Lang Lang : The Chopin Album

Piano International (Mar, 2013)
Despite his laudable ambassadorial role for the piano and his huge popularity, Lang Lang has often failed where it matters most – in the interpretations themselves. He has an enviable technique, of course, making his every performing wish possible, but how you respond to him is dependent on whether or not you like his approach. Recorded with presence and clarity, these Etudes reveal Lang Lang’s trademark showiness and tendency for over-projection; the F major (No 3) is strident, while the A minor (No 4) sounds angular, phrases sometimes seeming disconnected. There is at least a nod towards delicacy in the so-called ‘Butterfly’ Study (No 9), but with little humour, and the …