Lang Lang plays Beethoven's Sonata Appassionata Op. 57 No. 23 3rd Movement

[jlpkenyontennis1]

what a disgrace. someone with so much talent throwing it away with this childish effort.

[hathor100]

Lang Lang is Magnificent. In his case negative critics come from those people that only know one thing...ENVY.

Bravo Lang Lang

[MultiGypsy22]

Don't like this. Who is the real Lang Lang? This seems to lack any depth of emotion or conviction, it's a copy of what he's heard as he's grown up. Not bad fingers, though, but then he probably practised himself silly, in order to try copy then greats. There is no cohesiveness in the interpretation, just fickle gestures and supposed feeling.

[SuYPark]

My heart is beated by his play. Wonderful!

[hcontini]

Maestro!!!

[lego10123]

How can he keep smileing when playing such aggressive piece ??? XD

[NoahSV]

He could have just as well ended up as as a scribe. I bet you he is a super typer!

[NoahSV]

"Mama, look at my hands!" That's about all anyone can get from this awful slight against Beethoven and music.

[gesavin65847]

I can only imagine what Ludwig sounded like when he played

[TheWolfmannC]

vamo a comel aloz



[s1earle]

The performance is comparable to the other nice ones; however doesn't leave a lasting impression say as Richter did. Why does Lang have to speed up at places (eg just past the first minute) when there is a demanding technical requirement - perhaps he is just over-rated...

Unlike Berman he does not have an ear for fast dynamics (eg the octaves display just before the three minute mark)...However he does play well.

[Wet4Clmt]

He sounds better than he looks.

[BlackEternity22]

Well i loved the entire song until he butchered the very end...

[pianovirtuoso1000]

Lang Lang, you are just making silly faces and showing of your skills. People are not happy with your fast fingers. This piece is based on a tragedy by William Shakespeare, and this piece, especially the 3rd movement should have a deadly attack effect....

[AnastasiaH1991]

I heard him play this live not long ago and it was absolutely fabulous!

[fredericfranc]

...like that bitch Lady Gaga, he is not REALLY interested in music, but only in projecting himself, in fame...here he tosses out hunks of raw meat, like HER dressing up in sheets of raw meat...and the audience likes it that way, they are that kind of an audience, right?...the wonder is that this Beethoven here does not sound all that bad...Beethoven is hard to kill...even by Lang Lang...

[pianovirtuoso1000]

@fredericfranc, you are right! I used to love Lang Lang, but HIS silly faces are making me ill! This Appassionata is based on a Shakespearean tragedy, and it's supposed to have a lot of thunder, cannon, and a war effect! Lang Lang's performance lacks pain, the real, fatal, deadly effect this movement of Appassionata should have! I absolutely agree with you!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fredericfranc]

@pianovirtuoso1000 ...what bothers me to some extent is your saying that this music was inspired by Sh's tragedy. I always thought that the power of Beeth's music was based on the fact that it was not inspired by anything outside of the music itself. Having it ispired by a literary work would gut it and trivialize it. That is why Beeth. was such an ineffectual operatic composer - having an outside "occasion" for his composing hampered him seriously. Not a Wagner type at all.

[pianovirtuoso1000]

@fredericfranc , well, it was inspired by a Shakespear tragedy...

[aviHiriyanna]

Classical music snobs really have to stop hating; it's not Lang Lang's fault that he's a gifted virtuoso and you're not...so go vent your jealousy somewhere else.

[diewalkureflute]

Just listen to his playing, it's amazing, but when u look at him playing, especially at 0:11 -__- what is his hand doing maybe that's y the DVD of this concert is cheaper than CD

[Alsterpianist]

I hate lang lang,but i hate more what i am going to say next:this performance is really good!

[chopper84a]

lots of fun. Great!!

[ShipperS7]

Just once I'd like to watch a video of a great pianist's hands, without all the schizophrenic cinematography

[yesplease91]

@ShipperS7 of course, yeah. like if he plays only with his hands, right?

no.

[jaunleroux2]

It brings me great joy listening to this artist, especially when he plays Beethoven.

[fravaglio]

i bet if there was an european pianist playing identically to this, all people who dislike this or cheers kempff and baremboim etc would just say "WOOOOH"

[JayLinden786]

:D:D:D:D Lang Lang has finally started to play the piano :D:D:D:D

[akumanation]

@JayLinden786 yeh this video is nice

[jadeni1]

I get scared when I listen to Lang Lang because dont know if he is going to own the piece or destroy it. I.E. Chopin's Grand Polinaise Brillante

[musicalix]

Lang Lang plays it the way I play it: conservative story and piecemeal-wise. There is no cohesive unique story . He compensates by going overboard on histrionics... While personally I dont particularly care for Baremboim, his interpretation of this same piece tells a haunting story: a coherent story in which the sum is larger than the parts. It's like a stew which slowly cooked for 10 hours: blended flavors. In Lang Lang interpretation the carrot still tastes like carrot, and the meat like meat.

[alejandrothefader]

@musicalix i disaggree and you should back up your saying by arguments... i find this and barenboim's quite close in terms of interpretation and btw, lang lang did master classes with barenboim and this was one of those pieces he worked over with him... oh, and this interpretation is full of emotion...

[Charm874]

Lang Lang has a very peculiar and sometimes distracting idiosyncrasy, but his musicality and technique is good.

[jon44718]

yeah i like it, but like i like listening to a computer playing music once programmed, lacks any emotions. Still this is much better than the other junk thrown out by him/other computers - in fact i quite like it, i think its when u see what looks like forced arrogance when there is little emotion that gets peoples backs up- thats probably what he'll be remembered for anyway. good technique, skill. now go on standby please.

[EvanFingerstyle]

@jon44718 Who are these "other computers" you speak of? If you think this "lacks any emotions", then I would love to hear who you like to listen to because they must be very expressive ^^

[CanadaPisces]

It is sad that those who are not capable of playing on the concert piano level often try to compensate by becoming critics. Lang Lang gives many people great enjoyment! For those who are unfortunate enough not to appreciate such a fine pianist, I would suggest that you listen to someone else.

[mrpolaroid123]

@CanadaPisces You are spot on. Saw him live a few months ago and he was fantastic. We went that night with the expectation of being blown away and he didn't disappoint!

[bsd300d]

This is dog shit compared to Kempff. Lang Lang is a fucking clown shoe.

[DarkLatias810]

@bsd300d i assume that you can do better then? you have no right to say such an offensive comment. i bet you're like elephant shit compared to lang lang. gtfo

[s1earle]

A pretty performance but lacking in technical polish and stamina; one for the fair grounds...

[AvidHobbyist]

@s1earle could you point out areas of technical deficiencies? i didn't hear one audible mistake. lang lang is gifted when it come to technique.

[s1earle]

Gifted in technique-unquestionably. However a great performance is the sum of the parts (technique, sways, face gestures etc) and if you might perhaps view several other comments on this page, you'll see that in totum, the individual parts in this instance don't add up...The incomparable Cziffra himself had moments of what he would describe 'unforgettable formances' - sample his Grieg Concerto (and for that matter sample Richters with Monte Carlo); all greats have moments of weakness.

[LauraMorgan1905]

Сделать из Бетховена цирк.Смело.

[mnemko]

I've just listened to Arrau and Schabel play this. I like Lang Lang's better. I do, however, find his "showmanship" contrived and distracting. His amazing pianistics speak better if left to speak for themselves.

[mcrettable]

@mnemko i don't think it's purely showmanship. he moves in reaction to the music (most of the time). sure he uses some gestures to spice up the performance, but people shouldn't listen with their eyes ^^

[iif5]

LL has always been a great performer. It's enjoyable to watch him play the piano. I wish that LL will continually be successful.

[sonicheroin]

good,goosebumps coming out,means reallly gooood

[LauraMorgan1905]

Цирк.

[lison766]

I'm going to see him live in a couple of days (Birmingham Symphony Hall) and I can't wait. He is true master of the piano!

[flaquita302]

look at his faces towards the end

Great performance Though i personally prefer richter

[alejandrothefader]

this is not the lang lang i used to listen to... i love his new approach to music... seems much more profesional and tastefull.... keep it up ang lang, you can be an all time great one day with this technique, you just need to become a tastefull pianist lie the one you seem to be becoming!!!!!!1

[JacobRudduck]

Really not bad, actually this is pretty good compared to Lang Lang's usual standards. He definitely seems to have improved over the last couple of years. Less banging and more mature interpretations and musicianship. Barenboim obviously knocked some much needed sense into him :p

[stefano1980ify]

This is one of my favorite appassionata 3mov interpretation!!! My compliment.

May be left hand on the final arpeggi was too heavy... but really a wonderfull performance :)

[galaxian06]

beautiful..

[kinkokonko]

Shite

[TanTzuKuang]

the claps sound louder than the piano

[anonymousQ45]

7:17 for epic face

[ThePVGS1]

Great.

[712Stephen]

His arpeggios are all finger work and wrist rotation. Surely that must be hard on his wrist without the help of his arm.

[alejandrothefader]

@712Stephen nah, check out saffonov's aproach to fingerwork, if something is hard on your wrist, you re doing it wrong... same with forearm, same with biceps... you can't permit yourself being tense in any manner long enough to be in pain in whatever region of your body!

[712Stephen]

@alejandrothefader I meant "without" wrist rotation rather than "and," but my fingers kind of played their own game.

[alejandrothefader]

@712Stephen yeah, got it now... but still, i don't think it is hard... the basis of a good technique are fingers... if you got iron fingers with flexibility at the needed moments, then you get to incorporate the seldom really needed wrist action and then ue matthay approach to piano and rotation to make your touch volatile but also controlled, then you re done... it's all about studying the piece, geting it down and playing... no technical difficulties ;)

[johnnyTT123]

What a great touch has that men! Great pianist! So wonderful!

[ksp78945]

to be honest its very close to barenboims version of this piece.........

[anonymousQ45]

@ksp78945 because he studied with Barenboim wen he learned this piece. look up Lang Lang Barenboim Master Class

[anonymousQ45]

i always loved the counterpoint section at 2:17

[lkmusicman2]

i have to say for this piece alone, it's better than horowitz.

[PlusleMinun]

This interpretation instantly reminds me of Richter's definitive interpretation. Clearly Lang Lang has learned a lot from this legendary pianist ...

Bravo regardless!!

[proszel]

There are a great deal of Beethoven pieces I cannot play without making similar gestures at some points. If I don't, I can't get my hand to come off the notes fast enough in certain places.

In short, I think if he produces a performance as excellent as this one, we've no place to question the mannerisms which brought him to it, lest we outperform him differently.

[manolobgg]

Great to listen. Shame about the overdone acting part. His haircut and shiny outfit is probably the same as what the 60 year old ladies in the concert hall are wearing...

[spike6385]

i quite enjoyed this