Lang Lang is so-so; Davis is superb

LANG LANG, PIANO, DANIEL BARENBOIM, CONDUCTOR, CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA; Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn: First Piano Concertos (Deutsche Grammophon) ** 1/2

TABEA ZIMMERMANN, VIOLA, SIR COLIN DAVIS, CONDUCTOR, LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA; Berlioz, "Harold en Italie" (LSO Live)****

Twenty-two-year-old Lang Lang is an extraordinary pianist who's had a phenomenal career. He's a musician who has it all — stunning technique, impeccable musicality and breathtaking artistry.

So it's difficult to see where he could have gone so wrong in his recording of Tchaikovsky's B flat minor Concerto. Supported by the talents of conductor Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony, Lang Lang nevertheless turns in a mediocre performance unworthy of his stellar abilities.

In his interpretation, the opening movement of this concerto is dull and lifeless, and the finale lacks finesse and subtlety. Only in the second movement does Lang Lang show what he is truly capable of in his fluid playing that captures the character of the music admirably.

Lang Lang redeems himself in his reading of Mendelssohn's Concerto No. 1 in G minor. In this work, the young Chinese pianist plays with an exuberance that underscores the music's youthful vitality and charm. This piece is first-class playing from a world class artist.

HECTOR BERLIOZ'S music is interpreted by Colin Davis in a way no one else comes close to. The 76-year-old conductor is without question today's leading exponent of the French composer. Davis' interpretations have consistently been noteworthy for their perceptiveness and for the insight he brings to Berlioza's idiosyncratic orchestral writing.

Last year was the bicentennial of Berlioza's birth, and to celebrate the occasion, Davis and his London Symphony Orchestra, whose music director he's been since 1995, have released a series of live recordings on the orchestra's new label, LSO Live. As with "Harold en Italie," all have exhibited the highest artistic standards imaginable.

Davis' "Harold en Italie," with violist Tabea Zimmermann, is the definitive recording of this masterpiece. The performance captures the color, vibrancy and vivid descriptiveness of the music with astonishing clarity and articulation.

Zimmermann is a remarkable violist, whose artistry is matched by that of Davis' peerless musicality and the LSO's sensitive and nuanced playing. The collaboration between soloist and conductor is on a level that we seldom find to this degree.

Rounding out the album is a wondrous performance of the ballet music from "Les Troyens."

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E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com