Charting the progress
of Lang Lang’s career has been a strange
business. At times, he has excited and
moved; at others, simply disappointed
(a Mendelssohn concerto at the RFH fits
this bill nicely). Certainly having
been to his recitals this programme
exudes a familiar ring (I believe I’ve
heard every piece live myself - see
http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2003/May03/Schumann195.htm
- including the piece for erhu and piano!:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2003/Apr03/LangLang304.htm
). By now his strengths are apparent.
His technique makes mincemeat of the
Liszt Réminiscences de Don
Juan, and he shows a real affinity
with the Impressionist/Oriental Tan
Dun Watercolour pieces. Yet there
is something incomplete about it all,
almost as if the pieces have ceased
to grow in Lang’s mind and body. That
is not to imply tiredness - the occasion
of Carnegie Hall has seen to that -
it is all just not as fresh as might
have been.
Schumann’s Abegg
Variations is a wonderful work,
and Lang Lang plays it in appropriately
dreamy fashion. And it sets up the quality
of the recording, too - the top end
retains some depth, which is entirely
appropriate to this music. There is
only the occasional move towards the
superficial (around 3’30) and, hardly
surprisingly (for Lang Lang, I suspect,
as quite a sense of humour), the end
will raise a smile.
Humour seems to be
a bit of a speciality for Lang, given
the ‘encore’ with his father, ‘Horses’,
with its neighing impression at the
end from the erhu (a Chinese bowed one-string
instrument). One might have thought,
therefore, that the Haydn would be a
highlight, and indeed the first movement
has more life than Lang’s live performance
at the Wigmore. He plays the intimacy
card in the slow movement (which he
sustains at his slow speed, just); the
finale is almost self-consciously sweet.
Lang Lang’s affinity
for Liszt should give some clue towards
his view of Schubert. He pounds the
opening relentlessly, cutting off staccato
chords mercilessly. In fairness, it
does become apparent there is delicacy
in this reading, also. The slow movement
is languorous, but it works because
of the live factor. The scherzo is initially
alive with cheeky chappieness, but unfortunately
loses momentum; the finale is determined,
but does not build up a huge head of
steam.
Tan Dun’s Eight
Memories in Watercolor are oriental
Debussyisms at times, and can tend towards
the doodly. The second, ‘Staccato Beans’
(stupid title) is nice and music-boxy,
the ending of the set (‘Sunrain’) hectic.
Chopin’s D flat Nocturne
is one of that composer’s best pieces
in that genre. With Lang Lang it flows,
but does not appear anything special,
acting rather as aural balm after the
end of the Memories.
CD2 is only 29 minutes
long, but includes one of Lang Lang’s
party pieces, the Réminiscences
de Don Juan of Liszt, in a marvellous
performance that combines real feeling
for the Lisztian legato line, a real
sense of flow and - importantly - fun.
The audience, predictably perhaps, laps
it up.
Encores begin with
a peaceful, moderately unaffected ‘Träumerei’,
the Chinese horses mentioned above (which
goes down a storm, as it did in London),
and a Liszt ‘Liebestraum’ that rises
naturally to a climax and is memorable
for its liquid accompaniments.
Memorable moments,
then, and a useful memento of what was
obviously quite an occasion (especially
for Lang Lang).
Colin Clarke
Lang Lang (piano); Lang Guo-ren (erhu) 
