Lang Lang plays Debussy Prelude "Les Collines d'Anacapri".

Lang Lang plays Debussy Prelude "Les Collines d'Anacapri".

[@SirGeorge8600]

He never does it to "show off" he's a man of gratitude and emotional spirit to the piano. He makes the piano talk and cry with emotion.

[@fabiovillani9662]

okay but he looks like he has autism

[@cuduort1239]

From the comments, it seems to me that people are listening music with their eyes and not with their ears

[@musicismathsinsound8601]

He made a mistake!

[@ronan1686]

@@musicismathsinsound8601 It's a live performance of a very hard piece, it's not expected to be perfect

[@manthasagittarius1]

OK, OK -- this kid is on the high end of the eccentricity curve. But he is musical and intelligent, and the stuff he is doing is about 90% unintentional, especially the body choreographies, which are the way he is mediating his nicely shaped long phrases, with body kinetics in real time. The face -- well, the music delights, pains, amuses, or blows him away and it shows. This is not hammy clowning -- that really looks very different. Check out Victor Borge, who did it brilliantly on purpose.

[@user-sb9jj2oq4o]

彼の行動、音の全ては、1音たりとも意図的でないことはありえません。彼は感情を大事にコントロールしています。

[@Aneyeforit1]

I like his mixture of light touch and full dynamic range. Music is poetry, I respect this Man.

[@jsnicky43]

Just because somebody else's interpretation is different from yours doesn't mean that the performance is of bad quality

[@rodolfovazquez6921]

I love Lang Land dynamic range. Light, color, darkness all in one piece.

[@IEEMAZ_Convoluted_14.2.8.5]

Lang*

[@evaguedel9376]

Now, I really, really liked this lively performance by Lang Lang! Great piano playing !

[@TheBuck4013]

You can see he truly feels the music.

[@donaldallen1771]

I have studied this piece off and on for a very long time and am working on it again now. While I wouldn't presume to compare my playing with any of the top professional pianists, I do know what is in the score. And I strongly believe that none of us -- Lang Lang, Zimermann, Richter, Arrau, Barenboim, etc. -- are remotely in a class with Debussy, a genius of the highest order. So therefore, our performances ought to start by obeying Debussy's directions. I say "start", because each pianist then adds their own ideas, but should not substitute them for Debussy's. I am not a fan of Lang Lang, to put it mildly, but of all the performances of this marvelous piece I've heard on youtube, his is most faithful to what Debussy wrote. That he is a master of the instrument is beyond question. My issues with him have mostly been matters of taste. And I do dislike his emoting; it comes across to me as fake theatrics. But here, he brings his considerable skill to bear in a way that is faithful to Debussy. My one quibble is the tempo of the wonderful middle section, Modere et expressif. It's too slow for my taste. Debussy asks us to get slower and then "almost slow" in the last measure. Lang Lang almost brings the tempo to a standstill. Then at the subsequent A tempo (Vif), he starts slowly and we get an accelerando. That's not what Debussy asked for.

[@eveelliot4968]

Well put!

[@MinorityMans]

Thanks for the informed comments.

[@sorgenkind3095]

This music feels like a goose is chasing me and stealing my stuff. Damn goose.

[@milim3dia965]

Lol

[@jiahua448]

I would imagine that Debussy would be turning in his grave because the people here are too focused on Lang Lang's facial controtion to appreciate Debussy's genius, and, on the contrary, no matter how strange Lang Lang's face is, Debussy would have been happy that he is being played (more than competantly played) and appreciated, even when many of his contemporaries Saint Saens, Gounod, etc. all langer in obscurity.

[@Danterobo]

That's right mate

[@megadani1414]

***** Please! What matters the most isn't the eyebrow choreography, it' the music!!! Every artist is unique, so just enjoy his interpretation. If you complain about the eyebrowns i don't think you try to understand his music at all. Just close your eyes and enjoy the awsome. Have a nice day!

[@dariopalomba8420]

No, ho amato questo preludio ascoltando Michelangeli, c'è una una bella differenza....Lang Lang deve semplicemente crescere....

[@CFforLL2011]

@705JRC You must concede that the fluidity of his gestures, the subtlety of his hand movements, and those facial expressions are unparalleled in the world of elite pianists! Who else would be able to communicate thoughts and emotions with such finesse? True lovers of French piano music the world over should applaud this performance!

[@LLismyPianoHero]

No, he is bringing it to life by infusing it with gestures from another medium!! NO ONE ELSE IS THIS GENIUS!

[@CinematicPiano]

This it is simply amazing. So many ideas and so much control. I do not understand why are so many negative comments... I believe that the caviar it is not for everybody

[@pjflynn5978]

Absolutely sublime!

[@Deon20111]

Stunning, what talent and joy.

[@daniel15671]

Very bold and beautiful playing...

[@jackdamak]

beautiful chord at 2:12.... ahhhhh

[@shirleyhare6177]

A master at work, attention to every little nuance, who is going to beat him! Answer. No one!

[@humourlayers]

indeed, his mastery of the piano overpowers his facial expression and like it or not, he and the music fuse together as one. I was not a fan of Langlang before, also disliked his expressions - but overtime, I am totally captivated by his play and looking more positives towards his expressions. He is getting better by each performance. Debussy couldn't be happy at all having another person who looks like Debussy!

[@rodolfovazquez8144]

Maravillosa!!!!

[@olgavorobeva9252]

Lang Lang is great

[@deegoogoo7171]

I'm playing this piece but I'm nowhere as good as him. His interpretation captures the atmosphere of Anacapri perfectly

[@iampetergriffin]

Agree to disagree. If Lang Lang's YT videos had a picture of Horowitz slapped on them we'd have a billion comments about how Godlike it is. Ears are better at perceiving music than the eyes.

[@stevenhaff3332]

I love Lang Lang's willingness to see poetry in every piece he plays. Loved the sound of his work here.

[@ysgao]

like it :-) I will see langlang in Manchester !

[@PianoTheMusic]

first of all *heard, second of all I am a piano major and I can tell you that this interpretation is stylistically correct and that Lang Lang played it very well. Besides, Debussy placed his own interpretations at the end of his own books so that the pianist could add his own ideas. Finally in reference to "finger wizardry" this is a virtuosic piece containing many layers so it is hard not to be at least a little showy due to the range on the keyboard and other factors. Bro do you even play?

[@AaronPetitPiano]

very true!

[@DeepThoughtsMusic]

@ Greg Pagel Debussy comes from the romantic era..when you say he plays uneven it's like: he plays correct.. I think Lang Lang's interpretation sounds beautiful !

[@kevinseverine2528]

This is actually an very legit interpretation

[@user-dk9to8lr2s]

冒頭の指立てるのまじ笑笑　(この曲は大好きです)

[@pageljazz]

Check out 3:00 to end, especially around 3:10. It's really sloppy.

[@MrAkihiros]

I like the way the music rushes through him and he begins to see and hear visions in the void. Like a medium. unfortunately some people find it distracting. I find it complementary.

[@screamingpiano]

Each to their own.

[@enokelmersson6981]

rake in the lake

[@passionpiano1]

well most people that criticize the way he plays can't even play as half as good, just saying

[@szangolna]

impressive

[@SirGeorge8600]

As much as I love Lang Lang to death, his faces sometime creep me out lol.

[@yingmesenbrink]

Hard music to play

[@finalfantasyfan64]

I can't get over his face playing this song lol.

[@passionpiano1]

Hi, I know maybe you won't agree with me, and I understand if you don't. The explanation of his movements are because in China it is thought that when you do these movements, you go along with the wind, or something like that. Well, the point is that he is doing Feng Shui with his movements. I know many people don't understand this because it's a different culture, but this is what he does. He doesn't to it to impress people :)

[@johngotwalt]

Listen to Michelangeli if you want to hear this music; everything Lang plays sounds the same

[@CFforLL2011]

@705JRC Eyebrow choreography does not equate to genius! The only advantage to Bozhanov is that he does a mediocre impression of Hugh Laurie making fun of concert pianists. Lang Lang exudes true grace, sensitivity, and panache. Don't dismiss him just because he's Chinese! Russians aren't always the bee's knees, but Lang Lang is ALWAYS top notch!

[@not2tees]

I don't know what to think of Lang Lang. That could be good?

[@johngotwalt]

It's more Lang than Claude

[@hissingfaunaa]

This comment section is full of music critics picking apart his every move, when all of uz really should just be honking,

[@pageljazz]

Why would I be jealous?

[@kasajizo8963]

Hilarious performance!

[@samwilliams9211]

I say this about every debussy piece - sure he wanted a particular sound, but that does not mean that everyone else in history who ever plays a debussy piece must use the exact same technique to produce the most identical sound possible. LL does not play this the same way as debussy did, but i don't think that means it was a poor performance, or that he lacks talent.

[@TheSmack77]

Michelangeli or Richter for this work. they win hands down - LangLang is too mannered + affected.

[@xiaobrel]

Il n'a aucunes notions de ce que peut être la musique de Debussy. C'est ce qu'on nomme de la bouillie pour les chats

[@aesopp57529]

Debussy said to himself "I love music passionately. And because I love it I try to free it from barren traditions that stifle it.'' I don't think that's important to follow the rules like the baroque. It's early 20s man...

[@padraicfanning7055]

I mean… Debussy died in 1917.

[@theunwittingj9525]

Honque

[@CFforLL2011]

Iceberg is certainly the right term. If you're Bozhanov is one big Bulgarian iceberg. His facial choreography belies his cold, unexpressive manner. Lang Lang, on the other hand, is all warmth and affability. Anyone who prefers Bozhanov to Lang Lang must be blind, deaf, and uninspired.

[@scrillanilla]

Jesus fingers. perfect interpretation

[@evaguedel9376]

😅 1:46

[@pageljazz]

I can't play this as well as Gieseking or Jacobs, but you won't find me criticizing them. Why is that, do you think?

[@peabrane8067]

Quack

[@videoreff]

Lang Lang is quite a drama queen, even Liberace was less facially expressive. Some people like this kind of expressiveness, personally I find it distracting as it comes over as pure showmanship - it's as if the pianist is showing the audience what they should be feeling. I like the way Richter would often play in near-darkness, saying that the appearance of a pianist is irrelevant, the sound you produce is everything. I do acknowledge Lang Langs sound is good so if I buy it'll be CDs not DVDs.

[@passionpiano1]

You should criticize him when you are able to play every single thing he plays, the way he plays it and play in front of all the people he has played for.

[@LesQuatreAges]

Beaucoup de gens au concert. Ne manquait que Debussy

[@AaronPetitPiano]

I see what you mean, but I believe that you are misundertanding the quote. Debussy was wanting to get rid of the traditions of the german style of music writting, 5-1, circle progressions, common cadences. etc. he wanted to free music of it's strictest form, but not of it's effect. his dynamic markings are not negotiable. If he didn't care about them, he wouldn't have taken the time to write them in! And out side of all that, the way LL played 0:11 distracts from the sensualness of that part!

[@lilly763]

I don't like his ff attack in places either and maybe the end is too fast, but overall it doesn't bother me that much. I highly doubt Debussy wanted all of his music to sound "graceful and dignified", and anyway if you don't hear any grace in the soft sections of this performance I can only feel sorry for you.

[@CFforLL2011]

@705JRC It's not cheap! In fact, the fact that you feel the need to rant about it suggests that it's incredibly effective. Don't blame the world for your paranoia about being called racist and your need to show you have "better" taste. I refuse to take your repeated baits. You clearly just want to show that all Lang Lang fans have no sense. The fact is, we have more sense than the nutsos out there who follow piano competitions like sports fans and idolize the same old kind of classical musician.

[@c00lcar5]

Hjonk

[@anabellik]

Not as bad as I thought it would be, but still, this is not Debussy. Plus I see absolutely no reason why anyone would act like a clown while playing this piece.

[@alicedelarge]

It's fun to watch, but it feels...how should I say, sloppy, maybe? Of course, Lang Lang is a good pianist, but personally, I think...maybe not when he plays Debussy? The best interpreter is Zimerman, I think.

[@AaronPetitPiano]

That roll at 0:11 is marked "P" it is not supposed to sound harsh like Lang Lang just played it. If he can't respect Debussy's markings than I can't respect him! Sorry.

[@beecolor]

You need a lot of talent to destroy Debussy at this point !

[@russellthompson7441]

Really. That's big of you. Maybe you would like to upload your superior interpretation of this piece?

[@milayamamoto5710]

Off with his head !!!

[@camilorojaspiano2626]

No cabe duda que Lang lang posee un hermoso sonido, pero aqui su interpretacion me parece demasiado forzada, a veces realiza inflexiones en el tempo que si uno analiza la partitura resultan fuera de lugar,...... es un error confundir expresividad con poner caras o con hacer demasiadas inflexiones de tiempo donde no corresponden.... mi humilde opinion

[@camilorojaspiano2626]

la version de Zimerman, me parece muchisimo mas respetuosa de la intencion original del compositor, y es muy hermosa

[@filipDim]

lang langs actions show that hes not with us when hes playing the piece but in some another world , and we cant undestand that , so we hate HATE AND HATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@vladimiracimovic9257]

C.Debussy prelude no 13 book 2 ,,What did Lang Lang see while he was playing Les collines d'Anacapri"

[@112Allegro]

Lang Lang does some very good things, musical as well, in this lovely and exciting piece, but sometimes his interpretation is too mannered especially in the middle "smoochy" section. His touch is also quite dry in that section. A very good ending though.

[@CFforLL2011]

@705JRC Way to mix bad taste with blasphemy! Only someone with pianistic myopia could do it with such flair. It's too bad Bozhanov can't display the same creativity that his nutso fans do. Lang Lang communicates the music with his whole body, not just his arms and one leg. His brilliance radiates from his core all the way out to his fingertips! Your closed-minded opinions only prove that you're blinded by that brilliance. Perhaps you feel a little threatened by it too?

[@keyofamajor]

can't play as well doesn't mean can't criticize. sloppy and uneven has a definite meaning that is objective. it's not a final verdict that it's horrid, but it can be thought of as sloppy and uneven which might distract from the music. there's nothing wrong with that, even if you can't do better. if he feels the performer is not doing a good job, that's for him to decide. not for his talent.

[@MuscleDaddyCMH]

more of his damn facial masturbation in the name of "involvement"

[@8096vrolijk1]

Superb pianoplaying, however less idiomatic Debussy then Monique Haas, Dino Ciani, or Michelangeli .

[@user-lu2db3zh9v]

Debussy in chinese restaurant

[@lilly763]

Also, there are plenty of LL performances that I do find distasteful and unmusical (Rach 2, for example). But that doesn't mean I keep my ears closed and refuse to appreciate his good performances.

[@theonesaracen6289]

Always useful to know how not to play.

[@Mushyrulez]

Debussy isn't Chopin...

[@pageljazz]

I doubt Debussy wanted every pianist to play his music exactly as he did. In fact, if you read Debussy's critical writings, you'll find the opposite is true. All great pianists have a personal approach to interpretation. They also strive to play cleanly and evenly. Lang Lang does not.

[@cravatterianazionale]

TOO FAST DAMMIT

[@juantendo8]

A good performance, but Michelangeli's interpretation is clearly superior. I feel Lang Lang is just a bit too aggressive with dynamic and tempo shifts. Exciting, but a bit shallow in comparison.

[@SirGeorge8600]

Ok forget the gestures for a bit, does it really sound like a freaking sega mega-drive? Lol. Lang Lang has fluidity and dynamic is his music that can be clearly heard in this Debussy piece, how can you label something so subjective to opinion with such coldly strict observations? Let alone, it sounds nothing like you say. Sorry good sir, but you are wrong.

[@MentalModel1]

The master of overkill. He must think his audience so stupid that they need all his gesticulating to appraciate and undersatnd the piece. Cheap.

[@richardvolpe7664]

Of the dozens of comments found on this page, yours is, in its admirable brevity and unquestionably accurate appraisal, to be cherished. Talk about being "right on"! If only more viewers would be willing to 'see him for what he really is', as you have. My sincerest thanks!

[@gkollias14]

If he was more modest he could in fact dwell in the depths of the music. What I heard just now did not put me into any sort of impressionistic mood. All those rapid increases of tempo and odd emphasis I did not enjoy a lot and torn my logic apart...'Why did he do that just there? etc...

[@patrizialauraf]

bravissimo ma, almeno per me, troppo scenico...per ascoltare la magnifica esecuzione bisogna evitare di guardarlo

[@LesPlovykles]

Je suis completement d'accord avec vous, Ninouhuang99. Regarder Lang Lang, c'est vraiment inagréable. Il est très drôle - je ne comprends pas, pourquoi faire un cirque comme ça?! Je ne me jamais permets léver mes mains en plus haute qu'hautance de grand-piano fermé. Si j'en fasse, sera mieux si je disparaisse à cause du honte.

[@lilly763]

Would you mind explaining exactly what's so terrible about this performance? One can hear lots of details, there's loads of contrast and colors, and the character is playful. It might not sound like Michelangeli or Giekesing, and I can understand it not being to your taste, but every artist has their own personal take on things. What makes Lang Lang's so inferior?

[@MegaMjfreak]

Sorry, I really like the music, but I just don't like the way he performs... too much show, too much drama...

[@francisbaugh8687]

Don't watch it then.

[@YUMINLEE3514]

you are listening face , Not music

[@passionpiano1]

jealous much?

[@EMPERORMIKI]

A paper bag over his head would improve this performance 10 fold

[@windstorm1000]

I laugh at LL's ridiculous swoonings and hope and pray his is just a 'school of 1'--can you recommend any other top Asian pianists who don't follow the face contortion school of playing??

[@TheGlasnost1]

not true