Reacting to Lang Lang's Turkish March (as a concert pianist)

My reaction to Lang Lang's Turkish March.

[@Brockbrooks]

Lang Lang played it too fast for my taste, but there's no denying that he's a virtuoso.

[@juliegill6278]

Lang Lang's performance of this piece IS ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS!!!!!!!!!! The speed in which he plays it does NOT interfere in ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM with the musicality of it!!!!!!!!!!! It is a fun piece and IS MEANT TO BE PLAYED WITH AN AIR OF FRIVOLITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Julie Gill, Glasgow, Scotland.

[@sparkydogsparky2992]

Not even Horowitz in his prime played this piece so fast. Maybe Lang Lang had a hot date after this performance?

[@FalkzTV]

That‘s true. But not because he wouldn‘t have been able too but because it is a march. In Lang Langs Performance it‘s rather 100m sprint.

[@sparkydogsparky2992]

@@FalkzTV You are so right!

[@pvonberg]

Actually Horowitz played it quite slowly. And quite beautifully. Unlike this piece of trash.

[@sparkydogsparky2992]

@Gary Allen LOL!! Wonder if he has a collection of minks?

[@charliegold3227]

@@pvonberg who the fuck cares? I mean it’s the turkish march and one of the most overplayed pieces in classical music. And lastly it’s Mozart it’s not a real deep composer like Bach or Beethoven

[@ronl7131]

Interesting to hear different Artists’ takes on compositions. This performance not for a purist, to be sure. But this piece seems so hackneyed….as so many others are, at this point. Mozart might have raised an eyebrow at LL, or he himself, might have sat down and played it upside down and then backwards, adding a few variations along the way.

[@Sam-ky3su]

Depends on what you mean by purist. Lang Lang's playing definitely isn't classical, but it's almost purely pop.

[@mattjordan8482]

Hi Joshua, I enjoy your videos! I think you're far too generous here. I think this performance is obscene. Interestingly, I heard Kissin perform this sonata many years ago, and he did the same thing with this movement. Mozart's tempo is Allegretto: what's the problem with that?

[@joshuakellypiano2713]

Thanks for watching, Matt. I think the movement has been taken to the extremes generally, especially in light of Fasil Say. I do agree that I prefer it with the spirit it was originally intended and, rather controversially, I don’t think this is Mozart’s best work.

[@mattjordan8482]

@@joshuakellypiano2713 No it certainly isn't Mozart's best piano work. I'd be curious to know what is, in your opinion. I'd have to go with the F major sonata K533/494.

[@benthepen3336]

Hey, great video! I was wondering what piece you are playing in your animated intro? Thanks!

[@joshuakellypiano2713]

Thanks for watching! It was something I made up the morning I needed to send it to the animators :)

[@benthepen3336]

@@joshuakellypiano2713 wow! Sounds really interesting. Keep up the good work!

[@renegrosheintz-laval9146]

I don't like the interpretation at all. When it comes to tempo, the maximum for allegretto is 120bpm, in Mozart's time it was below that. So, LangLang is too fast even by present day standards. He plays at 150 bpm which we would call allegro assai or molto allegro. Repeats: he really wants to show that a repeated sections should not be played the same way twice but re-interpreted. I feel he's as often as not at a loss to find a second, meaningful and complementary interpretation. Having said that, we mustn't forget that both Mozart and LangLang have a really strange sense of humour, so for all we know, Mozart might have liked LangLang's interpretation and we are all too conservative in our listening habits esp. when it comes to "always beautiful" Mozart. Of the two Chinese super-technicians who had the same reacher, give me the other one any day.

[@Sam-ky3su]

Don't even compare Mozart to Lang Lang. One was a classicist and the other is a pop star.

[@EntelSidious_gamzeylmz]

Here is what I can say, if a hobbyist friend sent this to me and said its their recording, I would have believed it

[@evaguedel9376]

I think Mozart played it this fast too! It sounds perfect to me!

[@Franz_Liszt_Korean]

Agree

[@victoriali4944]

Hey Joshua What is that mic you were using in the video?

[@joshuakellypiano2713]

Hi Victoria. It was the Rode Wireless Go II. I’m impressed with the audio quality so far!

[@sarkarpianist5540]

One question: why does the piano sound out of tune after it's edited?

[@joshuakellypiano2713]

Good question! It was a sampling rate error between the original audio and my camera settings, which I have since learned how to fix for future videos. Thanks for watching :)

[@achilles231]

Mozart’s Turkish Galop?

[@joannesmith1175]

Lang Lang has a good mix of soft and hard sound, for me apart for it being a little too fast the technique was perfect

[@chickenman9059]

Great video !

[@DavidBoycePiano]

Turkish Sprint! Interesting to then listen to Horowitz, and then Glenn Gould, both on KZbin!

[@inigodiazderabago9254]

Could you review lang lang's third ballade? Now THAT is garbage

[@danielflorencio6017]

Better than average*

[@beatlessteve1010]

yes I do not like this interpretation its like it is being fast forwarded on a reel to reel ...however there is no doubt he is being silly I think

[@Brockbrooks]

Maybe you're right!

[@billr848]

Noise

[@TimoTheePiano1]

Lang Lang is just a business pianist, pure marketing, no music.

[@cyc20976]

He is a concert pianist, people who choose to be a concert pianist are never purist, they make shows, so Langlang does it, and does it well.

[@dalsegno1251]

This piece is overplayed and, in my opinion, not one of Mozart's finest. Even so, when played well, it can be pleasant. But leave it to Lang Lang to smash the piece into its grave at 100 miles per hour. Awful.

[@Brockbrooks]

Lang Lang isn't awful. Sometimes he just doesn't play in a way that pleases people, that's all.

[@hydrofudgezlanimated2237]

love lang lang

[@ahujeffrey]

Liang Liang is all style (like it or HATE it, guess my view) and no substance. No thought. No consistent interpretation. It is not a matter of nationality (I'm the same), but of teachers emphasizing notes over meaning. Really, it's a mess. Thanks

[@BingDwenDwen]

It's always odd that people think they know what Mozart would have thought about modern day pianists, while Mozart played on a totally different sounding type of instrument called the Harpsichord. Therefore, no modern pianists would have played like how Mozart would have played. So the comparisons are nonsensical.

[@dalsegno1251]

Mozart played the fortepiano. An early version of the modern piano.

[@BingDwenDwen]

@@dalsegno1251 fortepiano is still not the same as modern piano, so what is your point?

[@dalsegno1251]

@@BingDwenDwen that it's not a harpsichord.

[@dalsegno1251]

@@BingDwenDwen this is the response of someone whose arrogance will never allow them to learn anything 😂😂😂😂

[@Brockbrooks]

Mozart did play the harpsichord as a child, but it was quickly going out of style as the piano was becoming more and more popular. This piece was not written for harpsichord. However, you're right that no one knows how he would have played this, but not because of the instrument he was using.

[@loouuiisssss296]

Lang Lang's version of ballade no 1 in g minor is the most disgusting version I have ever heard.

[@joshuakellypiano2713]

I'll be sure to check it out!