To paraphrase Charles Dickens, it was the best of tunes, it was the worst of tunes. It was the Lang Lang phenomena. As a socio-cultural experience, it was indeed phenomenal. Girls outside Carnegie Hall were holding grand bouquets, to hand him upon the finish.
With the Olympics looming and its economy booming, this is China's year. Kicking off a week-long exploration of its arts, Stephen Moss travels to Beijing to immerse himself in classical music