CC BY
23
https ://doi.org/10.29013/EJA-20-2-110-115
Che Chao,
Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine (Kiev, Ukraine) E-mail: [email protected]
LAN LAN VIRTUOSE. EXPERIENCE IN COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Abstract. The article analyzes performance of the famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang. The focus is on the virtuoso component of the individual performing style of the pianist. A comparative analysis is used as a basic principle of style research.
Comparative analysis is considered in terms of its interaction with musical interpretation. Two main forms of comparative analysis are singled out: linear (a uniform musical phenomenon is compared) and generative (this musical phenomenon is considered in comparison with the nearest genealogical component).
As a result of comparing performances of Lang Lang with performing performances ofV. Horowitz, E. Kissin and Yun Di, a number of components of virtuosity in the musical performing style of Lang Lang have been identified.
Keywords: Lang Lang, musical performing style, comparative analysis.
The concerts of the famous Chinese pianist Lang the one hand, are individual styles, first of all those Lang are constantly attracting the attention of the composers who have strong distinctive features. On public, music journalists and professional musicians. the other hand, it is typological style directions of One feature of his creative is his individual musical creativity of a composer (national, historical styles, performing style. This article will focus on some of conditional style features of the artistic direction, his major qualities. school, etc.).
Lang Lang is currently 38 years old (Lang Lang In the "stylistic analysis of creativity of a com-was born on June 14, 1982, in the People's Republic poser" it is possible to start from wider and the gen-of China in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province) and eral stylistic phenomenon and then, on this basis, his performing style is still evolving. At the same to pass to comprehension of the stylistic features, time, his "stylistic core" is already well established characteristic for the creative person. It is possible, and, in general terms, quite easily defined. The prob- however, to start at the opposite point of research lem, however, arises in the choice ofways to explore thoughts: from individual to the general. In this re-this core or, no less importantly, ways of research gard, we pay attention to the following definition by immersion in its internal properties. E. V. Nazaykinsky: "A person manifested in sounds
Research of musical style features is possible in of music is what style in music is" [4, p.18]. Relying two ways: on a creative material of the composer and on this definition, an important impetus in the study on a creative material of the performer musician. To of the musical style of any semantic volume is the comprehend the style of the work of a composer, creative "Ego" of the composer, that is, the individual two interacting levels are distinguished. These, on style of the composer.
In the study of musical and performing style ratio "general - individual" looks different. Here the stylistic "Ego" of the creator of a live musical tone, that is, the individual style of the performer musician, is given less attention than the typological features of the performing style. Sometimes the focus is on the type of performer musician, sometimes the type of performer thinking or the type of performer musician style.
Typological classifications of creativity of musicians-performers, which belong to C. Martienssen [2], D. Rabinovich [5], O. Katrich [1], V. Chinaev [9] and a number of other researchers, have gained wide popularity. They are an important contribution to the study of the specifics of contemporary musical and performing art. The virtuoso type of performer musician that interests us stands out in the performing concept of D. Rabinovich. The features of this type are revealed from different points of view. At the same time, it is noted that "... among various performing types, only the virtuoso type, perhaps, due to its vivid outline, flashy, self-evident and, so to speak, unambiguous character has been examined so far, but, alas still insufficiently" [5, P. 38]. In the opinion of Rabinovich, the virtuoso type often performs in interaction and even in symbiosis with other performing types he has defined: emotional, rational and intellectual. This is also true for Lang Lang, the performing style ofwhich, on the one hand, contains the typical for the virtuoso pianist aspiration to "impress before you can express". On the other hand, it interacts with the desire of the pianist to "express themselves" very emotionally, and this is indicative of the emotional type of performer musician [5, P. 38].
To analyze the individual style of a performer musician it is not enough to consider only the nearest performance type, especially in terms of theoretical abstraction. Given the properties of the type, we must feel the unique artistic thinking of the artist. Reliable markers to detect the individuality of the performer musician style, the output of the internal procedure of performer musician thinking for per-
ception "from the outside" is performer musician style. It can be identified by comparing the performance of a selected piece of music or its fragment by different musicians.
Opportunities for comparative analysis of performing styles have been greatly enhanced in the era of the Internet and computer technology. The main advantages are: a) the qualitative recording of the process of musical performance, including not only audio, but also video information; b) the possibility of multiple playback of recorded by any method of performance of a musical composition; c) the emergence of the possibility to use the huge Internet audio and video libraries of those records.
In Ukrainian musicology, a comparative analysis of musical performance is given in the thesis of K. V. Timofeeva [7]. The objective of the thesis is to characterize this analysis as a method of musical interpretation. By comparing the musical interpretations of piano pieces by P. I. Tchaikovsky and S. V Rachmaninoff, the author comes to conclusions on typological differences. The level of the individual performing style of the pianist is not considered in this work.
The individual style level is reflected in the concept of "style of musical creativity" proposed by V. Moskalenko. It is defined as "the peculiarity of the worldview and musical thinking of the creative individual, which is implemented by a system of musical and verbal resources of composition, interpretation and performance of a musical piece" [3, P. 232].
It is worth noting that this definition refers to the music-making individual. More specifically, the focus is given to the style direction in promotion of musical thought. The purpose of promotion is the implementation of a musical piece, the primary practical foundation - the "system of musical and verbal resources". This system is based on the complex of musical and tonal performances formed as a result of the previous musical and tonal experience and fixed by memory, which the author calls "musical and tonal models". These are not only musical sounds, but
also the plastic energy of the performing apparatus used to produce these sounds.
As far as musical creativity is concerned, this definition is a universal one. It characterizes the creative work of both a composer and a musician, as well as the creative process of any musician, interpreting a piece of music. We use this term for a comparative analysis of performing musician style.
One can find an example of comparative musical performing analysis in PhD thesis ofXu Bo "The piano performance phenomenon in China at the boundary of XX - XXI centuries" [6, P. 149]. The author compares the performances of Evgeny Kissin and Lang Lang in the virtuoso paraphrase "Fledermaus" by Alfred Grunfeld based on a waltz theme from J. Strauss' "The Bat".
It is known that an effective comparative analysis requires some kind of common ground between the compared objects. In this case, both performers represent a single trend of development of music and performing art. E. Kissin was born in 1971, Lang Lang - in 1982. Both pianists have remarkable performing styles, brilliant piano technique and their repertoire includes romantic music, as well as virtuoso music.
The objects for comparison are selected for a specific purpose. When comparing performances, Xu Bo pays special attention to the expressiveness of
the vocal and verbal intonation [6, P. 118]. It is noted that "...Kissin distinctly recites, "sings" all the small motives both in the passages of the introduction and in the main part, Lang Lang flies past them in the bravado of virtuoso passages. He also adopts a corresponding tempo: prestissimo in comparison with a rather moderate fast movement of Kissin" [6, P. 119].
The main and fundamental difference ofthese performances is seen by the researcher in relation to the genre and style nature of the paraphrase of A. Grunfeld. In the brilliance of virtuoso passages E. Kissin retains the genre roots of the Viennese waltz, from which, in the deep sense, this paraphrase grew. Lang Lang, on the other hand, focuses mainly on the genre of the virtuoso paraphrase. From our point of view, the virtuoso factor in his performance is as if "brought out". Here one can even talk about A. Grunfeld "paraphrase on paraphrase" or "fantasy on fantasy".
The sheet music in the above comparisons is a stable component, and the performing interpretations are variable "participants" in the creative implementation of the sheet music project. However, guided by the sheet music, the researcher at the same time presents its sound. And it is formed by auditory means. As a result, at least to a minimum, the auditory image is filled with personal auditory values.
The logic of this comparison can be presented as follows:
Figure 1.
The purpose of the comparison here is to find out what is special about each of the selected performance decisions. The logical uniformity is of fundamental importance in this comparison. In the example given, all parts of the figure correspond to the level of the musical work. Considering these circumstances, let us call this type of comparative analysis linear.
Comparisons of performer versions can be narrower and more directed. The purpose may be, for example, the area of performer's reading of musical tempo, performing organization of musical composition, musical dramaturgy of a piece, etc. But it is possible to move to a higher generalization level and compare, for example, individual musical performing styles.
For example, it would be useful to compare the musical and creative parameters of Lang Lang style with the style of his contemporary, the outstanding Chinese pianist Yun Di. Both pianists were born in 1982, the original technical development of their pianist style took place in China. Later on, their piano skills has gained international acclaim. The performances of these pianists look technically perfect and even brilliant. Both pianists, as well as many other Chinese pianists of this generation, are clearly romantic, and this is reflected in their repertoire. At the same time, the performing styles of Lang Lang and Yun Di appear to be contrasting.
One can see this by comparing performances of Piano Concerto No. 1 of Chopin by these pianists. Lang Lang plays in Wiesbaden, BBC Symphony Orchestra under Lawrence Foster. Yun Di performed the same piece in the final round of the International Chopin Piano Competition together with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under Kazimierz Kord.
Lang Lang feels the attention of an enthusiastic public who empathises with him the spontaneity of the creation of the performing intonation, and, in the appropriate fragments, the pleasure of owning the technical feats. This is the distinguishing feature of Lang Lang's understanding of the phenomenon ofvirtuosity. In Yun Di's virtuoso approach, we hear the opposite. Psychologically, he focuses on the poetry and naturalness of the tonal reading of the piece and, more generally, the style of Chopin. Yun
Generalized — representation of the original style
phenomenon
Di seems to give the audience a poetic Chopin tone. In his virtuosity, there is almost no desire to surprise. With a subtle sense of the poetic nature of Chopin's musical tone, Yun Di retains control over the flow of emotions in his performance. This is consistent with the style of the composer. "Chopin rarely allowed his music to become uninhibited, naked emotions," notes V. A. Zuckerman [8, P. 126].
Let us turn to the possibilities of another type of comparative style analysis, which we call generative.
The generative comparative analysis compares a genealogical component of musical style formation and a specific derivative. The purpose of generative comparative analysis is to identify style innovation, artistic freshness and originality in a derivative of the style process.
Musical and aesthetic direction can be compared and in this way the musical style (typological or individual), the individual style of the composer with the features of its performance, the preceding composing or performing styles with subsequent composing or performing styles, etc. For example, in his thesis Xu Bo talks about the influence on the style of Chinese pianists of the features of Chinese hieroglyphic language [6, p.127-128]. Here the genealogical component is the Chinese national nature ofverbal speech, and the specific features of the performing delivery of Chinese pianists.
The logic of generative comparative analysis can be presented as follows:
r Derivative style
Figure 2.
phenomenon
It is known that every musical and stylistic musician. Exposing the style dominance of the per-
phenomenon can have its origins and even its forming style, researchers pay attention to cases of
fore-origins. This feature is indicative both for the special kinship style aspirations of the composer
composer's work and for the work of the performer and the performer. This is how pairs are formed:
J. S. Bach - G. Gould, S. Feinberg - A. Scriabin, S. Prokofiev - S. Richter. Continuing our comparison of Lang Lang's and Yun Di's performing styles, it is suggested that among the outstanding romantic pianists Lang Lang is closest to F. Liszt (Lang Lang recalls his first vivid childhood musical impression -the performance of F. Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by V. Horowitz, which he heard at Cat Concerto in Tom and Jerry cartoon), while Yun Di is closer to the style of F. Chopin (Yun Di won the Warsaw International Piano Competition of F. Chopin).
Lang Lang's concert performances are characterized by communicating with the public in visible gestures produced by the spectacular movements of the pianist's hands. This is indicative of the particularly difficult to perform virtuoso moments that often occur at the end of a piano concerto. Here we see a kind of revival of our ideas about concert communication with the audience of F. Liszt or N. Paganini. We were not present at their concerts, but we do reconstruct the visible features of their performance in our minds, relying on the author's character of the music. Lang Lang performs works by F. Liszt with visible pleasure. However, the heroic pathos that is present in his works in overcoming pianistic difficulties in Lang Lang's performance is largely offset.
A frequent comparison between Lang Lang and Vladimir Horowitz leads to observations that relate to a period in historical style that is closer to ours. Like Lang Lang, V. Horowitz loves to play in the presence of the audience, feeling the accompanying subtle emotional movements ofhis musical thought the reaction of the audience. Like Lang Lang, he enjoys recording his performances with visible pleasure. The essential difference is that the performing
image of the Chinese pianist is now already associated with the image of the hero of a popular show.
Lang Lang's performance process is often complemented by a distinctive facial expression, a movement of the eyes that demonstrates the spontaneous surprise of the beauty of the musical image. This is not a flaw, but an expressive technique associated with the nature of Lang Lang's individual performing style.
In his performance, Lang Lang enjoys the beauty of each musical event, the sequence of which in his performance forms an almost visible musical picture. It should be remembered that most of the instrumental pieces by Chinese composers are related to non-musical programmes. We come to the conclusion that in "scenic" interpretations of Lan Lan's musical intonation one can clearly hear Chinese national roots.
Conclusion. Modern creativity of Chinese pianists in the social-psychological sense corresponds to the eternal aspiration of the Chinese nation to master the best achievements of human culture. At the same time, it confirms the tendency to see and hear the world "in its own way". Both of these vectors in interaction form the substantive core ofLang Lang's individual musical performance style.
The comparative analysis used to explore individual musical performance styles is infinitely broad. The effectiveness of its use depends on the choice of objects to be compared. Both types of comparative analysis of musical performance style - "linear" and "generative" - perform in interaction. The comparative analysis of musical and performing style is always directed towards specification of the investigated object. In this regard, such an analysis is always open to new knowledgeable operations.
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