Search - Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Scriabin, Lang Lang :: Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3, Scriabin Etudes

Lang Lang - A stylish Virtuoso...or is he?

Max Hammer | Stanford, CA | 03/03/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My opinion of Lang Lang is very complicated. He is a young virtuoso with impeccable clarity and technique. I have seen him live, and he performs very clearly and with refined pianism. His playing is clean and accurate, no question about it. However, the problem lies with Lang Lang's interpretation. He isn't mature enough to interpret music correctly. Many people know this and criticize him for it, and revere Yundi Li as an alternative. Lang Lang lacks the musical experience and maturity to properly interpret certain styles, and I hope he doesn't try to interpret late Beethoven or the Liszt sonata. That said, however, his interpretations of Russian music are much more fitting. Typically Russian music is more free-spirited and flamboyant than its German counterpart. While his Rachmaninoff is decently-interpreted, his Scriabin is worth mentioning.



Lang Lang interprets Scriabin like no other. There are good and bad things to this. He is so unsure of himself musically that his Scriabin etudes are mere guesswork. Compare his recordings to the great Scriabin legends of Sofronitsky, Horowitz, and even Kissin. Case in point, his uncertainty actually leads him to play Scriabin in a very unique and interesting style. He plays it schizophrenically, which may be appropriate - Scriabin, though brilliant, was crazy (hypochondria and synaesthesia being the smallest examples). Lang Lang's "guesswork" actually works out in these etudes, because they are young, showy pieces, so the schizophrenic, unsure interpretation works out nicely for him. However I think Lang Lang would poorly interpret late Scriabin as it is very mature and atonal.



If you are looking to purchase this CD, let me give you a good summary. The Rach Concerto 3 is well done, clean and accurate, but nothing spectacular: don't expect a 1951 Horowitz recording here, just a clean and accurate recording. The Scriabin etudes are fascinating to listen to and showcase a very interesting interpretation that surpringly works (his Op. 8/3 and 65/3 are unparalleled in my opinion).



Unlike a few others, I have no problems with sound quality. The sound is crystal clear, what I would expect from a modern recording like this. Good luck in your purchasing endeavours!"

Rach On

Southern Man | Raleigh, NC | 01/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Firstly, ignore all the reviewers who dumped on Lang Lang because of his age. Might as well say he can't play Rachmaninoff because he's Asian. Sorry, unless you can offer constructive reasons as to why you don't like the CD, please don't bother me with your opinions about the performer's race, religion, height, weight, hair color.... or age.



Secondly, this is a very popular and much recorded work. You already have a favorite version by Horowitz, Argerich, etc. Great. But what does that tell us about THIS recording? (Hint: nothing).



Thirdly, whoever complained about the sound quality on this CD is just plain wrong.



This is a terrific reading of Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto. Lang Lang is not just technically brilliant, he's clearly enjoying himself. That's a key quality I look for. And let's not forget the playing of Temirkanov and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. A great concerto recording can't be accomplished by soloist alone, the orchestra support is equally important. Listen only to the second movement if you need convincing of how much this Russian ensemble loves their countryman's work. I lso like the spontaneity of a live recording. In a studio, a couple of the uptempo sections might have been rerecorded. But, if a few notes were lost here or there, I'll take the exhuberance of this recital over a note perfect rendition.



The Chinese folk song Lang plays as an encore is brilliant. If he did an album of tunes of this type, I'd snap it up. And the Scriabin Etudes are a perfect complement to round out the CD."

First class

Renato Minamisava | São Paulo, Brazil | 05/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can't understand the bad opinions about this extraordinary pianist and this pleasant CD. Even after so many versions of Rachmaninoff Third Piano Concert Lang Lang give us a new one, fresh and powerful. Scriabin Etudes also sound clean, passionate, great! The only strange thing is the audience laughing when the artist announces a chinese song as encore."