Ahead of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, Sony Classical is pleased to release Beethoven Sonatas Nos 3 & 23 “Appasionata” by superstar pianist Lang Lang. Lang Lang is acritically acclaimed piano virtuoso. Lang Lang began playing the piano at the age of three. Lang Lang studied at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music. At the early stages of his career, Lang Lang won numerous competitions including the Xinghai National Piano Competition and the Fourth International Competition for Young Pianists in Ettlingen, Germany. Lang Lang has performed with some of the worlds highly regarded orchestras including the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra. As bonus track it contains the 3rd movement of the “Tempest” sonata. Beethoven (1770—1827) was a German composer and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. He is one of the most recognisable and influential composers of the Romantic period and his music remains popular around the world today.
Lang Lang delivers his first-ever Beethoven recording, a stunning reading of the extensive Concerto no. 4 and the jubilant Concerto no. 1. Even though he has performed this repertoire extensively in concert, Lang Lang waited for the perfect moment and the perfect team to record his first pair of concertos from these milestones of piano repertoire When Lang Lang embarked on his international career, Christoph Eschenbach became one of his first and most enthusiastic proponents - and a mentor and close friend ever since, Eschenbach was the ideal collaborator for Lang Lang's first Beethoven recording.
The recordings followed an extensive international series of concerts and Lang Lang will continue to tour the programme worldwide this autumn and next spring.
After several albums of Western classical music, Chinese pianist Lang Lang returns to the music of his native country on Dragon Songs (…) The 63-minute CD is accompanied by a lengthy DVD that includes a 45-minute documentary of Lang's return visit to China for master classes, concerts, and even a little time with his family at "home" (an apartment he says he has slept in twice). There are also video performances of the all of the album's tracks, each one prefaced by introductory remarks by the pianist. Just as "Yellow River Piano Concerto" began the CD, it ends the DVD in a mammoth performance in Guangzhou with four orchestras combined and 100 female piano players, all spread out in a space that looks larger than a football field.
In November 2013 Lang Lang returned to London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall for two recitals that sold out within 48 hours of tickets being released. This 120 minute film captures the complete recital and offers an opportunity to re-live an unforgettable concert experience. He finished a celebrated two-part program consisting of Mozart and Chopin with no less than eight encores, breaking Evgeny Kissin's record of encores at the RAH. The three early Mozart Piano Sonatas have been part of Lang Lang's latest recital which he presented live in more than 200 concerts worldwide - the recordings that were captured at his RAH concert are also part of the new Mozart album.
In November 2013 Lang Lang returned to London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall for two recitals that sold out within 48 hours of tickets being released. This 120 minute film captures the complete recital and offers an opportunity to re-live an unforgettable concert experience. He finished a celebrated two-part program consisting of Mozart and Chopin with no less than eight encores, breaking Evgeny Kissin's record of encores at the RAH. The three early Mozart Piano Sonatas have been part of Lang Lang's latest recital which he presented live in more than 200 concerts worldwide - the recordings that were captured at his RAH concert are also part of the new Mozart album.
It is extremely hard for any new recording to compete with the stunning 1967 Berlin account that Argerich made with the Berliner Philharmoniker under Abbado… Lang Lang certainly equals the boldness, power and communicative quality of Argerich’s account. Under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle the Berliner Philharmoniker is highly persuasive and sympathetic. Not for the first time the woodwind excel - marvellous. - Michael Cookson; www.musicweb-international.com