Lizst - My Piano Hero
Lang Lang; Vienna Philharmonic; Valery Gergiev
Sony 88697891412
For the Liszt bi-centennial most of the major record companies have issued new releases and re-releases of his work. One of these is “Liszt - My Piano Hero” by Sony Classical featuring Lang Lang. The celebrated young Chinese pianist, a former child prodigy, is now 29 years old. Over the last 10 years he has developed enormously from a dazzling showman somebody referred to as “the J.Lo of the piano,” to a maturing artist whose playing never ceases to touch your heart. Lang Lang’s main attributes, I think, are his communication skills and exuberant love of playing the piano. Recently I saw him with 100 kids playing Schubert’s March Militaire at the Philharmonie Berlin under his inspiring direction to a result of overwhelming success.
This selection contains some of Liszt’s most popular pieces like La Campanella, Hungarian Rhapsodies Nos. 6 and 15, Grand Galop chromatique and many others of similar vein, plus the Piano Concerto in E flat major with Valery Gergiev conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. A good cross section of Liszt’s works from the dazzling virtuoso pieces to the more introspective romantic, dreamy compositions (Liebestraum No. 3, Consolation No. 3, Un Sospiro) which are played with exquisite touch and delicacy. There is idiomatic playing in the Rhapsody No. 6 especially in the slow mid section (Lassu) where he captures the Hungarian spirit with the characteristic rubatos and accelerandos. La Campanella sounds like a little bell the piece was named after.
This fine recording will convert many sceptics to accept Liszt to be Chopin’s equal as a keyboard giant.
Concert note: Valery Gergiev conducts the Mariinsky Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall on October 21. Lang Lang performs all five Beethoven Concertos (one per night) with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra November 9, 10, 12, 17 & 19.
