Rare talent is in pianist’s
young hands

Once in a blue moon, history is made when a brilliant artist reveals himself to the world. At only 22 years old, pianist Lang Lang is the type of musical gem that you encounter only in rare junctures in time. Since his breakthrough in 1999, when he substituted for an indisposed AndrŽ Watts in performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, he has become a legend in his own time. Today, Lang Lang has an aura that's typically reserved for the old masters. He will make his eagerly awaited Hawaii debut this weekend in a spectacular performance of Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto with Maestro Samuel Wong and the Honolulu Symphony.

'Russian Masters With Lang Lang' Halekulani MasterWorks series featuring the Honolulu Symphony and Samuel Wong, conductor Place: Blaisdell Concert Hall When: 8 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $21, $33, $43, $51, $64 each Call: 792-2000 or Ticketmaster at 877-750-4400; 20 percent discount available to seniors, students, military

Lang Lang's playing radiates flawless technique, sensitive phrasing and heartfelt passion. But it's his unique personality that separates him from the rest of the pack. In spite of his youth, Lang Lang is a throwback to the old days when individuality and character seemed to matter most.

Nowadays, you can find excellent pianists filling up yellow pages, and in this age of political correctness, it seems that the field is producing "non-invasive pianistic styles" or bland artistry rather than encouraging individual musical identities. Lang Lang, on the other hand, is able to connect with the listener because his energy permeates his piano playing. His enthusiasm is such that a critic once called him "the J. Lo of the piano."

Perhaps whoever wrote this quote found the pianist's showmanship overwhelming. In hindsight one must realize that, for better or worse, it's become increasingly hard to separate music from the visual effect. While some artists provide style but little substance, Lang Lang seems to understand this fine balance as he blends technical prowess with appropriate visual gestures.

This innate gift caught the attention of the late violinist Isaac Stern back in 1999, when Lang Lang was a teenager and student at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Stern was the one who recommended Lang Lang as the last-minute substitution for Watts in Chicago, and the rest is history. The Chicago Tribune hailed him as the most exciting keyboard talent encountered in many years, and soon after, Lang Lang made his Carnegie Hall debut. His appeal is such that since then, Jay Leno and other mainstream shows have featured this charismatic young pianist.

In spite of the adulation, Lang Lang stays true to his personal message. He once told Teen People magazine that "music is a great thing to have in our lives. Some people are rich, but they don't feel happy to live in this world. When I play piano, I think I'm very lucky to live in this world."

THIS WEEKEND, colorful characters will surround Lang Lang, and I don't necessarily mean my fellow colleagues in the orchestra. To open the evening, Sam Wong will introduce scenes from a ballet filled with romantic melodies, Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." The first of Tchaikovsky's three great ballets, "Swan Lake" is such a dynamic piece of music that you don't need the visual element to really "see" the story.

Like so many works that are now classics, "Swan Lake" was not a success at its premiere in 1877; in fact, the production was a bit of a catastrophe. Even Tchaikovsky's friend, the critic Herman Laroche, wrote, "Costume, stage scenery and machinery did nothing to conceal the complete emptiness of the dancing." But he went on to say: "Music lovers, however, had more luck. After just the opening bars of the overture, one could already sense that this was from the hand of a real master. A few pages later, and one knew that the master was not only in a good mood, but that he was also at the height of his genius."

At the time, Tchaikovsky thought that the fault lay in his music and decided to rewrite it, but he died in 1893 before he could carry out his plan. Fortunately, the Maryinsky Theater restaged the ballet as part of a Tchaikovsky memorial program in 1895, and it was a tremendous success. Since then it has never left the repertoire.

If you listen carefully, you'll be able to match the characters with their respective instruments. One hint: The trumpet is not part of the flock of swans. But if you love the trumpet, don't worry! You'll hear this brass instrument prominently in the evening's finale, Stravinsky's "Petrushka." Stravinsky once wrote: "I had in my mind a distinct picture of a puppet, suddenly endowed with life, exasperating the patience of the orchestra with diabolical cascades of arpeggios. The orchestra, in turn, retaliates with menacing trumpet blasts. The outcome is a terrific noise that reaches its climax and ends in the sorrowful and querulous collapse of the poor puppet."

This comic work is akin to a burlesque, the Russian counterpart to the familiar English Punch and Judy show, and depicts the story of three puppets endowed with human feelings. To assume the parallel that the trumpet is the most sensitive but not the most attractive instrument of the orchestra is a statement that I will not dare make!

Enjoy the show!