Source｜Memorial Barbecued Pork(ID: wschashao )
Author｜ Fork Shao
Head Image｜Visual China
In 1982, two prodigies, Lang Lang and Li Yundi, were born in the Chinese piano industry.
The New York Times of the United States once commented: “If Lang Lang is a passionate adventurer-style genius, then Li Yundi is a lyrical prince-style genius.” They became famous almost at the same time, and they also gained honor for China. Fan groups.
From the moment the names of the two entered the international music scene, the comparison between them has never stopped. Today, Lang Lang’s status in the international music scene has surpassed Li Yundi.
Behind this success is an unimaginable price.
01
On June 14, 1982, Lang Lang was born in Shenyang, Liaoning. His father Lang Guoren would play erhu and dreamed of entering the Shenyang Conservatory of Music. In the special age, Lang Guoren failed to realize this wish, so he grafted all his hopes on Lang Lang.
When he was less than two years old, Lang Lang got an upright piano. He watched “Cat and Mouse” and could play a rough melody on the piano. Lang Guoren was surprised by his son’s talent and wanted him to learn the piano as soon as possible.
Lang Lang and his childhood piano
When he was four years old, Lang Guoren asked Zhu Yafen to be his enlightenment teacher. She is the dean of the piano department of Shenyang Conservatory of Music and the best teacher in the city. Before meeting with Professor Zhu, Lang Guoren told Lang Lang: “Practice the piano in front of this teacher, you must not make mistakes.”
Lang Lang practiced the tune so well. After listening to Professor Zhu, he praised him: “This kid is talented and I am willing to accept him as a student.” After this sentence, Lang Guoren did not show a smile. He asked the teacher: “Lang Lang wants to play the piano in China to win One, and then all over the world. Is this possible?”
Professor Zhu advised him not to be too impatient, but he insisted that Lang Lang receive more intense training than other children.
Lang Guoren listed a schedule for Lang Lang. He woke up at 5:45 in the morning. In addition to the normal school time, he would practice six hours of piano every day. Lang Lang himself loves piano practice very much. He took the initiative to suggest to his parents that he could keep the recorder for work, and would record when he practiced, so that they would know that they didn’t go out to play around.
At the age of five, Lang Lang won the first place in the Shenyang Children’s Piano Competition. At that moment, he decided to become a pianist.
Young Lang Lang and Professor Zhu
When he was eight years old, Professor Zhu told Lang Lang’s parents that he was progressing faster than any student she had taught. He should go to Beijing to develop. Shenyang’s music resources were really limited.
Lang Guoren immediately quit his job in the security brigade and brought his son to Beijing with the purpose of getting him to enter the primary school attached to the Conservatory of Music and compete with 3,000 students across the country.Can not compete for fifteen places.
Mother Zhou Xiulan, as the only person with income in the family, stayed in Shenyang to continue working and provide backup support for the family. Lang Lang missed his mother and hoped that she would come to visit them often. Lang Guoren said that Zhou Xiulan’s excessive doting would only hinder his growth.
The father and son rented a dilapidated old house, relying on Zhou Xiulan’s monthly payment of more than 1,000 yuan from Shenyang to make ends meet. The money is used to pay the rent, pay for piano lessons, buy vegetables, eggs, and occasionally buy a piece of chicken. Without money to buy a heater, Lang Guoren put on several layers of clothes for Lang Lang. Before going to bed at night, he would climb up to help Lang Lang warm up the bed.
Meeting the teacher who teaches at the Conservatory of Music, Lang Lang thought that the new teacher would praise her like Professor Zhu, but she did not say a word of appreciation. Whenever he finished playing a piece of music, she would nod and say : “Also make do with it”.
Lang Lang asked his father: “Why does she always get angry at me?” His father told him that you need such a strict teacher. If you practice harder, she will be satisfied. In order to meet the teacher’s standards, Lang Lang’s piano practice time was extended to eight after dinner, and then to nine, and sometimes even to eleven. The neighbor could not bear the noise of playing the piano, so he called the police.
Lang Guoren took out the police uniform and official certificate when he was working in Shenyang, and pointed it out to the police while saying: “I know your job is not easy, but my son is a musical genius. Look, this It was a few reports about him in the Shenyang newspaper. I brought him to Beijing just to get him to study.” The policeman read the article carefully, sympathized with the father, and encouraged Lang Lang to say, “I wish you success in the exam.”
The basement where Lang Lang and his father lived in Beijing
The new teacher did not change her attitude, she still criticized Lang Lang: “You play the piano like boiled water, you have to play like Coca-Cola.” Lang Lang asked her how to play like Coca-Cola, and the teacher told him that it was time for get out of class.
One day, he and his father went to the piano room under a sandstorm and thunderstorm. The teacher informed them that they would not teach him anymore. Lang Guoren’s eyes were red. He asked, “Why? My son is a genius.”
The teacher told him: “Lang Guoren, not only is your son far from genius, he doesn’t even have the talent to enter the conservatory.”
Lang Guoren returned home with a stomachache. Thinking of two people going back to Shenyang in despair, Lang Guoren felt that life is better than death.
He yelled to Lang Lang: “Everyone will know that you did not enter the Conservatory of Music, and everyone will know that your teacher does not want you. I gave up my job for you, and your mother worked hard for you. Live with tight belts. You really have no reason to live anymore, and I don’t want to live in humiliation.”
Lang Lang ran to the balcony, trying to avoid his father. Lang Guoren rushed over and screamed: “You jump off the building now! Jump down and die!”
Lang Lang kicked his father hard, he was afraid that his father would really throw him off the balcony. He ran back into the house, closed the door, and smashed the wall frantically with his fist. He shouted to his father: “I hate my hands, I hate you. I hate the piano. If it weren’t for the piano, none of these things would happen. The piano makes you want to kill me!”
Lang Guoren screamed: “Stop!” He ran over, put his arms around Lang Lang, and started to swallow. He kissed Lang Lang’s fingers and cheek, and said, “Son, I don’t want you to die. I only want you to practice piano.”
This incident left a deep shadow on Lang Lang. In order to punish his father, he did not touch the piano for three months. Every day his father begged him whether he could start practicing piano, and Lang Lang ignored him. Later, he couldn’t help it, he started to practice secretly at school, but he didn’t tell his father.
Professor Zhu heard about what happened to the father and son and recommended a teacher to Lang Lang. Lang Guoren also put on his police uniform, entered the Conservatory of Music to steal from his teacher, and taught Lang Lang what he had heard at night.
Nine months laterLang Lang saw his name on the big red list attached to the Conservatory of Music, he was the first.
He immediately telegraphed his mother to tell her the good news. At that time, he hadn’t seen his mother for almost a year.
02
Li Yundi studied piano four years later than Lang Lang. When he was younger, he learned the accordion.
In the summer, Li Yundi walked around with the accordion on his back, but his butt was covered with prickly heat. When his mother saw it, she felt distressed, so she asked him to practice piano.
Li Yundi is practicing accordion
The teacher who taught Li Yundi the longest time was Dan Zhaoyi, a professor at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music. But the teacher recalled that when they met for the first time, his heart shook. He was amazed by the emotions contained in Li Yundi’s music, “Listening to him playing the piano, it is hard to imagine a child under 10 years old.”
At the age of 12, Li Yundi was promoted to junior high school, but the teacher recommended him to apply for the high school attached to the Sichuan Conservatory of Music where he taught. At the same time, Li Yundi received a notice from the jury of the “Maple Cup” National Children’s Piano Competition, that he became the only player shortlisted in Sichuan Province and will go to Beijing to participate in the final. However, the “Huapu Cup” competition and the Sichuan Music Culture Class exam collided on the same day.
But the teacher contacted Professor Guangren Zhou, the chairman of the competition organizing committee. After discussion, the organizing committee decided to advance the game time by one day for Li Yundi, which means that players from all over the country must adjust accordingly. On the day of the game, Li Yundi played a song “Sunny Flower”. A small mistake occurred in the process, but he still won the first place. On the other hand, Chuanyin’s exam results came out, and Li Yundi was admitted as the first place.
12-year-old Li Yundi holding the trophy
In June 1995, Yundi Li was selected to participate in the Stravinsky International Piano Competition in the United States. This was his first time participating in an international competition. According to regulations, all expenses for going abroad must be settled by themselves. Unless they get the first place, the school may reimburse all expenses in full.
That time, Li Yundi only finished third. The adults didn’t blame him. It was the first time to participate in an international competition and it was worth celebrating.
Lang Lang at the same time was not so relaxed.
Before Li Yundi won the award, Lang Guoren decided to send 12-year-old Lang Lang to Germany to participate in the 4th International Youth Piano Competition. He and Zhou Xiulan borrowed 30,000 yuan from relatives and another 20,000 yuan from the bank to make up the cost of going to Germany.
When they arrived at the German embassy, the visa officer stopped the documents they submitted. The reason is that they have no medical insurance and no deposit in the bank. Lang Guoren took Lang Lang to find another visa officer, and passed by by luck.
When passing the border check, two piano boys sent by the national government walked in front of Lang Lang. The border inspector asked: “You are at your own expense. Does it mean that you are not as good as them?” Lang Guoren pointed to Lang Lang and said, “He will take the first place.”
The final result of the competition came out. Lang Lang did win the first place and also won a prize of five thousand German marks. He jumped up and hugged the teacher.
Lang Lang hugging his teacher after winning the prize
In the other corner of the concert hall, Lang Guoren was sitting on a chair and crying. He knew in his heart that if Lang Lang did not get the first place this time, their loan would not be repaid.
03
After returning from that competition, Lang Lang played “Hungarian Rhapsody No.6” in the final exam of the Conservatory of Music. He thought he was very impressive, but the judges placed him in third place. Lang Lang noticed: “They seem to teach me a little lesson, let me put my position right.”
After the ranking came out, Lang Guoren yelled at the judges: “You are bullying. He defeated players from all over the world in Ettlingen. If Lang Lang can beat them, of course he can beat the students applying for the attached high school. People.”
At the age of thirteen, Lang Lang proved himself again. He won the first place in the Tchaikovsky Young Musician Piano Competition, commonly known as “Xiao Chai”. This prompted Lang Guoren to make a decision-to break away from the domestic education system and take Lang Lang to the United States.
The emoticon package left by the “Xiao Chai” competition
Graffman, the dean of Curtis College in Philadelphia, interviewed Lang Lang. After two hours of playing, Graffman told Lang Lang that the school would give him a full scholarship, living expenses, an apartment, and a Steinway grand piano in the living room.
Since leaving Shenyang, Lang Lang and his father have experienced life above the poverty line for the first time. On the first night in the apartment, Lang Lang would get up and touch the Steinway piano every few minutes to make sure he was not dreaming.
Lang Lang is eager to achieve greater international success. One day, he handed Graffman a list, which listed all the competitions he wanted to participate in and the songs he prepared for it.Item.
Graffman was silent for a long time, and then said to Lang Lang: “I admit that the competitive spirit has contributed to your development, but I firmly believe that you can no longer compete. Uncontrolled competition will only create tension. The atmosphere interferes with the spirit of music.” Lang Guoren on the side retorted: “If you don’t play for a long time in China, others won’t take you seriously.” Graffman explained to him: “At Curtiss In the college, we have no exams, only concerts.”
Graffman found a performance agency for Lang Lang, and Lang Lang would be on the list of alternate performers for the performance. He told Lang Lang that as long as he keeps working hard, the ranking will get higher and higher in the bench.
One day at the age of seventeen, Lang Lang really waited for this opportunity. André Vaz, who was originally scheduled to perform, had a fever. Lang Lang was suddenly notified that he would take his place at the Lavinia Festival and cooperate with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It is one of the best symphony orchestras in the world.
With the cooperation of the orchestra, Lang Lang played better than ever before. After the performance, someone told him that people will always remember this day.
17-year-old Lang Lang at the Lavinia Music Festival
Years later, a reporter asked Lang Lang: “Li Yundi once said that the level of the performance venue does not represent the level of artistic achievement. Do you agree with him?”
Lang Lang retorted: “If you are playing with a ready-made symphony orchestra, it definitely does not represent any level. But if you play with the best symphony orchestras in Berlin, Vienna, and New York every day, it is definitely a measure of the artist’s performance. The standard of career.” Lang Lang’s career has entered a new stage because of this collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
The bands and concert halls that didn’t dare to hire Lang Lang in the past invited him at the same time. Four of the five major bands in the United States made an invitation to Lang Lang. The Chicago Daily said it was a miracle in music history.
04
Lang Lang’s number of performances in a year has expanded from 20 to more than 80. He bought a house in Philadelphia and received his mother Zhou Xiulan, who had not seen him for more than three years, to the United States. Zhou Xiulan is proud of his achievements abroad, but the family hopes to return to China as soon as possible. Zhou Xiulan said to him: “Everyone will remember you. The motherland welcomes you.”
The Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra gave Lang Lang an opportunity to return to China. In 2001, the orchestra will go to the Great Hall of the People to hold a large-scale concert. They hope that Lang Lang will be a special soloist.
The Chinese performance agent disagreed. They said: “Recently, other young musicians have won awards in major international competitions. Lang Lang is not a big-name star in China.”
A few months ago, 18-year-old Li Yundi just won the “Nobel”-Gold Medal of the Chopin International Piano Competition in the piano industry, becoming the youngest champion ever in the history of the competition. He broke the silence of two consecutive vacancies for the first prize for 15 years, and was also the first Chinese pianist to receive this honor.
For the Chinese host, Lang Lang is not the best choice.
18-year-old Li Yundi won the gold medal of the Chopin Competition
The Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra responded: “Lang Lang is a proud student of the Curtis School of Music and a part of Philadelphia. Without Lang Lang, there would be no performance.” At the insistence of the orchestra, Lang Lang I got the opportunity to play in the Great Hall of the People.
At that time, Li Yundi was more valued than Lang Lang. When he won the gold medal in the Chopin Competition, he received a heroic welcome, and the news was broadcasted in the News Network that night. Japan’s NHK TV station also filmed the documentary “New Romanticism” for Li Yundi. His face like Takuya Kimura attracted many Japanese audiences. At the strong request of the audience, the TV station broadcasted the documentary twice within a week.
In 2003, Lang Lang and Li Yundi signed the same record company-DG Records, the world’s largest classical music company. Lang Lang is still working hard, participating in 120 concerts and recitals every year.
And Li Yundi stepped into the gate of Hannover Academy of Drama and Music in Germany, and lived a life of half a student and half a performer.
Li Yundi’s mother, Zhang Xiaolu, is very supportive of his choice. She said that she didn’t have any requirements, and the most worried thing was that Li Yundi put too much pressure on herself and was too tired to live.
In 2002, Li Yundi mentioned Lang Lang in an interview: “It is said that he will perform 100 shows a year. This number is amazing. But everyone has different opinions. I feel that I cannot bear such a heavy performance task. After 7 performances, the freshness and desire to express almost disappeared.” Li Yundi hopes to become a 100% classical musician. When people ask him if he listens to pop music, he always replied: “I never play. Pop songs, I don’t usually listen to pop music.”
In the next few years, Lang Lang went to the White House, ranked second in the Forbes China Celebrity List by annual income, and received countless endorsements. The performance at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games greatly enhanced Lang Lang’s popularity in the Chinese circle.
Lang Lang at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
In 2008, when Lang Lang was so glamorous, DG encountered problems in Li Yundi’s marketing, and Li Yundi decided to terminate the contract. He told the media: “Pianists should make progress step by step, have time to study, read books, live a good life, and expand our hearts. I have a long-term plan for my career, so I don’t mind taking it slowly. I still have a long way to go. Going.”
He released albums at a frequency of one album per year. Until the 2012 Spring Festival Gala and Leehom Wang collaborated on “The Dance of the Golden Snake”, Li Yundi’s relationship with the entertainment industry suddenly approachedstep. The “cross-boundary fighting piano” on stage was fired as “Hongdi CP”.
On the spring evening of the second year, Liu Qian and Li Yundi partnered to perform magic tricks. Li Yundi poked his head out of a shaky tent and whispered to Liu Qian. Liu Qian then asked: “Look for Leehom?” The relationship immediately became a hot search. Liu Qian said on Weibo: “Whatever you say on stage, every sentence will be communicated and the case will be settled when both parties are satisfied.”
Liu Qian and Li Yundi perform magic on the Spring Festival Gala
Compared to piano, Li Yundi seems to be closer to the entertainment industry.
In 2015, Li Yundi became the youngest judge of the Chopin Competition. However, in order to attend Huang Xiaoming’s wedding, he did not appear at the competition for two consecutive days.
At the end of the month, when he played his most famous piece “Chopin’s First Concerto” in Seoul, the performance was interrupted due to memory confusion, and a “car accident scene” occurred. Li Yundi apologized to music fans: “As a pianist, I know that for any reason, I must give a 100-point performance on the stage. Any explanation is pale.”
In order to practice piano, Lang Lang’s eyesight has reached more than 700 degrees. Within a few years, he suffered from otitis media and gastroenteritis, and strained his arm while practicing. He compiled music textbooks and organized music education, won the German Classical Echo Award, and played “Gothenburg Variations” at Bach’s grave.
In 2016, when the UK’s most authoritative radio station ClassicFM selected the “25 Greatest Pianists in History”, only Lang Lang was selected in China, alongside Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin and Schumann.
When Lang Lang gave a lecture at Oxford University, a student asked him, what do you think is the relationship between talent and hard work? Lang Lang replied that some abilities are indeed innate, but talent does not mean that you can achieve greater achievements with less effort.
05
Lang Guoren dreams of becoming a professional erhu performer. But during the ten years of turmoil, the Conservatory was closed. Unable to realize his dream of going to music, he had to go to the acrobatic troupe to tour together.
In 1977, the university began to re-enroll students, and Lang Guoren decided to re-apply for the Conservatory of Music. He won the first place in the first two rounds of tests, but was still not admitted to the Conservatory.
At that time, he had just turned twenty-five years old, and the teacher taught him to fill in twenty-four years old so that he could apply again in the second year. Lang Guoren followed the teacher’s suggestion, but he didn’t want to lie, and wrote “true age: 25” under “24”. The college immediately disqualified him.
Lang Guoren was discouraged, his dream was shattered, but he was not the reason.
In 1982, Lang Lang was born. Lang Guoren pinned all his hopes on his son. He sacrificed decades of life for himself and his wife Zhou Xiulan and brought Lang Lang to the international stage.
In 2003, Lang Lang took his father into the Carnegie Hall of Music, and the father and son came to the stage to play the song “Horse Racing.” Lang Guoren finally showed his smile.
Lang Lang and his son in Carnegie Hall of Music
Without the extreme obsession of his father, Lang Lang might be just an ordinary child. But when Lang Lang finally became famous, his mother Zhou Xiulan said: “How great is the glory of my son on stage, and how deep is the sadness and emotion in my mother’s heart.”
Part of the reference materials:
[1] “Lang Lang’s Journey a Thousand Miles: My Story”, Lang Lang
[2] “Chinese Piano Myth Li Yundi”, Li Yin etc.
[3] “Me and Lang Lang for 30 Years”, Lang Guoren
[4] “The Gemini Constellation in the Oriental Piano Circle-A Comparative Study of Lang Lang and Li Yundi”, Chen Jinsong
[5] “Lang Lang’s Second Half”, Southern Weekend
[6] “Colorful Life on Black and White Keys”, Lu Yu has an appointment
[7] “New Romanticism”, NHK TV Station in Japan