Steve Schwartz writes:

>For those of you more attuned to the current classical scene than me,
>I ask whether Lang's general rep is rapturous or mixed.

It's probably closer to rapturous than mixed, although a few reviewers
have noted that more experience will benefit the young pianist.  He
certainly has the chops needed to reach the upper echelon, but the insight
needs to expand.

This is an all too common situation these days.  Some young dynamo comes
on the scene and is marketed as the next coming of the messiah.  If you
think that Lang Lang is getting the star treatment, it's small potatoes
compared to the marketing for Yundi Li and his Chopin and Liszt discs
from Deutsche Grammophon.

Clearly, these youngsters have not made the great accomplishments that
warrant all the hype.  In the world of real estate, location is everything.
In classical music, it's - money, money, money!!!

Don Satz
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