昨天晚上,我太太帶著我兒子,還有一個美國朋友去本市音樂廳,Schinitzer Hall, 聽了朗朗的鋼琴獨奏音樂會。音樂會的票在去年夏天就售完了。我兒子也算是很有音樂天賦,鋼琴彈得很不錯,剛過15歲就考過10級的。以前他對朗朗還有些不屑,當然是對他的肢體語言。現在是完全折服了。
Tonight, I had a terrific, enjoyable, and incredibly
fascinating time at the Schnitzer, thanks to Charlene Du and her son, Jonathan. We were treated to an
incredible "magic show" by the well-known and extremely talented
Chinese pianist, Lang Lang. It was a sold out concert. All tickets were sold out by the summer
months but somehow, my friend Charlene pulled some strings to get three tickets for us.
I expected a lot as Lang Lang is such an international
icon, and ultimate pianist!! Yet, I can
truthfully say that his show EXCEEDED my highest expectations by a country
mile.
How is that possible?
Well for one thing, this 28 year oldster exhibited a style and level of
perfection that I had not anticipated.
Beginning to play at the ripe old age of three years, he was a prodigy,
to say the least. At the age of five
years, he was winning local competitions, handily. At the ripe old age of nine years, he was
already enrolled in the Beijing Conservatory and had won first prize at the
Tchaikovsky Young Musicians Competition.
The rest is history.
He rocketed onto the international scene with a flair and speed that
amazed the elder statesmen of music.
Most "master" artists usually "do not
arrive" till they are in their mid-30's or later. Yet, Lang Lang mesmerized the audience with
his lighter than air touches on the 88 keys.
It seemed as though each key "knew in advance" that it would
be struck, so it simply released its perfect sound as Lang Lang's fingers were "intending"
to strike those keys.
Then too, his fingers flew over the keys with the speed
of a jet fighter at mach speed. My mouth
forgot to close, as he flew up and down the keys, hitting difficult chords,
doing cross-overs, and assuming yoga positions that seemed to reflect his
musical interpretations with such ease and perfection. His fingers had the unbelievable skill of
barely touching the keys to produce the touch of an angel. At other times, his feathery touch, delicate
style, and masterful keyboarding reminded me of a mother's ultra gentle kiss that
she might share with her sleeping infant.
I will not lie; I was waiting for Lang Lang to have a
missed note. It didn't happen; well, if
it did happen my human ears did not detect them. When it was time to use "fortissimo"
he spread his fingers and made the symphony hall ring with his singular skill
that had the audience spellbound.
His elbow had an accentuated bend to it at times. Many of us discussed this unique mannerism
during the intermission. If you have
played the piano, you will understand what I am getting at. Bending your elbow so acutely, might be a
disadvantage to a mere human being. Yet,
being Lang Lang, that bent elbow did not hinder him in the least.
His choices of Bach, Chopin, and Shubert were technically
difficult, whimsical at times, but so clear at all times. To say that the audience was awe-struck would
be a clear understatement. He was a
ballet dancer, gymnast, master yoga instructor, and pianist; all in perfect
synchronization with the music that he created so masterfully. Each role was guided by his
"musicality." His sweeping arm
movements, delicate one key touches, and swooping postures as he moved from one
emotional stance and stanza to the next were all part and parcel of the Lang
Lang magic.
At times, his left hand hung in the air with curled
fingers that seemed to be waiting for that precise mini-moment to strike,
touch, or barely touch that intended key!
It was a ballet at times, to watch his body contortions, and to watch
his body coordinate with his fingers, to emphasize a certain movement or
emphasis. It was a show of shows that
proved the mystical mind and body coordination that the Greek athletes worked
tirelessly to achieve in their Olympian feats!
Not being an accomplished pianist, I am certain that others
in the very knowledgeable audience noticed many significant things that I was
not even aware of.
Most symphony concerts are 90 minutes long. Lang Lang began playing at 7:37 p.m. and it
was close to 10:00 p.m. when he completed his extended concert much to the
delight and disappointment, that it was coming to the eventual end. It was clear to all, that Lang Land held the
entire audience right in the palm of his hand.
Youngsters were in obvious attendance. Parents recognized the value, and the powerful
inspirational momentum that Lang Lang could produce with the wave of his magic
wand.
In all of my years of symphony participation, tonight was
the apex of them all. Lang Lang had an
electric effect on his audience from his opening note to his finale. I could feel the positive energy in that
hall, tonight.
If ever he comes to your hometown, I do hope that you
will find the time to attend. I will
gladly buy the best seats in the house for you as my gift to you.
Then there is the cultural aspect of his concert too. I
could feel the pride of the Chinese, in attendance. It was wonderful to see, hear, and be in awe
of a Chinese artist of Lang Lang's caliber right there in front of us.