Lang Lang

Cincinnati really is a wonderful city for the arts.  Major wealthy people and corporations generously support the off-broadway theatre in its quality productions, the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops, the May Festival, art museums and many other cultural activities.  These activities are loved and very well attended by people of all economic strata.  Some say it is because of the Germanic extraction, knowing how Germans love music and dance; however, there are a lot of names which sound other than German supporting and attending the functions.

Last Thursday evening, a Chinese fellow 27 years old played the piano with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on the stage of Cincinnati Music Hall.  If you've never seen the building, it's worth buying a ticket simply to see the inside.   Hanging from the ceiling is a huge chandelier that give off enough light to illuminate the whole place.   Before any performance begins, the chandelier is pulled up toward the ceiling and all the while, the lights are dimming until they are completely extinguished.    I don't know how many people the hall will hold on the main floor (orchestra seating) and the two balconies, but I am sure that the number far exceeds the capacity of the Mason County Field House.  And on Thursday night, there wasn't a vacant seat in the place.

The name of the pianist is Lang Lang.  That's it.  Nothing more.  I assume his first name is Lang, and his last name is Lang.  Strange, but true.  Anyway, this young man has been called the "hottest artist on the classical music planet" by the New York Times.  He has played in every major city in the world and was featured at the opening of the Biejing Olympic Games, seen by over 9 Billion people, worldwide.  He is short, shorter than most American men, and smaller in stature.  He has very black hair which reminds me of a buzz cut gone awry.  He walks with a bounce in his step, and from the moment he appeared on stage, you could tell he was brimming with confidence.

His confidence was utterly justified.  His selection was a Beethoven concerto for piano and orchestra.  Beethoven's music is not the hardest music written, but it is, nevertheless, very demanding.  With the backing of the Cincinnati Symphony, Lang Lang played the music as if, somehow, the piano and the orchestra were one.  It was seamless.  Like a great piece of ornate silk.  Even musical amateurs would recognize the performance as extraordinary.

There is a nice feature at the Music Hall.  My seat was on the right hand side of the first balcony, which means that you cannot see the key board nor the pianist's hands.  You can, however, see his facial expression. At the beginning of the performance on the piano, a large movie screen of sorts drops down from the ceiling above the stage, and cameras mounted above the artist can capture both his hand movements and his facial and body expressions as he plays.  At first, I thought this was distracting, but during the encore, subsequently described, it let you get the real feeling of the music and the artist, at the same time.

As the sound of the last note of the Beethoven faded away, there was an eerie silence, utter silence, in the hall, lasting maybe one or two seconds.  And then, jumping to their feet, the audience's applause was deafening, and continued for several minutes.  Lang Lang took his bow, and left the stage; he returned, took a second bow and left.  The applause continued unabated.  Finally, he returned, took a third bow, and sat down at the piano again.   This time, instead of the bombastic Beethoven, he played a Chopin piece in such a way that you felt like he was gently making love to the piano.  Most of the music was soft, a light touch, and rarely did a passage suggest urgency.  His hands moved above the keyboard and he never looked at where they came down, but his fingers were invariably on the right note at the right time.  There were notes, so soft and yet distinct, that made me marvel to think a human being could touch something, anything, with that much tender feeling.  It was simply the very best piano playing I have ever heard.

Thank you, Cincinnati; may Maysville take notice.