Yundi Li plays La Campanella

Yundi Li is the artist for this performance. Similar to Lang Lang, both were born in China. However boh have different styles in interpreting this piece of composition by Franz Liszt. As mentioned from the review between Lang Lang and Yundi Li:

 “At least in the short term, handicappers in the piano world are likely to think of Yundi Li as the anti-Lang Lang, in the way that Serkin was the anti-Horowitz.

Both Mr. Li and Mr. Lang are Chinese and 21, and both began to dazzle audiences when they were teenagers. They are also signed to the same record label, Deutsche Grammophon. But where Mr. Lang has established himself as a firebrand whose performances are wrapped in a lively and sometimes over-the-top physicality, Mr. Li deals in a more poetic, deeply considered pianism, delivered without extraneous gestures and body language.”

ALLAN KOZINN

Published: April 28, 2004.

MUSIC REVIEW; Pianism at the Poetic End, Not the Physical

<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/28/arts/music-review-pianism-at-the-poetic-end-not-the-physical.html?scp=1&sq=li%20yundi%20liszt%20la%20campanella&st=c

In this playing, Yundi Li produced a very smooth melody line from the beginning until the end, as compared to Lang Lang’s playing, which is more agressive. He has followed all the dynamic markings written in the score. He made a very clear crescendo and diminuendo dynamics, especially at the running passages, at 2:21-2:46, and brings out the “bells ringing” effect. He started with an accurate “Allegretto” speed at the beginning, and similar to Adam Gyorgy, Valentina Lisitsa, Lang Lang, and Evgeny Kissin’s playing, he speed up at tempo at the Animato section.

At the espressivo section, at 3:08-3:27, Yundi Li played the left hand chords beautifully and creates a very smooth melody line.

"Few 20-year-olds have any right to approach the work, but Yundi's deep sympathy with the piece -- even more than his ability to play its more harrowingly difficult passages -- makes his recording of the work the one to have . . . All the above qualities resurface in Yundi's spellbinding playing of "La Campanella,"

Record Review / Tim Pfaff, Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) / 16 October 2003

http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/special/?ID=yundili-liszt