (farcical?) expressions, is the music world's topmost spectacle of self-adoring arrogance. Can't viewers see that this shameless display of cloying, dripping sentimentality is an indispensable part of the show he's putting on? Without these squirm-inducing antics, Lang would just disappear into today's proliferation of Asian pianists. But, having a cuddly face, and learning how to use it, he's managed to win the hearts of thousands of admirers to whom it would never occur that he's ever-so-cunningly manipulating them, "blowing them away on the piano", as you say. So make no mistake - - he knows - - boy, does he EVER know, what he'$ doing!
Lang Lang is inspiring to a lot of people. Technically brilliant, just think he is the best role model for the younger generation. How can anyone dislike him. He's done so music for classical musicians.
Just like Lizst in fact. He's a perfect fit for this very circusy piece but it's wonderful to see a pianist whose technique is so superlative that he plays this concerto as if he were playing Chopsticks. He was certainly enjoying himself and that is very contagious.
Love Lang Lang! ....Have followed his very long career too...His magical fingers running on the piano with such feeling & intensity!!.. Gteat orchestra... Thanks for posting.🙏😄
he is a wonderful pianist, and plays Liszt and Chopin brilliantly with imaginative touches that are still in good taste. A live performance of the Chopin 2nd with Mehta elevated that concerto to near Rachmaninov status, IMO. He brought things to that performance that added so much. Let the man do his thing.
Thank God for LISZT... creating this masterpiece over 150 years ago. Truly extraordinary and light-years ahead of his time. And thanks for talented pianists, like Lang Lang and many others, for bringing Liszt's genius to life for our enjoyment. Beautiful performance. Bravo!
Lang Lang played Liszt's Piano Concerto with flare and brilliance, accompanied by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Edward Gardner, during the 2011 Proms.
In fact, Lang Lang’s Liszt is so great. He has the exceptional agility that Liszt had, the result being that you hear certain kinds of ‘Lisztisms’ that very few other pianists pick up on. Liszt was a showman of unique virtuosity; Lang Lang’s a showman with the same exceptional virtuosity. He doesn’t need the legato pedal glued to the floor - marvelous stuff!
I love Lang Lang playing piano! He brings for me the Paradise on Earth! He himself looks as if he would come from Heaven,with an expression of innocence!Thank you!
Lang Lang demuestra nuevamente el privilegio de ser un elegido para deleitarnos y transportarnos con su magnífica interpretación de Franz Liszt. BRAVO POR ÉL
Usually looking at a performer does not add much to the listening experience. In Lang case it is a show. Gives another dimension of enjoyment to the wonderful light way that he plays.
Yes, I was in the choir that night, and the only thing that surprised me was that there were not more theatrics such as a glissando at the end..................................
To the person who said that Lang Lang is overrated, can you do any better?! He has undoubtedly one of the best technique in the world. He is one of the best pianists in history. Joins the past greats like Rubenstein, Horowitz, Arrau, Edwin Fischer, Gilels, Richter, and modern day pianists like Yuja Wang and Evgeny Kissin.
what a god given gift to share with us ,gives the goose bumps a good work out ,so beautiful ,words fail me .and he appears to enjoy each moment lovely to see.
He looks funny or not the expressions he has during performance Is simply his expression for music he play , if you really like his music , that funny face would' not bother you , he is only unique person got very unique gesture of his own music !! What is big deal about it ?? His brilliant technic skill and very accuracy for key board made him big star of today , if you want to become someone very successful you have to have something very special than ordinary isn't it ?????
His face expression is music !!!!! Also he is listening to the orchestra closely, what a beautiful concert master, tearful duet with Lang Lang in the middle of the 1st movt ! He has the power to stirring up the orchestra ! 心潮澎湃的演奏。
For any amateur musician to suceed in the music sector they must have passion for music and must dig deep into the music and pour out their heart when perfoming as well as having a high degree of note accuracy and colour in their performance.
Say what you want about him, Lang Lang blows the competition away. He puts Yuja Wang back in kindergarten on this piece. Absolutely spectacular playing AND showmanship. Truly inspiring.
what in hell do you think he's doing in this concerto that blows the competition away? Puts Yuja back in Kindergarten - - are you crazy? There've been scores and scores of pianists who've given wonderful performances of this over-played concerto, and they did it without all the stupid face-making and pretentious arm and hand displays - - what you call "showmanship", and what I declare it as the cheapest, most unprofessional theatrics imaginable. So contiue being 'inspired', but be aware that Lang's rendition is no more special than all the others.
Sometimes his showmanship gets a bit crazy, but Lang Lang will always be best of the best. Extremely good performance, second only, I think, to Martha's.
Lang Lang representa uma das maiores expressões da cultura musical da atualidade. Um jovem de extraordinário virtuosismo, cuja personalidade transcende e nos passa uma sutileza, a qual somente cabe aos verdadeiros arautos do divino. Lang Lang representa a verdadeira juventude, responsável pelo um amanhã que canta.
My own view is that Lang Lang is in a transcendent state of mind and consciousness while executing music and is more or less unwitting of his facial and other gestures, tantamount to sleepwalking. That does not detract from, but reinforces his musicianship, interpretation and technique. Just observe his demeanour after the finale and taking the plaudits.
A "transcendent state of mind and consciousness"? That could easily describe Daniil Trifonov, but there's no doubt that Lang's facial and bodily gestures have been painstakingly planned to "connect" with his audiences. Put another way, he knows how far his smiling and 'arm display' can go in having an effect on his viewers. So it's more likely that they, not Lang, are in a trance.
