Just how New York is Lang Lang’s New York?

Just how New York is Lang Lang’s New York?

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norman lebrecht

September 23, 2016

From the Lebrecht Album of the Week:

I am not the right person to be reviewing this album, but then I’m not sure the right person actually exists. This is a Sony crossover project that falls smack between the tracks. How does one rate it on a scale of one to five?

Obviously five stars for production.

Read on here. And here.

lang-lang-new-york

And here.

Comments

  • Anmarie says:

    As they say in China: oy vey!

  • Clint says:

    Norman, I applaud you for giving it a listen. It looks like rubbish to me.

  • Brendan says:

    In their mid-30ies, pianists like Horowitz, Richter, Gilels, Rubinstein really started to blossom and the first phenomenal records of them come from this period.

    At the age of 34, Mr. L. Lang feels he has done everything and can start relaxing with lazy, dumb-a*s projects which is forgotten after one round on Spotify.

    Say no more 😀

  • Steven Holloway says:

    It would be nice if he crossed right over and stayed there, in the mode of Vanessa-Mae.

  • Nick says:

    I’m no fan of Lang Lang and there’s no way I’ll buy that CD but I appreciate what he is achieving in helping bring more people to classical music. Whether they will stay listening is a different matter, but he and his minders are trying. After all, his ambition was always to be a superstar.

  • Pianofortissimo says:

    In my very restricted circle of friends I don’t know anyone who takes that guy seriously as a Classical Pianist (it seems that most people commenting in SD agree). I don’t know of anybody who started listening to Classical Music because of his performances. I don’t know anybody who considers him “a superstar”, even if I often read about it in the press. I am not without curiosity, and I really listened to some of his performances (mostly Chopin) in the net, and I definitely did not like his work. He is surely a product for the Chinese market.

    • Anmarie says:

      Haven’t you heard? We’re building a wall to keep him out.

    • la verita says:

      His last Carnegie Hall recital was full of people who clearly had never been to a concert before – they clapped between movements, during pieces, etc. and at intermission none of them seemed to know where the restrooms were. So certainly he brings people to classical music – as long as he’s playing it…

      • Schlagzeuger says:

        Russians often clap between movements, also.The true tell is that they didn’t know where the rest rooms were. :>)))

  • Mark Mortimer says:

    I think we should stop the Lang slanging. He’s far from being a bad pianist- his frequently astonshing dexterity is heard in the flashier concerti. Kissin or Pollini he ain’t but he’s brought classical music to a huge audience & has inspired millions of kids to take up the piano. Can’t be a bad thing. But I won’t be rushing out to buy this new album- Yellow River/ Butterfly Lovers & their derivatives- probably best left to background at BA first class waiting lounge at Gatwick

  • Open Mind Kluge.... says:

    Not his fault,,,,,,,,,,

  • Alvaro says:

    I must be going blind: THE Lebrecht album of the week is none other than Lang Lang…..

    That goes to show how disgusting this industry is, no better than any other, but at a fraction of the revenues.

    To all the others who think this in ANY way, Shape or Form makes ANYBODY listen to more cöassical music, my question: Exactly which piece in this album is classical? Gershwin?

    Please someone enlighten me as to how someone listening this in Itunes goes from “Empire State of Mind” (an R&B pop song) to Barenboims Beethoven sonatas.

    Further, please show me ONE person that suddenly started to like classical music by starting with crossover. I will pay good money to meet this person, who is most certainly an exception, not the rule.

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