Classical Listening

[stlukesguild]

I just happened upon this news myself. Honestly, I did not know that he was still alive. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest singers. I would be hard-pressed to think of a single singer who appears on more recordings in my collection. RIP

[lawpark]

Recently, I have discovered a very charming Mozart Violin Sonata K377.

[Emil Miller]

Lang Lang gets a lot of criticism on You Tube for his behaviour when performing, often from people who don't play the piano themselves, but he is an amazingly dynamic performer. In this performance, I doubt that even the composer could have given a better rendering. Total confidence and control with an amazing technique brilliantly adapted to this showpiece concerto that dazzled the audience. My first contact of this work was when I was very young and I bought Rubenstein's recording but it doesn't live up to Lang's stunning live performance.

http://youtu.be/8yE3Dz0-koA

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

It's hard to tell if he's genuinely being swept away by the music in the way he acts, or if he's putting on a show. I'm thinking it's more of the latter, but I don't see what's wrong with that. He's a showman, good for him. If he sucked it'd be another issue, but he's obviously excellent. And as to what YouTube commenters say, who cares? They are one of the poorest representations of mankind one can come across.

[stlukesguild]

Rubenstein... who was the master of Chopin, Brahms, and Schumann... was probably not ever the best man for Liszt... or at least not the more exhibitionist side of Liszt. He might have been suited to perform the Années de pèlerinage... but then again, Wilhelm Kempff plays these exquisitely. This particular repertoire truly demands a virtuoso and theatrical showman... someone closer to Van Cliburn, Sviatoslav Richter, Georges Cziffra... or especially Krystian Zimerman and the incomparable Marc-Andre Hamelin. Lang Lang is obviously a first-rate piano virtuoso and Liszt may just be the perfect repertoire for him. I do suspect, as usual, that Emil/Brian is too easily swayed by the visual theatricality of the performance... but I can excuse him for this as I have to admit that I have been equally seduced by operatic performances of Anna Netrebko, Kristine Opolais, and Elīna Garanča among others.

There's a story told by one of Rostropovitch's students about a brilliant young virtuoso who was studying with the great Russian cellist. After flawlessly executing an extremely difficult piece, Rostropovitch scowled... and then told the student: "Imagine you have in your hands the most exquisite suitcase. It is made of the finest leather and calves-skin, and fixed with the most marvelous metal clasps and hinges. Can you imagine it?" The student stuttered, "Y... yes!" "Here... take it!" Rostropovitch commanded. The student acted as if he were taking the suitcase. "Now... open it." He commanded. The student obeyed... acting as if he were opening a suitcase. "What do you see inside?" After a pause, the student replied... "N...nothing." Sitting back, the great cellist intoned, "Exactly... and you are like that suitcase. Outside all glitter and virtuosity and show... but inside... there is nothing."

Lang Lang, may just be the real thing. However, there have been endless young virtuosos who have come and gone because they have not been able to dig deeper into the music. To survive over the long haul, he will need to be able to bring something special... something unique to the field. It is questionable whether we need yet another flashy virtuoso performing the same repertoire that has been recorded brilliantly endless times before. Of course there will always be a demand for such performers live, and just as Anna Netrebko may hold up more in DVDs of live performances than in recordings, so Lang Lang may become more known through his videos than his records.

For the time being, I'll suspend judgment. I will note that he is making some attempt to dig deeper into the music. Recently, DG released this disc:



Here, Lang Lang performs with two musicians who have long and towering reputations upon their respective instruments. Lang Lang appears to have learned a degree of restraint... finesse... and an ability to work in a group setting... with equals. Reviews for this, his first recording of chamber music, have been quite solid. Perhaps DG will be able to guide Lang Lang's career in such a manner that he doesn't burn out as simply one more young virtuoso.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Would you say Yo-Yo Ma is someone who's been able to dig deeper and bring something deeper to the field than just another virtuoso? I would say yes.

[Charles Darnay]

Would you say Yo-Yo Ma is someone who's been able to dig deeper and bring something deeper to the field than just another virtuoso? I would say yes.

I don't know if he is deeper or even a better player than all else, but he is so happy and full of energy when he plays that it is hard not to pick up on it when listening

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

I know, but I was wondering if he has reached that second level by StLuke's standards due to all his work in fusion genres, i.e., that he's gone beyond just being a good performer, like Lang Lang's current status.

[Lokasenna]

Lang Lang is an excellent pianist, but I must admit I feel like he plays up his expressions. I'm always much more impressed by musicians who can inject fire and passion into the music with very minimal physical expression.

For example, I recently had the pleasure of going to a concert conducted by Frans Bruggen (which rather surprised me, as I thought he'd been dead for some time): the programme was Strauss's Metamorphosen, Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto and Mozart's Jupiter symphony. Bruggen, elderly and very frail, was brought on stage in a wheelchair, and had to be helped onto his seat on the podium by the first violin. His performance, however, was indescribable. During Metamorphosen, there were long periods when he didn't even move: his touch was light but purposeful, controlled but with no unnecessary ornamentation. I have no hesitation in calling it the best rendition of Metamorphosen I have ever heard, recorded or live: Bruggen penetrated right to the heart of the matter, drawing out the incredible layers of pathos in the music with consumate skill. But then, for the finale of the Mozart (of which I would again say it was the best performance I've ever heard), with only small and careful movements, he worked the orchestra up into state of Bacchic fury that was incredible to observe: intense, fierce and passionate.

It was an incredible night, and he gave a performance that put other conductors I've seen, many of whom like to dance and cavort about their podium, into the shade.

Anyway, here's a little something I'm listening to at the moment. It's not often a piece of music makes me laugh out loud, but Ernő Dohnányi's Variations on a Nursery Tune is laugh-out-loud funny in places, particularly around the 3:30 mark. In the words of the composer, it is a piece "for the enjoyment of humorous people and for the annoyance of others."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEVMFKRMTyE

[Emil Miller]

I agree that Lang Lang has invited criticism by his behaviour at the keyboard and it does seem to be lessening now. However, it's worth remembering that Liszt was also a great showman who had similar criticism thrown at him during his early years. I don't think that Lang's behaviour is strictly attributable to showmanship but it's a kind of natural exuberance that one sees in some other oriental players, it's as though they cant wait to get to the piano and start playing. Naturally there is a certain reserve shown among Western performers that is part of a tradition of showing respect for the composer and the music, but this music is relatively new to the Orient and the enthusiasm is noticeable in the playing which makes some western performances today seem rather tired.
I have watched music students playing in China under the watchful eye of their teacher and their command of the piano or violin is undeniable. Earlier oriental performers such as Fou T'song and Mitsuko Uchida spent much of their lives in the West and grew up in that tradition of looking serious at the keyboard but Lang Lang's generation had little or none of this conditioning and many seem to be entranced by their own ability to play this great music to such a high standard.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Lang Lang is an excellent pianist, but I must admit I feel like he plays up his expressions. I'm always much more impressed by musicians who can inject fire and passion into the music with very minimal physical expression.

For example, I recently had the pleasure of going to a concert conducted by Frans Bruggen (which rather surprised me, as I thought he'd been dead for some time): the programme was Strauss's Metamorphosen, Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto and Mozart's Jupiter symphony. Bruggen, elderly and very frail, was brought on stage in a wheelchair, and had to be helped onto his seat on the podium by the first violin. His performance, however, was indescribable. During Metamorphosen, there were long periods when he didn't even move: his touch was light but purposeful, controlled but with no unnecessary ornamentation. I have no hesitation in calling it the best rendition of Metamorphosen I have ever heard, recorded or live: Bruggen penetrated right to the heart of the matter, drawing out the incredible layers of pathos in the music with consumate skill. But then, for the finale of the Mozart (of which I would again say it was the best performance I've ever heard), with only small and careful movements, he worked the orchestra up into state of Bacchic fury that was incredible to observe: intense, fierce and passionate.

It was an incredible night, and he gave a performance that put other conductors I've seen, many of whom like to dance and cavort about their podium, into the shade.

Anyway, here's a little something I'm listening to at the moment. It's not often a piece of music makes me laugh out loud, but Ernő Dohnányi's Variations on a Nursery Tune is laugh-out-loud funny in places, particularly around the 3:30 mark. In the words of the composer, it is a piece "for the enjoyment of humorous people and for the annoyance of others."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEVMFKRMTyE

Your description of the conductor you saw reminds me of this video of Stravinsky conducting The Firebird:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5tGA6bpscj8

He's not flashy . . . he doesn't move much at all, actually, but when he does it's that much more powerful. When it kicks in and he's getting into it, you know he's really getting into it.

[stlukesguild]

Would you say Yo-Yo Ma is someone who's been able to dig deeper and bring something deeper to the field than just another virtuoso? I would say yes.

At his best, Yo Yo Ma has been able to produce some marvelous recordings. I especially give him credit for exploring and promoting a broad range of music... everything from Bach to the film composer Morricone (Think Clint Eastwood's classic "Spaghetti Westerns") to non-Western music to the Tangos of Piazzolla. I had the chance to see him perform the entire Bach cello suites live, and he was marvelous. I'm awaiting a third... mature... recording of this work. His first recording was solid... but a bit too middle-of-the-road in comparison to the finest performances (Rostropovitch, Pierre Fournier, Casals, Steven Isserlis, and Janos Starker).

Lang Lang may join Yo Yo Ma, Mitsuko Uchida, Sumi Jo, and Masaaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan as one of the great Asian additions to classical music. This is not to ignore the composers Toru Takemitsu, Toshio Hosokawa, Keiko Abe, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takashi Yoshimatsu, etc...

[Lokasenna]

I've not been on LitNet much recently, mostly because of the ridiculous number of conferences I'm doing this summer (six of them, four of them being back-to-back, and I'm giving papers at five of them).

Anyhow, one of the conferences at my home university finished today - and our Chancellor dropped in unexpectedly to see what all our work is about. It's the first time I've met him in person, so it was rather nice. He's very nice too.

Here he is, singing some Schubert (as arranged by Berlioz):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYqF...eature=related

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

So, is singing opera a pastime for him, then? He sounds quite good.

[Lokasenna]

So, is singing opera a pastime for him, then? He sounds quite good.

Well, he's pretty much retired now, but Sir Thomas Allen has been one of the finest classical baritones of the last generation - he's a famous opera star. Have a look at his entry on wikipedia.

Here's another nice piece of his, singing one of John Ireland's songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbQEuIBzuNk