Chinese virtuoos-pianis Lang Lang en sy model Vladimir Horowitz, die "laaste romantikus"

Abstract

'n Algemene bewering is dat die hedendaagse klassieke pianis as 't ware teer op die oorblyfsels van 'n oorgelewerde tradisie van die eens dinamiese virtuoos van die Romantiek (Taruskin 1995:140; Rockwell 1991:123; Barth 1991:554). Hierdie siening aangaande die hedendaagse klassieke pianis se status in die musiekgeskiedenis word aangehelp uit die pianiste se eie geledere. Die verlange na 'n vergange tydperk of die sogenaamde "goue eeu van die pianistiek" het al 'n refrein in die literatuur oor klavierspel geword (Dubal 2004:xiv; Hamilton 2008:3-4, 10). Ook die Chinese virtuoos-pianis Lang Lang (Anon. 2003) roem op sy verbintenis met die "Laaste Romantikus" in die vorm van sy onderwyser Gary Graffman: "Mr. Graffman is a pupil of [Vladimir] Horowitz, so there is a great, great tradition there." Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die hedendaagse klaviertradisie as 'n moontlike voortsetting van 'n vervaagde Romantiese klaviertradisie, met spesifieke verwysing na Vladimir Horowitz as die "Laaste Romantikus" se invloed op Lang Lang as die "toekoms van klassieke musiek" (Anon. 2003), te ondersoek. Die navorsingsontwerp van hierdie studie kan beskryf word as 'n kwalitatiewe en etnografiese benadering tot 'n kritiese vergelyking tussen die musikaliteit en loopbane van twee individue uit die klassieke klaviertradisie: Vladimir Horowitz en Lang Lang. Daar word meer spesifiek gebruik gemaak van Babbie en Mouton (2001:283-7) se lewensgeskiedenistegniek. Die studie vestig die aandag op die buitengewoon groot aantal ooreenkomste tussen Lang Lang en sy model, Vladimir Horowitz, se lewensverloop en klavierstyl. Hierdie neerslag van die Romantiek is egter nie slegs 'n oorblyfsel van 'n vergange tydperk in die hedendaagse pianistiek nie, aangesien die positivistiese aura van die Modernisme reeds in die eerste helfte van die 20ste eeu vastrapplek in die pianistiek gevind het. Gevolglik is hierdie "nuwe Romantiek" (Schonberg 2006:498-9) moontlik 'n aanduiding van 'n nuwe postmoderne era in klavieruitvoering.

It is generally asserted that the present-day classical pianist is but a relic of the once dynamic virtuoso of the Romantic period (Taruskin 1995:140; see also Rockwell 1991:123; Barth 1991:554). This view is strengthened by pianists who themselves hanker for the so-called "golden age of pianism" (i.e. the Romantic period and its virtuosos) (Dubal 2004:xiv; Hamilton 2008:3-4, 10). Similarly, the Chinese virtuoso-pianist Lang Lang (Anon. 2003) glories in his own connection with Vladimir Horowitz, who is widely known as the "Last Romantic": "[My teacher] Mr. Graffman is a pupil of [Vladimir] Horowitz, so there is a great, great tradition there." The aim of this study is to examine the present-day piano tradition as a possible continuation of a faded Romantic piano tradition, with specific reference to the "Last Romantic", Vladimir Horowitz's, influence on Lang Lang as the "future of classical music" (Anon. 2003). The research design for this article is a qualitative and ethnographic approach to a critical comparison between the musicality and careers of two individuals from the classical piano tradition: Vladimir Horowitz and Lang Lang. More specifically, Babbie and Mouton's (2001:283-7) "life history" technique is applied. According to them this type of research is characterised by intensive observation of the life/lives of the topic(s) of study, the use of sound recordings and interviews with friends, as well as the scrutiny of letters and photos. The data concerning Horowitz and Lang Lang employed in this study include music reviews in newspapers and magazines, reports in daily papers, articles in magazines, transcripts of radio interviews, published interviews, published CVs, biographies and autobiographies. The life history technique is further characterised by an interest in the subjective reality of the individual(s), a focus on process and change, a perspective on the totality, and the use of this kind of research method as a historical and social tool (Babbie and Mouton 2001:283, 284). The strength of this type of research is that the researcher can move between the biography of the individual study object and the historical or social history within which this research object finds himself/herself (Babbie and Mouton 2001:283, 284). In this study the musicality and career of Horowitz as the "Last Romantic" constitutes the historical background against which Lang Lang's pianism as a possible continuation of the Romantic piano tradition is examined.