Pianist Lang Lang is the most famous classical hero of the People's Republic of China in 2014. Already at the age of thirteen he played the Chopin études in full and without interruption during a recital in the Beijing Concert Hall, a performance from which even most adult concert pianists would shy away. At the age of 32, the wildly popular Lang Lang sometimes looks more like a rock star than a
… classically trained pianist. However, this flamboyant pianist is also at home in the transparent Mozart. He manages to color the contemplative parts of the Sonata KV.282 in a beautiful romantic way, and then uses the pathetic Sonata in A minor without transition. The CD release also includes live recordings of Mozart's Concerts No. 24 & 17 from the Musikverein in Vienna, with the accompaniment of Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Vienna Philharmonic. These Mozart Sonatas (# 5, 4 & 8) recorded in the Royal Albert Hall have also been released on DVD (see CAD0204). (HJ)more
