Lang Lang brands up with Snoopy

Lang Lang brands up with Snoopy

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norman lebrecht

July 09, 2019

Looks like he missed out on the US soccer team. This is the Japan version of his fifteen easy pieces.

What next – MAD magazine?

Comments

  • Lucy says:

    Lang Lang could learn a lot from Schroeder. More musicality, less self-promotion.

    • Andy Lim says:

      Schroeder did not even needed real black keys on the piano! Painted black keys were enough!

      • Bruce says:

        In the comic strip, one of the other kids asked him how he could play all these pieces when the black keys were only painted on. His response: “I practice a lot.”

  • John Sorel says:

    And I thought it was Linus who played the piano….

  • Mike says:

    This is by far the most tasteful and suave thing I’ve seen from him until now.

  • ilio says:

    You must not follow the news. Mad Magazine is no more.

  • anon says:

    1) Why is he wearing a raincoat? indoors. playing the piano. for kids.

    2) Who knew the Japanese — with their animes and mangas and emojis and pokemons exported throughout the entire world — were fans of Charlie Brown?

    3) Speaking of whom, is Lang Lang supposed to be Charlie Brown in this photo?

    4) I always suspected Charlie Brown would grow up to wear a raincoat indoors.

  • anon says:

    Laugh, laugh all you want. You know who’s really laughing?

    Lang Lang and his agent…all the way to the bank.

    Lang Lang has reached Pavarotti status: as a brand.

    He can make money not lifting a single finger, simply by leveraging his image and his name.

  • V. Lind says:

    Boy, SD’s Google Alert for Lang Lang sure gets a workout.

  • Petros Linardos says:

    And the bashing goes on.

  • Save the MET says:

    Wouldn’t Pooh Bear be more appropriate? Isn’t that Xi Jinping’s nickname?

  • George says:

    Sweet!

  • M McAlpine says:

    It always makes me laugh how people who have never encouraged a soul to play music (and in some cases may have put a lot of people off) pile in with their critical remarks about someone who has (whatever you think of his playing) inspired millions to take it up. Then that’s why there are so many critics – anyone can do it!

    • V. Lind says:

      Yup. I’ve been to his Master class — he takes pains, and is very encouraging. I’ve met him. He struck me as pretty modest, very approachable and very kindly. I know there are greater pianists out there, but he is not as bad as his seeming enemies say — I have heard him very good and less so (also true of Yuja Wang, whose Prokofiev was brilliant and whose Grieg 1 was forgettable, to put it kindly). Also true of several other highly regarded pianists, not Chinese, who struck me as overrated.

      This lad has used his celebrity for good, and it mystifies me why he is picked on so much around here.

    • Bruce Roberts says:

      Bravo. People believe that Lang Lang has a big ego. That is simply not true. 1) He is an Uber-Extrovert who reaches out to young audiences and to young artists. I adore him. 2) He is very talented and is only growing artistically. He is and always has been prodigious. 3) People also believe he is full of himself, because of the way that he uses his arms and hands at phrases in the music. This is a very romantic and emotional way of playing. He is not showing off. This is his true emotion and phrasing in this way helps many pianists to play better. I am also a pianist. I have such great respect for Lang Lang. Thank you for your good remarks.

    • Lucy says:

      “…Millions to take it up”? Sadly, millions of suffering children forced by social-climbing tiger moms in China to sit through music lessons, who will eventually grow up to hate classical music. Schroeder is much more inspiring than Lang Lang.

  • Bruce Roberts says:

    Lang Lang is a very extroverted artist who people love to find fault with. He is an amazing prodigy, discovered and mentored from a very young age. He does much to promote music for young audiences and young artists. He is NOT promoting himself. He does not need to do that. He, like Ray Chen, has a following. It is very good to see a Classical musician treated like a rock musician. Lang Lang is also maturing artistically. He has been playing Mozart and Bach, very beautifully. He has not just been showing off his extraordinary technique. Shame on those who are attack dogs. They should get a life. I am also a pianist and have great respect for the good human being that Lang Lang is. He is only getting better.

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