One modest piece of advice: Don’t read the liner notes. Whether the superstar pianist Lang Lang is explaining that his love of Liszt was sparked by a “Tom and Jerry” TV cartoon, or that Liszt was a rock star just like Elvis Presley, the resulting observations are unlikely to enhance the listener’s appreciation of this recording.
And yes, there is much to appreciate in this collection of solo Liszt pieces, plus the first of the composer’s two piano concertos. Although the classical purist’s lip may curl at the mere mention of Lang Lang, the playingRead more here is admirable not only for its technical prowess - an aspect of performance for which this pianist is already legendary - but also its very considerable delicacy and clarity of line.
Lang Lang’s career has followed the usual three-part media trajectory of the young sensation in our times: (1) shock and awe over the spectacular early virtuosity, (2) subsequent incredible over-hype, and then (3) negative overreaction and prolonged sneering. We are now in Phase 3, but perhaps Phase 4 is on the horizon - a more balanced assessment of both virtues and shortcomings. While this disc is not Lang Lang’s finest hour - or, to be more precise, 73 minutes and 33 seconds - it is never less than respectable and is often astonishingly good … as in his impressive reading of “
La Campanella”.
This is a recording for which you will probably need to adjust volume controls constantly. The softer pieces, like the dreamily unfocused
Consolation No. 3, are followed with the more glittery, hard-edged selections like the
Grand Galop chromatique and the Hungarian Rhapsodies, as the disc alternates slow/soft with fast/loud solo works. The very lively studio recordings of the solo pieces sound almost strident next to the tamped-down ambience of the live Piano Concerto No. 1 recording in the Großer Musikvereinssaal. Valery Gergiev whips the Vienna Philharmonic into a fine frenzy in the concerto. Thankfully the ambient audience noises – and the applause – have been edited out.
Hearing this disc alongside the Liszt of such interpreters as Nelson Freire - still one of this reviewer’s all-time favorites - with his purity of line and his subtle inflections of each phrase, suggests that Lang Lang still lacks some of the interpretive depth that may come with maturity. But those looking for sheer febrile excitement will find it here.
-- Melinda Bargreen, MusicWeb International Read less
Concerto for Piano no 1 in E flat major, S 124by Franz Liszt Performer:
Lang Lang (Piano)
Conductor:
Valery Gergiev
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic Written: 1849/1856; Weimar, Germany
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: ( 3 Customer Reviews )
Below expectationsApril 3, 2018By PAULO GALLIEZ (Rio de Janeiro, RJ)See All My Reviews"I didn't like this CD, probably due to Liszt, a composer who does not appeal to me. The only song that I like is "La Campanella", played with refined sensitivity."Report Abuse
He Changed My Mind !July 18, 2016By bess holloway (Boulder, CO)See All My Reviews"Before hearing this recording, I was not much engaged by the music of Liszt. It was a revelation to hear these works performed by Lang Lang. Whether you're just getting started or have long admired the composer, this disc is a winner!"Report Abuse