Lang Lang joins the Leonard Cohen parade

Lang Lang joins the Leonard Cohen parade

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norman lebrecht

November 15, 2016

I can find nothing right about this Hallelujah tribute.

Unidiomatic, unmoving, vacant.

And the closing phrase? Absurd.

See what you think.

Lang-Lang cesbron

Comments

  • Terry Gregory says:

    What a beautifully understated treatment of this famous song, played with obvious feeling and respect for the music itself. Leonard Cohen would have approved I am sure.

    • D says:

      No. He would have died sooner. Thank goodness he has been spared this trash.

      • V.Lind says:

        I’m afraid I agree. Appalling arrangement, and although I imagine he sincerely wanted to offer a tribute the affectation of his piano style really takes away from that impression. He really ought to have been schooled out of those mannerisms in his early seasons of lessons.

      • John says:

        Sniff sniff . . .

  • Mike says:

    The horror.

    Where is Milka?

  • Mike Aldren says:

    He gets as close to the heart of this as he does with Mozart and Chopin – oh dear!

  • ceasar says:

    it’s called a half cadence. That piano just sounds like s#*T.

  • Chris Basten says:

    Hallelujah is one of the most overplayed songs of all time. I’d like to see a moratorium on any new versions. When I went and saw Leonard Cohen (who was magnificent) and that song started I went out for a drink. The bar was empty and I got served straight away. Win Win.

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