When it was first released, I gave Lang Lang’s
debut disc (Telarc CD-80524) a positive review that highlighted the
more sensitive side of this young pianist’s persona. His Wigmore debut
was an eagerly awaited event (the place was packed out) and was recorded
by www.andante.com: it largely
confirmed the impressions given by that disc and certainly gave much
pleasure and delight.
In an interview
with Marc Bridle, Lang Lang stated that he had heard the Wigmore Hall
was one with great acoustics. He was cautioned not to over-project,
counsel he wisely heeded (at least most of the time). There were a couple
of instances in an otherwise delightful account of Haydn’s Sonata
in E, Hob. HVI:31, where Lang Lang was on the brink of overdoing
the fortes, but in general they did not detract from the overall
impression of a considered reading that caught the various sides of
Haydn’s personality well. There was charm and wit in abundance in the
outer movements (as well as delicacy and, always, clarity), but it was
in the central Allegretto that Lang Lang attained an almost Bachian
purity (concurrently drawing silence from his audience).
Lang Lang obviously enjoys the experience of live performance.
His decision to play the opening gesture of Rachmaninov’s Second
Piano Sonata before the applause had died down was arresting. He
unleashed a torrent of sound (not an entirely accurate one, it has to
be admitted), but his account also included almost Ravelian washes of
sonority. The fortes really did get overbearing at times, (I
felt for the ears of the people in the front row!). The finale was characterised
by big gestures (‘schwung’ is the term which comes to mind), amazing
dynamic control over his instrument and a real virtuoso climax to finish
with. Surprisingly, perhaps, he found the second movement most difficult:
it tended towards the diffuse, before finally settling down. Overall,
though, Lang Lang’s sense of the dramatic structure of this piece made
for a reading which was clearly memorable: his choice of the tauter
1931 revision of this sonata clearly helps matters. There was one slightly
disturbing trait that was to recur periodically later in the recital:
he does not clear his final chords cleanly sometimes, a messy sound
which is surely uncharacteristic of this pianist.
After the interval, Lang Lang seemed to take time to
adjust to the world of late Brahms (the Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118).
When reviewing his CD, I had singled out his voice-leading as particularly
worthy of mention. It was surprising, therefore, to find that some voices
were submerged in the wash of sound of Op. 118 No. 1, and there
were bumpy accents in the lullaby-like No. 2 (the ‘teneramente’
marking looked far away). Again, important voice-leading was either
ignored or under-played. Even the opening of the G minor Ballade
was not entirely clear, and the overall impression was robust but perhaps
a little unsubtle. After a playful F minor Intermezzo (played
with little pedal to achieve a ghostly effect), Lang Lang found form
again with a rich and now beautifully voiced Romance in F. The
middle section was pure magic, invoking pastoral piping. Of course the
last of this set, No. 6 in E flat minor, goes to a different
world and this really brought out Lang Lang’s best. From an opening
shrouded in mystery came a reading full of fantasy, an imposing middle
section and a beautifully timed final arpeggiation.
The two Tchaikovsky pieces saw Lang Lang really enjoying
himself. The Op. 59 Dumka began as if he was doodling, progressing
to a reading dripping in character (the jaw-dropping octaves are particularly
worthy of mention here). The C Sharp minor Nocturne, Op. 19 No. 4,
Russian Chopin in all but name, was given a supremely sensitive performance,
including some magical pianissimos. They were much more than
warm-ups for Balakirev’s dazzling Islamey. Sparks flew in this
virtuoso show piece and Lang Lang’s refusal to over-pedal meant that
every note could be heard. Whilst he seemed to relish the technical
challenges this piece contains, even the most virtuosic passages were
intrinsically musical. Certainly the sound threatened to overwhelm at
various points, but then this is not a piece which encourages half-measures.
A most memorable evening which presented a pianist to keep one’s eyes
and ears on. His development will be fascinating.
Colin Clarke
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