For his New York re-entry, Mr. Lang chose Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. Which is why Mr. Lang’s hammy habits felt so out of place as they crept into a performance that otherwise had moments of exquisite restraint. Mr. Lang’s interventions were most apt in the second movement, which he played like a richly expressive aria. As if to overstate his recovery, though, Mr. Lang blazed through the Rondo finale, deflating its buoyancy in a breathless dash. He did push even further, in the finale, but he ended up pitching his baton into the viola section.

Source: New York Times October 08, 2019 15:22 UTC