OBSERVER: Lang Lang
The centre piece of Lang Lang’s MSO recital was Robert Schumann’s Kreisleriana, which is a deeply expressive, multidimensional work that lives at the intersection of music, literature, and psychology.
The emotional volatility of the piece speaks to the duality not just within the work but within Schumann himself.
There is impulsiveness and introspection that Lang Lang brought to the fore capturing the essence of the Romantic imagination attributable not just to the era but Schumann’s own troubled imagination.
Lang Lang captured the ambiguous tonal changes and textures within the piece with virtuosic aplomb.
Opening with Faure’s Pavane, the concert began on a more traditional note with the work’s lyrical elegance resonating from the first note. Lang Lang’s touch is impeccable.
The second half of the evening was a tribute to Chopin. The 12 Mazurkas were playful and engaging based on the rhythms and attributes of traditional Polish folk tunes. The counterpoint between the left and right hand – the rhythm and the melody – a delight.
The same appeal to nationalism was in Chopin’s Polonaise which concluded the evening. The wide leaps and octave passages were effortless.
Lang Lang captured the heroic drama of the work imbued as it is with Polish culture, but requiring a mastery of technical skill to be expressed effectively.
mso.com.au
Review by David McLean