Lang Lang

Nov. 9, 2003, I had the privilege to hear Lang Lang perform at Jordan Hall. I was a little reluctant to go because I had read a New York Times article earlier in the week that said he was over extending himself. All the major orchestra's of the world have "found" him and all want him to perform with them. As a result, the article said his latest performance seemed rather tired. On top of this, he had performed at Carnegie Hall on the previous night and then came straight to Boston. However, I was not disappointed. On the contrary, this was the best classical concert I have been to, bar none. There was just Lang Lang and a piano on the stage. At the inter-mission the crowd gave him a standing ovation. If you know anything about Boston audiences, you will know that this is a rarity.

The program was very varied including Schumann, Hayden, Schubert, Tan Dun, Chopin and Liszt. If the first half was good, we hadn't seen anything yet. For the second half Lang Lang changed into a bright fuchsia pink silk shirt and set to business. The first piece was Tan
Dun's Eight Memories in Watercolor, Opus 1, of which four pieces (Staccato Beans, Herdboy's Song, Blue Nun, and Sunrain) were based on old Chinese folksongs. It is said that when Tan Dun first heard Lang Lang play his Floating Clouds at a New Year Eve's party a couple of years ago, he was awestruck. He said he could smell the earth of his homeland when Lang Lang played and it inspired him to think of where he came from and where he was going. These pieces were very varied in tone from medium to fast pace. From there he went straight to Chopin's Nocturne in D-Flat Major, Opus 27, a serenely slow piece of work. This was one of the best rendering I have ever heard of this piece. The audience appeared to have stopped breathing. There was no coughing, no rustling of paper or movement in the seats, just dead silence - completely. Lang Lang's performance captured all the human essence that is embedded in this piece and indeed the performance was in the true sense of the word, magical. It was so heartbreakingly lovely in its rendition that it brought tears to ones eyes and bear in mind that Lang Lang is just 21 years of age.

He then launched into Liszt's Reminiscences of Don Juan. Nothing he played before could have prepared us for what followed - his intensity, his verve, his breathtakingly fast speed, his passion, he bounced up and down on the seat, and I swear if he could have moved the piano he would (actually I am surprised it did not move by itself), he was unstoppable. What did it feel like; well it was like racing through New York City at 100 miles an hour. swerving to avoid traffic, jumping over obstacles, hitting pot holes, braking abruptly at the Hudson, falling in, being fished out, shaken dry and going off again. In short it was an exhausting and awe inspiring experience.

After two standing ovations he brought out his father, Guo-ren Lang, who played a two-string instrument called the erhu, which is the most popular and typical of the traditional Chinese string instruments and is highly versatile. Lang Lang played the piano while his father played the erhu. It was interesting to hear the merging of eastern and western music and instruments. Then there were two more standing ovations and Lang Lang came out and played another piece. He definitely has stage presence and the audience loved him. I hope you get the opportunity to see him perform.

Lang Lang was born in Shenyang, the birthplace of Seiji Ozawa, who was born there during the Japan occupation of Manchuria.