Lang Lang’s Piano Book 2 presents a new collection of essential piano favorites—a rich blend of classical masterpieces, modern favorites and treasured themes from gaming, anime, and film. Following the unprecedented popularity of Lang Lang’s Piano Book (2019), global superstar Lang Lang extends the instrument’s canon with passion and joy, inviting listeners of all ages into the dynamic world of piano. “I hope this new collection helps you discover new favorites, reconnect with familiar melodies, and find renewed inspiration at the piano” – Lang Lang
One of the world's biggest classical stars, Lang Lang, returns with his brand new solo album 'Piano Book' – a collection of pieces which first inspired him to play the piano and led him on his path to international stardom.
There's perhaps a touch of irony in the title of Dutch pianist and composer Jeroen van Veen's box set Minimal Piano Collection because at nine discs, it's a pretty massive collection. The program booklet notes that he recorded the entire set, which includes more than ten hours of music, in only six days, an astounding feat. In the program notes, van Veen offers a remarkably clear and concise history of minimalism in music. He defines it broadly enough (following the lead of composer and critic Tom Johnson) to include works by Friedrich Nietzsche and Satie. Philip Glass is the composer most widely represented, with three of the set's nine CDs devoted to his music originally for piano, as well as transcriptions from his film scores and operas. Two discs are given to van Veen's mammoth 24 Préludes, organized according to the framework of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. Other composers range from the very well known, such as Michael Nyman, John Adams, Terry Riley, Arvo Pärt, and John Cage, to the familiar-to-specialists, like Tom Johnson, Wim Mertens, and Jacob ter Veldhuis, to those little-known to American audiences, like Klaas de Vries, Simeon ten Holt, John Borstlap, Yann Tiersen, and Carlos Micháns.