Reviewed: 2018-04-16
Genre: Classical
FCCs: none
Review: Lang Lang returns with a collection of pieces which first inspired him to play the piano and led him on his path to international stardom. Piano Book gathers together many of the miniatures that generations of amateur pianists have grown up with. Lang Lang holds them in the highest regard, believing them to be classics in their own right. He wants to encourage piano students across the world to fully appreciate them.
If You Like:Glenn Gould,Alfred Brendel,Clara Schumann
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
DISC 1
1/ Bach – Prelude In C major (2:19) – midtempo , builds in volume> quick fade
*2/ Beethoven – Bagatelle in A minor – “Fur Elise” – piano starts quietly, midtempo, builds in volume> crescendo, subsides, & builds again with occasional cascades of notes> fade
3/ Richter – The Departure (2:31) – cascade of notes to start> builds in volume & subsides several times> fade
**4/ Mendelssohn – Song Without Words in C major “Spinning Song” – fast paced, quick stop
*5/ Debussy – Clair de Lune (6:47) – quiet start> slow tempo builds in strength> pause> cascades of notes, then mellows & slows to fade
6/ Debussy – Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (2:48) – fast start> darting flurries of notes builds to climax & slows to slow tempo, then swings back up to an uptempo flurry of notes & quick stop
7/ Chopin – Prelude in D flat major, “Raindrop”, Op. 28 No.15 (6:35) – slow start slowly builds in volume & mellows again, then builds in volume & mellows again to fade
**8/ Mozart – Allegro from Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major, “Sonata facile” K545 (4:55) – uptempo with flurries of notes & shifting melodies
9/ Clementi – andante 0in F major) from Sonatina in C major Op 36 No. 1 (1:32) – midtempo rises & falls> quick stop
10/ Czerny – Presto Op. 299 No.1 from The School of Velocity (0:35) – lightning fast cascades of notes> quick stop
*11/ Tiersen – La Valse d’Amelie from 6 pieces for piano Vol. 2 (2:50) – slow start, slightly hesitating> swings uptempo on cascading notes> slows to fade
*12/ Debussy – Reverie L., 68 (5:30) – slow & meditative, slowly builds in volume & subsides> fade> pause> slow & quiet with occasional flourishes> slow fade
*13/ Schubert – Moment Musical in F minor D 780 No. 3 (3:59) – midtempo like a dance> quick fade
14/ Grieg – To Spring Op. 43 No. 6 (3:59) – midtempo with pretty high notes shifts to heavy bass notes, then mellows> fade
15/ Schumann – Wilder Reiter Op. 698 No. 8 (0:40) – slow & quiet to stop
*16/ Poulenc – Staccato FP 65 No. 2 (0:44) – uptempo with repetitive riff growing in volume> pause> uptempo> quick stop
**17/ Huang – The Merry Shepherd Boy (1:33) – sprightly uptempo> quick stop
18/ Sakamoto – Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (4:36) – midtempo quiet grows in volume> shifts into pretty melody> shifts into heavy chords to end
*19/ Badarzewski-Baranowska – The Maiden’s Prayer Op. 4 (4:26) – heavy notes start> pause> midtempo pretty melody with cascades of notes> slows with heavier notes> pretty melody returns> quick fade
<12 Variations in C major on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” K 265 (300c)>
20/ Thema (0:36) – midtempo
21/ Variation 1 (0:32) – uptempo
22/ Variation 2 (0:32) – uptempo
23/ Variation 3 (0:36) –uptempo
24/ Variation 4 (0:34) – fast tempo
25/ Variation 5 (0:33) – fast tempo
26/ Variation 6 (0:30) - midtempo
27/ Variation 7 (0:33) – midtempo
28/ Variation 8 (0:44) – slow tempo swings to midtempo
29/ Variation 9 (0:35) – fast tempo
30/ Variation 10 (0:33) – fast tempo
31/ Variation 11 (2:30) – slow tempo> pause> midtempo, then slows to end
*32/ Variation 12 (1:27) – fast tempo> quick stop
33/ Bach – Minuet in G Major from Notebook from Anna Magdalena Bach, BMV Anh. 114 (App. D) (1:41) – midtempo dance> fade
DISC 2
**34/ Kats-Chernin – Eliza Aria from the Wild Swans Concert Suite (3:11) – starts quietly with beautiful melody, builds in volume & subsides, then does it again> fade
*35/ De Lulli – The Chop Waltz (Chopsticks) (2;10) – midtempo swings to uptempo, then fast tempo> pause> start again> pause> start again> quick stop
*36/ Chinese Traditional – Jasmine Flower (6:44) – slow & meditative> shifts to cascades of high notes> shifts to midtempo, then slows again, then builds in volume with midtempo heavy notes to crescendo & fade> pause> a few more notes
37/ Ginastera – Danza de la moza danosa Op. 2 No.2 (4:01) – slow & steady> builds in volume on heavy notes & subsides> slow fade
38/ Swedish traditional – Lima, limu, lima (5:35) – slow start, builds in volume> pause> melody shift into flurries of high notes> midtempo> pause> slow to fade
39/ Elgar – Nimrod Op. 36 No. 9 (4:19) –slow, with a slight hesitation between notes, slowly builds in volume, then subsides, then builds in volume again> slows to fade
*40/ Korean Traditional – Arirang (4:00) – midtempo beautiful melody slows slightly> pause> melody continues with heavier notes> pause> melody continues with still heavier notes> pause> melody continues with flurries of lighter notes> fade
***41/ Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag (3:28) – uptempo with multiple shifts