excerpts from the NPR radio interview linked above (I left in all the annoying "you knows"):

Mr. LANG LANG (Pianist): The truth is, I only know this piece because it's a beautiful melody. And, actually, I played many times as encore before because it's, artistically, it's a beautiful piece. I never thought about, you know, and I never knew about anything about, you know, the background.

BLOCK: Well, some people, as you know, on blogs in China, are seizing on this, saying that it was a moment for a world famous pianist to sort of drop a note of nationalism, of Chinese nationalism into the States here.

Mr. LANG LANG: You know, that's the last thing I want to do because, first of all, you know, I grew up as a teenager in America. I mean, I studied at Curtis. And I feel both China and America is my home. And, you know, I have a really wonderful emotions towards American people. And I have a lot of my great friends, my teachers, are all from here.

So for me, you know, to be invited to play at White House is a great honor....

BLOCK: The song that you played, in the movie, in the "Battle on Shangganling Mountain," which came out in 1956, it is a very nationalistic song and it...

Mr. LANG LANG: You know, I never know about that movie. I just learned it afterward. It's like, 1956. This is when my mother was two years old. I mean, this is 55 years ago. And when I grew up, I only hear this as a beautiful melody. That's it. And this piece is very popular as a traditional Chinese song.

BLOCK: I've been told that this song is a favorite at karaoke bars.

Mr. LANG LANG: Yeah. I mean, it's just, you know, it's a song that, like, everyone in the Chinese world knows about the melody. You know, I mean, that's the truth. I mean, I choose it because its beautiful melody....

BLOCK: Well, Lang Lang, what were your - how did you react when you heard that in China, on the Web, people were adding meaning to this choice...

Mr. LANG LANG: I feel very sad. You know, I very sad. And, you know, and I must say, disappointing.... And once, you know, people use it as a political issue, that makes me really sad because I am a musician. I'm not a politician.

>> ^robbersdog49:

Isn't this a perfect example of the difference between China and America? You're allowed your own opinions in America, and your right to express them is protected in law. Isn't this a massive win for Obama? He stood true to the principals of free speech. That's not a fail in my book.
We are so used to mocking those in power here in the west, it's hard to imagine a place where this isn't allowed. Where saying the wrong thing about someone in power could get you in very serious trouble, even if you're just stating the obvious truth. The fact that this guy can come over to America and say what he likes is a good thing, not a bad one.


>> ^Hive13:

How is this any different than play our national anthem in front of the British?


Q. F. -Fucking- T.

The pianist was interviewed afterward. It was an accident and a coincidence, in his own words. I guess it would be too much for you to ask to do a little research before you muckrake?

I am going to try to remember this phrase whenever I hear stupid babble about American Exceptionalism.

In reply to this comment by Gallowflak:
Does Obama become the "fool to the world" whenever he's not engaging in psycho-patriotic nation masturbation?

You said pianist *snicker*

>> ^KnivesOut:

In other news, YET ANOTHER anonymous internet dbag has explained in great detail why he can't be bothered to give a shit.>> ^westy:
not really that cute skipped all the music , because I cannot give a shit about yet another person playing an old song in video format , if however sum-one was playing this in the room with me then id listen , or it was sumone doing something more original with the song in a video then that would be fine evan if it was played technically worse.



What i said is entrly logical , how is it entertaining watching sumone do the same task that i have seen hundreds of times before ? I made it clear that If this was in real life id sit and listen as that would provide a unequ exsperance ( dont know manny people who play peano) as apossed to online where i can load up amazing tellent in a few clicks. and I dont find the girl in the video cute.

Sure I love watching sumone build microchips or perform a task in a factory a cuple of times and learn a process thats as intresting as annything else , but after knowing the process and seeing it hundreds of times its no longer intresting. ( the way this person is playing to me comes across as very procedural , its not bad but it suports my piont that if i want to listen to simply well performed peano online why would i spend time watching this girl when i could watch other people that play in my opinoin far better.

Rather than just name calling maby you can actualy exsplain why i'm a "dbag" , from usage of the word "dbag" randomly calling sumone that without anny justification and no real backing, in a way to make oneself feal slighty better or to come across as better to ones peers is far more "dbagish" of a comment than what i Put.

LOL....ha. And thank you for the promote!

In reply to this comment by Fusionaut:
This is what will happen if you put your coffee on a piano. Either this or some pianist will turn your testicles into book ends.

This is what will happen if you put your coffee on a piano. Either this or some pianist will turn your testicles into book ends.

In other news, YET ANOTHER anonymous internet dbag has explained in great detail why he can't be bothered to give a shit.>> ^westy:

not really that cute skipped all the music , because I cannot give a shit about yet another person playing an old song in video format , if however sum-one was playing this in the room with me then id listen , or it was sumone doing something more original with the song in a video then that would be fine evan if it was played technically worse.

Of course, that was the wrong attitude. Too bad you didn't realize that being in a girl-heavy profession has certain advantages in your later years. Alas, piano is actually pretty guy-heavy, and two pianists shouldn't date anyways lest their egos collide... it's true.

Well, at least you have come to grips with your feminine side. Female avatars are always better to look at than guy ones, and if you have to always look at yours then... you know... Myself, sometimes I pick female avatars in RPGs because the toon is better to look at and in MMOs you can get all those nerds to help you do quests by giggling.

Also, apparently one beer makes me talk about random stuff...

>> ^Raaagh:

>> ^Trancecoach:
I really have a problem with scientists identifying themselves as "evolutionists."
Evolution is a scientific theory. It is not an "-ism," belief system which suggests that it is anything except a logical explanation of natural processes.
Such self-identification suggests a political position, rather than an educational one. Sadly, the politically charged-nature of the debate has forced scientists like Dawkins to adopt belief systems which undercut the inherent value and importance of their work.

Do you hold the same views about Botanists? Generalists? Cyclists? Pianists? Guitarist? Vocalists? Realists? Psychiatrists? Violists or even...scientists?
tl;dr; you dont understand what the suffix ist means


Not to mention Judaists, Christiaists (especially Catholicists and Protestists), Muslists, Hinduists...

>> ^Trancecoach:

I really have a problem with scientists identifying themselves as "evolutionists."
Evolution is a scientific theory. It is not an "-ism," belief system which suggests that it is anything except a logical explanation of natural processes.
Such self-identification suggests a political position, rather than an educational one. Sadly, the politically charged-nature of the debate has forced scientists like Dawkins to adopt belief systems which undercut the inherent value and importance of their work.


Do you hold the same views about Botanists? Generalists? Cyclists? Pianists? Guitarist? Vocalists? Realists? Psychiatrists? Violists or even...scientists?

tl;dr; you dont understand what the suffix ist means

With regards to his singing: The legend goes that both Oscar Peterson and Nat King Cole started out as combined pianists/singers, and that the two of them were equally good at both. They supposedly reached a gentleman's agreement that Nat would concentrate mostly on singing and Oscar would focus on the piano, so as not to step on each other's toes.

I'm an ex-pianist, but I'm still amazed and can't help but smile when I see a good pianist like this.

Absolutely brilliant. And he's a great pianist/organist to boot.