Here’s a barely kept secret: musicians are not often very nice people to talk to. Perhaps it is something about the worldwide fame and recognition, immense wealth or strenuous touring schedule, but encounters with stars are not always entirely pleasant.
That is not the case with Lang Lang, the piano virtuoso who is often described as the most famous classical musician in the world. The guy who signed a US$3million (Dh2.6m) record deal – unprecedented for a classical player – has perhaps earned the right to a certain, how shall we say, sense of self worth.
So it is a welcome surprise to discover that Lang Lang – whose name translates loosely as sunny or bright – is also a warm and friendly conversationalist.
He gushes about his last visit to Abu Dhabi, in 2009, recalling the “sweet” youngsters he introduced to Debussy at a masterclass, and the camels he “played” with in the desert. When we are cut off suddenly at the end of our half-hour chat, he calls me back to stress again how grateful he is to hear that I enjoyed seeing him in concert some years ago. It is normally the other way around.
I am convinced this is no PR stunt. Lang Lang simply breathes music with a youthful zeal and clear-sighted zest, without abstraction or pretension.
The audience is there to be pleased – and for Lang Lang the pleasure is all his. Does he, just maybe, feel a little pressure when he performs for world leaders such as Kofi Annan, Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II or former Chinese president Hu Jintao.
“I don’t really feel that these people are hard to please,” says the 33-year-old, brightly.
“For me all audiences are the same, whether you are a president, a royal or a kid from Africa or China – I don’t feel any difference. Everyone is important when they come to a concert – the most important thing is that they like music. We hold music first at the end of the day.”
The oft-quoted story goes that Lang Lang fell for the piano at the age of 2, after hearing Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 in an episode of Tom and Jerry.
By the age of 5, he had played his first recital, and at 9 was enrolled at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music. At 12, Lang Lang was winning international competitions and by 14, domestic fame was secured as a soloist at the China National Symphony’s nationally televised inaugural concert. Then he moved to the United States and became a superstar.
Following a headline-grabbing performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1999 – at the age of 17 – his ascent has been unstoppable.
In 2008, he played to a billion people at the opening of the Beijing Olympics – still his proudest moment – and a year later Time listed the pianist on its annual 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Around the same time, the term “the Lang Lang effect” was coined, a phenomenon credited with inspiring 40 million classical piano students in China.
“In Beijing, of course, when I walk everybody knows who I am – in New York it’s less, for sure,” he says, modestly.
Today, Lang Lang has become something of a poster boy, not only for the piano, but for classical music in general. He performs in trainers, soundtracks video games and hosts four-way YouTube jams with Brazilian footballer Neymar. He played with Metallica at the 2014 Grammys and, a year later, with Pharrell Williams.
He has been appointed both a Unicef International Goodwill Ambassador and a United Nations Messenger of Peace. He also founded the Lang Lang International Music Foundation to encourage tuition worldwide, and the Lang Lang Piano Academy educational programme.
Lang Lang wants the world to hear what he hears.
“I do believe classical music is for everybody,” he says. “There’s no huge barrier between classical music and other art. Maybe you need to have a little bit of insight to know what’s going on – maybe a little bit – but not very much.”
But for all his wide-eyed utopian view, Lang Lang is not universally loved – far from it. It is not uncommon for his concerts and albums to receive two-star reviews, yet his technical aptitude is beyond dispute. Just the idea of Lang Lang is enough to infuriate many a critic.
The naysayers fall into two main camps: first, there exists a sharp prejudice among those who simply do not think it’s acceptable to play Rachmaninoff or Chopin one night, and then get onstage alongside John Legend or Psy the next. We can dismiss those people as snobs.
The second brand of critic opines that Lang Lang’s performances are too theatrical, that his playing lacks empathy and emotion, and is both overly showy and excessively brittle.
“It depends on the music – when the music needs me to be over the top, I will be,” says Lang Lang. “If the music is very deep and thoughtful, I will play as deep and softly as possible.
“A great pianist needs to have everything – like any artist. You need to be a good actor, a good painter, a good communicator – it’s a package.
“You cannot just play the piano – you need to play the piano with your heart, your mind, your guts, your imagination, your dreams, your fantasies, your images.
“It’s a combination of everything you are.”
Lang Lang on his career, Chopin and clapping during performances
On Thursday’s programme, which includes Tchaikovsky’s 12-part piano suite The Seasons, Bach’s Italian Concerto and Chopin’s Four Scherzos.
“The first half is a very beautiful piece, very poetic, and the second half very virtuosic, lots of fast notes and technical, passionate passages – it’s a good contrast.”
On his last visit to Abu Dhabi in 2009.
“I really like Abu Dhabi because the people are so nice. I stayed five days, I even had a little holiday. I went to some little villages to see how the country developed from the very beginning, I went on the desert safari in a big jeep – I remember after 10 minutes I almost fainted, because it was such an exciting roller-coaster ride in the desert. That was unbelievable. Right after that I had a nice dinner with my parents and had fun playing with the camels – I had a very nice night.”
On clapping between movements.
“I have no problem with that. In Mozart’s time, people clapped all the time, everywhere, so it’s OK with me.”
On friend and collaborator Herbie Hancock, who headlined the Abu Dhabi Festival in 2014.
“Herbie is my favourite musician. I love Herbie, he’s like my older brother. He taught me so many things. He’s so unique and special – but at the same time, we have so many things in common. I’m really appreciative to have such a good mentor.”
On his practise routine.
“Two hours a day, plus the concert. Ten years ago it was a little bit more – three to four hours – and 20 years ago, I could stay at home and practise for six to eight hours.”
On his desert-island disc.
"Bach's Goldberg Variations. Glenn Gould? Absolutely, the late version [from 1981]."
Lang Lang in Recital is at Emirates Palace on Thursday, April 14 at 8pm. The concert is sold out but return tickets may become available at the venue one hour before the performance
rgarratt@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Company%20Profile
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IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Honeymoonish
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing
- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
57%20Seconds
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