By Janelle Gelfand
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The most spectacular pianist of the younger generation was born 20 years ago in Shen Yang, China, and his name is Lang Lang.

Lang Lang, who created a stir in the music world when he stepped in to replace an ill Andre Watts at the Ravinia Festival three years ago, wowed the Music Hall audience in his Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra debut Thursday. It wasn't because he was performing a crowd favorite - Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 - but how he played it: with effortless control, color and youthful magnetism.

Guest conductor Jahja Ling was on the podium for the concert, which included the CSO premiere of Tre Canzoni Senza Parole (Three Songs Without Words) by Bernard Rands and Dvorak's Symphony No. 6.

Lang Lang composed himself before launching into Rachmaninoff's opening chords, which swelled seamlessly into the cellos' sweeping theme. He sat on the edge of his bench, often leaning close to the keyboard, as if stalking prey. In the fiery moments, he threw back his head, eyes closed.

If he has already been compared to piano legend Vladimir Horowitz, it is because his technique is so natural, one doesn't even notice he's working. He captured the poetry of the first movement with a legato touch, and quicker, scherzando passages pushed ahead like surges of electricity.

The lyrical Adagio movement was performed - not in the heart-on-sleeve, Russian style - but more introspectively, with singing tone and beautiful feeling. Lang Lang kept his eyes on orchestral soloists, as if playing chamber music. A memorable moment was his exquisite duo with clarinetist Anthony McGill.

He tore into the opening flourishes of the finale athletically, bouncing in his seat, but delivering color and character to each phrase. He had power to spare in fiendish double octaves. Accelerations were adrenalin-packed, and he seemed to be pulling the orchestra along.

Even though the orchestra was somewhat heavy and the ensemble was not always together, it was the most thrilling debut of the season, and brought the crowd to its feet.

The program opened with Rands' Tre Canzoni. Evocative and well crafted, the three songs ended with a melancholy lament over low ostinato passages.

Ling concluded with a warm reading of Dvorak's Sixth. A sensitive, musical conductor, he inspired some fine playing, such as the earthy Furiant, and the finale, which climaxed in a powerful brass chorale. But other moments missed the mark and there were lapses in wind intonation. It made one miss music director Paavo Jarvi.

E-mail jgelfand@enquirer.com