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RECITAL REVIEW
November 13, 2004
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By William Wellborn
The phenomenon known as Lang Lang presented his version of a solo recital at Berkeley's Cal Performances this past Saturday evening. For the many cheering fans who appreciate his particular combination of pianism and theatrics it was a triumphant evening. For those who were hoping for musical satisfaction and some substance behind the hype, the results were far less cheery.
Make no mistake about it: Lang Lang is definitely a phenomenal musical talent. His technical control is consummate and he can do absolutely anything he wants. One just wishes he wanted different things. Regardless of how you may feel about what he does, Lang is a compelling performer. He certainly does capture your attention and make you listen. There is an element of circus in his playing, and while this is not necessarily always a bad thing for a virtuoso, the degree to which he indulges in his own narcissistic whims often has very little to do with the music. As one of my colleagues so aptly stated, one does not go to his concert to hear Mozart, Chopin, or Liszt, but to hear Lang Lang.
The concert began with a polished and lively, but ultimately overly-precious rendition of Mozart's Sonata in C major, K. 330. Lang was hyper-attentive to the slightest details of phrasing and articulation, but this skill paradoxically lessened the overall presentation of the music. Too often a potentially beautiful phrase would turn sour due to a fussy detail that negated what had come before. In the second movement, Lang began his visual show of mooning and mooching over the beauty of each phrase, a visual mannerism that appears to be his trademark. However, just when you think you can quit listening, a section will emerge with great beauty and heartfelt simplicity, such as the middle section of the slow movement. The lively final movement was full of shifting colors and musical details, but was so fussy that the whole was less than the sum of the parts.
A similar fate befell Lang's interpretation of Chopin's Sonata in B Minor. While often full of exquisite details, the work again suffered from too much of a good thing. Climactic moments were too often no different from any other moment. Phrases meandered at will and the structure of the piece was often stretched to the breaking point. The scherzo was predictably fleet-fingered, but an overly vague and watery middle section made little impression. In the first section of the slow movement there were some truly touching moments, and Lang's control of soft playing was admirable. Lang eschewed nobility of expression for a more inward personal statement, and the initial result was effective. However, there was no real sense of fulfillment in the climactic middle section and the reprise of the melody at the end was so slow and so feeble that one listened to the coughing of the restless audience more than the playing. In the final movement Lang substituted a coy slyness for the propulsive drive the music demands. This was Chopin filtered through a lens of Mendelssohn. Frustrating. After intermission Lang offered Schumann's Kinderszenen, a delicate set of pieces representing an adult view of scenes from childhood. The mercurial moods of Schumann proved more congenial to Lang's temperament and showed conclusively that he can be serious artist when he wishes. Here his playing featured a tenderness and simplicity that was noteworthy. The ever-popular "Träumerei" was lovingly played, with a wealth of details that enhanced, rather than swamped, the inherent beauty of the music. This was the most musically coherent performance of the evening.
But then to make sure we knew he wasn't really too serious, Lang proceeded to bang his way senselessly through two Rachmaninoff Preludes (B-Flat Major and G Minor from op. 23), offering a true caricature of this music. From garbled poundings to whispered pianissimi, these eight minutes were all about Lang and nothing about Rachmaninoff. His wild flailing included tossing his head back and forth, and making the bench rock back and forth on its legs. I guess I should be impressed that he was still able to play at all with these antics. The printed program ended with two works by Liszt, the Petrarch Sonnet #123, and the Horowitz transcription of the second Hungarian Rhapsody. In Lang's hands the poetic Sonnet emerged as a study in extremes. Wispy phrases alternated with wild hysteria, and in between this tug-of-war, there were a few lovely moments of Liszt peeking through. The second Hungarian Rhapsody has long been a free-for-all for virtuosi, and although it can be played with both dignity and flair, a little vulgarity is more often the norm. Horowitz's elaborated version ups the quotient, and Lang pulled out all of the stops on this one. The effect was pure circus — some dazzling pianism, some shameless crashing around, lots of visual tricks, and the rocking bench trick again assured a cheering ovation. I too even had to smile. He certainly puts on a good show. Two brief encores rounded out the evening. Chopin's posthumously published Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor was played with a delicate thread of sound and lovely tone, and the popular "Flight of the Bumblebee" was over in a flash under Lang's nimble fingers. It's hard to be neutral about Lang Lang; love him or hate him, he definitely makes an impression. If he matures into a more serious artist, so much the better; but meanwhile, enjoy the show — if you can stand it.
(Pianist William Wellborn performs and lectures in the United States and Europe, and from 1995-97 was host of the program "Piano Legacy" on San Francisco station KDFC. Wellborn is on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory, where he teaches courses in piano, piano history, and opera.)
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Lang Lang