New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Ever since his first visit to the magical space that is the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, Lang Lang had dreamed of performing there. When his dream came to fruition in the form of a special recital on June 22, 2015 he chose Chopin's four momentous Scherzi and Tchaikovsky's rare but masterly cycle The Seasons to present to his audience. A studio recording of the repertoire was made in the Salle Liebermann at the Opera
Bastille and the live concert was filmed in 4K in the Hall of Mirrors for release on DVD and Blu-ray.
Lang Lang in Paris will be available on CD, deluxe CD (including booklet and bonus DVD containing video excerpts from the Hall of Mirrors concert), vinyl and digital formats. Lang Lang live in Versailles will be released on DVD and Blu-ray formats.
Tchaikovsky and Chopin have both played a major role in Lang Lang's career to date. When Lang Lang, as a 17-year-old, stood in for an indisposed Andre Watts at a Ravinia concert with the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the work he played was Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto.
If Tchaikovsky has appeared at pivotal moments in Lang Lang's career, Chopin has been a constant companion: a recital rarely goes by without music by the Polish master on the program and Lang Lang has already recorded a substantial amount of his music, including the Etudes and the Ballades (which Lang Lang sees as siblings to the Scherzi).
Lang Lang is a committed advocate of Tchaikovsky's The Seasons. As he says, "Even though there are not so many notes compared to more virtuosic pieces, the harmony that Tchaikovsky creates within these notes is incredible. His timeless melodies have a kind of pain that he always turns into beauty. He presents his heart, and he holds your heart."
The recordings followed an extensive international series of concerts and Lang Lang will continue to tour the program worldwide this autumn and next spring.
Sony
Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait, Masterworks Broadway and Flying Buddha imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.SonyMasterworks.com
Press reviews for Lang Lang's Chopin/Tchaikovsky concerts
"The complete set of Chopin four Scherzos could take everything that Lang threw at them - the wild, impressive extroverted flourishes, the melting touch that he applied to the Trio sections, a gorgeous rippling waterfall effect in the third Scherzo, the bombs-away codas." Los Angeles Times
"You don't hear all of Tchaikovsky's The Seasons played as a cycle too often, and Lang made it an experience of contrasts as varied as the weather itself - turning on the hammering drive in 'August' and 'September', ruminating through 'April' and drifting through 'May' with lots of expression." Los Angeles Times
Lang Lang in Paris Track List
Disc 1
1. Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 20
2. Scherzo No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 31
3. Scherzo No.3 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 39
4. Scherzo No. 4 in E Major, Op. 54
Disc 2
1. The Seasons, Op. 37a; I. January: At the Fireside
2. The Seasons, Op. 37a; II. February: Carnival
3. The Seasons, Op. 37a; III. March: Song of the Lark
4. The Seasons, Op. 37a; IV. April: Snowdrop
5. The Seasons, Op. 37a; V. May: Starlit Nights
6. The Seasons, Op. 37a; VI. June: Barcarolle
7. The Seasons, Op. 37a; VII. July: Song of the Reaper
8. The Seasons, Op. 37a; VIII. August: Harvest
9. The Seasons, Op. 37a; IX. September: The Hunt
10. The Seasons, Op. 37a; X. October: Autumn Song
11. The Seasons, Op. 37a; XI. November: Troika
12. The Seasons, Op. 37a; XII. December: Christmas
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