Lang Lang plays a gig for Pharrell Williams fashion brand
NewsThe person formerly known as concert pianist Lang Lang turned out on Tuesday night in Paris to play for the rapper-entrepreneur Pharrell Williams, artistic director of Louis Vuitton Men’s.
He could hardly be seen among the armies assembled to promote weird wear.
Watch.
Business as usual without strikes.
Note all of the close-ups of the chorus, singing at full tilt, while in the background, vapid fashion executives are busily texting on their phones. I hope Lang Lang was handsomely paid for this musical indignity anyway.
Very much like the 1.5 second “appearance” of Dudamel in the Superbowl, or Lang Lang’s 2-second ‘gig’ with Metallica in the Grammy’s, this is a perfect reflection of the relevance of classical music in today’s society.
None of the attendees will ever know if this was “the world’s biggest pianist” or a recent graduate from one of the Paris conservatories who landed a gig in between his $20/hr teaching job barely allowing to pay rent in Paris.
This is the apex of the classical world: to be an anonymous backdrop in the zeitgeist of contemporary culture, fashion, entrepreneurship or technology.
As relevant as being a smith for horseshoes…..
Before everyone starts clutching their pearls, Lang Lang is hardly the first to do gigs purely for the paycheck.
Pavarotti, for example, appeared in TV and print advertisements for practically anyone who would give him money, like American Express.
Very good point. The violinist Jennifer Koh recently played at a Marc Jacobs fashion show, for instance.
https://fashionista.com/2023/02/marc-jacobs-runway-collection-2023
Becky Messer and Thornhill’s analogies are hardly accurate. E.g. Pavarotti’s American Express print ad was 2 full pages with one being a full page pic of Pavarotti. His presence in the tv ads was similarly prominent. He was not hidden in a galaxy of others. As Pavarotti’s manager Herbert Breslin pointed out in his amusing book ‘The King and I’ it was probably the most effective of all his PR tools in getting the Pavarotti name known by many millions who had never heard of him.
That was 20 years ago. We live in 2023….or have you not walked outside since?
Pavarotti is the last publicly known entity that was also a classical musician. 100x the recognition as anybody alive today.
Sadly he’s old news and all but forgotten now.
“ That was 20 years ago. We live in 2023….or have you not walked outside since?”
Seems time for Mr. Messer to get a sponsored Rolex as the Pavarotti Amex ads were a good 40 years ago! Or himself take a walk outside to buy a few magazines. In the interim Domingo, Carreras, Renee Fleming, Nicola Benedetti and a host of well-known classical artists right up to Yuja Wang and her Rimowa luggage as reported on this blog very recently have all been known for major corporate endorsements.
Whatever floats his boat….which certainly isn’t music.
I only wish I had pearls – real ones – to clutch!!
don’t forget Jenny Lind
He’s found his niche – and perhaps got a shirt or two in the process.
I know this is anathema but I have never thought of Lang Lang as a pianist. I consider him to be one of the world’s foremost keyboard mechanics.
Spare a thought for superstar pianist Lang Lang – whilst Yuja reaches new triumphant heights with a masterful Rach marathon at Carnegie Hall, LL is reduced to less than a passing footnote by the marketeers in this unmitigated turgid dreck. Liberace wouldn’t have stood for that. Well at least LL probably has another Disney outing to look forward to … Ker-ching!!
So many HATERS…You ppl sound disgusting. He played bcuz he wanted to and the show was a huge success. You pathetic Karens & Kens lol