Youth and experience intersect in tribute to pianists Lang Lang and Earl Wild

GRAMMY.com
Ernesto Lechner

A sun-filled California afternoon, one of the most magnificent concert halls in the world, and two virtuoso pianists with a weakness for Chopin conspired Tuesday to create a quintessential GRAMMY moment — a two hour program celebrating classical music, its extraordinary performers, as well as the lucky listeners who were fortunate enough to attend the memorable event.

The occasion was the annual GRAMMY Salute To Classical Music, which this year took place for the first time at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. During his opening remarks, Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow underscored the phenomenal setting where the Salute was conducted. Besides its obvious architectural beauty, the Disney Hall is known internationally for its peerless acoustics and this particular performance was no exception: The piano soundscapes emanating from the stage were warm, vibrant and resounding.

Portnow explained the reasoning behind the choice of this year's honorees. At 92 years of age, Earl Wild symbolizes the voice of experience and is a compositional genius who has created inventive transcriptions of songs from both the classical and jazz genres. On the other hand, 25-year-old prodigy Lang Lang represents a youthful exuberance, and the kind of insatiable appetite that will keep the classical genre alive for generations to come.

Wild and Lang Lang are in good company indeed. Previous honorees of the GRAMMY Salute To Classical Music include such luminaries as the Kronos Quartet, Zubin Mehta, Itzhak Perlman, Mstislav Rostropovich, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Isaac Stern.

Veteran actor John Lithgow, who proved a jovial master of ceremonies, introduced the first two performers of the evening — pianists Kenneth Boulton and Allison Brewster Franzetti — noting that both are vying for a GRAMMY Award within the Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra) category. "This will add the spice of competition," quipped Lithgow. But there was no competition in the air, just a mood of tenderness and delicate romanticism as Boulton performed Wild's improvisations on Fauré's "Après Un Rêve," followed by Franzetti's lyrical take of Rachmaninov's "O, Cease Thy Singing" transcribed for piano by Wild.

When Wild himself followed, he didn't disappoint. He picked proven Chopin crowd pleasers (including the elegant "Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op. 66"), and his playing distilled the very essence of the Romantic era, meditative and profoundly melancholy.

Wild was visibly moved when collecting the President's Merit Award from Portnow. "I wish I had something clever to say, but I don't," he said before ending his brief speech with a heartfelt thank you and thrown kisses to the audience.

Paying tribute to Lang Lang was one of his best friends, 9-year-old pianist Marc Yu, who delighted the audience with his eloquence as Lithgow interviewed him. "Lang Lang taught me that a piece by Mendelssohn can also become the piece of the person who plays it," Yu said, adding that being invited to play with Lang Lang was "like being asked to perform with Franz Liszt."

Yu showed his uncanny abilities on the piano by performing the challenging "The Flight Of The Bumblebee" by Rimsky-Korsakov. He was rewarded with a standing ovation.

Lang Lang himself showcased his virtuoso flare with a flamboyant reading of Liszt's "Liebesträum." A polonaise by Chopin was equally compelling, every note radiating layers of powerful melodrama.

During his speech, Lang Lang emphasized how honored he was to share his love for classical music with kids and teenagers who would otherwise not be exposed to the beautiful sounds of the past. He pledged to continue on this mission, and thanked his fans for supporting him by attending his recitals. Then, he pointed out that the Chinese New Year was around the corner. With a wide smile on his face, he advised everyone in the audience to eat lots of dumplings and enjoy a happy Chinese New Year.

At times it can seem that classical music is disappearing from the cultural realities of the new millennium. And yet, events such as this show the future of the genre is in good hands after all. This year's GRAMMY Salute To Classical Music was more than just an afternoon of superb music. It was also defiant proof of the enduring power of great art and masterful artists.