Formation of Lang Lang's Musical-Perfomance Style

Abstract

The relevance of the article is to investigate the formation of the performing style of one of the brightest and most popular pianists of our time, Lang Lang. Currently, there are no musicological researches dedicated to this subject.Main goal of the article is to trace gradual becoming of Lang Lang’s musical performance style starting from his early years till this day.Methodology of the research is based on biographical, interpretational and comparative analysis approaches. The study of individual musical performance style characteristics relies on the concept of “Musical creativity style” by V.G. Moskalenko.Main results and conclusions. Exploration of the famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang’s musical performance style was based on his gradual development stages. Autobiographical observations of the pianist were used as a factual basis.In order to determine the Lang Lang’s individual musical performance style characteristics, the logical “top-down” concept was used. As the “top” concepts of Lang Lang’s musical style development process such points were established: a) based on autobiographical data general specifics of Lang Lang’s worldview and musical thought were revealed; b) such musicological researches development style vectors of modern Chinese performing arts were introduced: national, romantic, virtuosic and globalistic.Three major stages of pianist’s style becoming were identified. Initial stage covers pianist’s time in China. During second stage (1996–1999) Lang Lang studies at Curtis Institute in the USA. He refuses to participate in piano competitions, strives to artistic cognition of the world, enriches his repertoire in stylistic and genre way. The main feature of the third stage, which starts at the moment when the pianist comes to the global concert stage and continues now, is his transition into professional musician status. Pianist starts an active artistic dialogue with broad public, famous symphonic orchestras, artistically cooperates with exceptional musicians exchanging musical and performing experience with them.A distinctive feature of the third stage of Lan Lang's performing arts is the special role of the phenomenon of publicity. His individual musical performing style serves as the natural ground of this phenomenon.Virtuosity is defined as the dominant in Lang Lang’s pianistic art style. Individual characteristics of this phenomenon manifestations were shown. As a depiction of one of the Lang Lang’s virtuous style characteristics the term of “musical performance picture” was introduced.