In spring 2014 the Vienna Musikverein turned into a music laboratory, a recording studio and into a venue for a very exciting enounter of two seemingly very different artists: Nikolaus Harnoncourt, well-known as an intellectual musician who came to attention as a period-practice and Lang Lang, a superstar, a pianist of stunning virtuosity and freewheeling music instincts, together with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra record the Mozart Piano Concertos No. 17 K453 in G major and No. 24 K491 in C minor. This documentary is a revealing insight into the creative process of two of the most distinctive and influential musicians in the world today.
Lang Lang at the Royal Albert Hall
Since going on sale in November 2012, tickets for classical pianist Lang Lang’s solo recital at the Royal Albert Hall on November 15th 2013 sold out within 48 hours, a record for a recital by any classical musician at the venue in recent times. We’re delighted to be able to preserve his performance for the screen, so his many worldwide fans have a chance to experience the programme: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 5 in G major, KV 283 – Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major, KV 282 – Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, KV 310 – Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No. 1 Op 23 in G minor – Ballade No. 2 Op 38 in F Major – Ballade No. 3 Op 47 in A flat – Ballade No. 4 Op 52 in F minor.The word’s first 4K classical music production. (Length of the 4K version: 115′ min.)
Eras of Music History
Bold in conception, popular in format, gripping in its presentation – “Eras of Music History” makes the soundtrack to European history come alive – immediate and easily comprehensible for young viewers, classical newcomers and experts. In the series “Eras of Music History” music becomes something palpable – sounds you can touch and feel. Graphic novels, historical scenes, jam sessions and commentaries by classical stars, footnotes from political figures, philosophers and cultural scholars – all these are woven together with video and audio documents of the history of great performances. (4 part series: Baroque, Romantic, Viennese Classicism, 20th Century – 4×90’ or 8×45’)
Lang Lang live in Berlin featuring Herbie Hancock
To celebrate Lang Lang’s 30th birthday, ‘the hottest pianist on the classical music planet’, and iconic jazz pianist, Herbie Hancock, joined forces together for an extraordinary performance at the famous O2 WORLD in Berlin, Germany in June 2012. Lang Lang and Herbie Hancock performed a program including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Bernstein’s Tonight (from ‘Westside Story’) in arrangement for two pianos and orchestra, arrangements of classical hits like, Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 and Schubert´s Marche millitaire, where Lang Lang and Hancock were joined by the 50 children pianists. —— VERSION I (Total Length): Happy Birthday, Lang Lang! featuring Herbie Hancock – P. TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1 / F. CHOPIN: Étude Op. 25, No. 1 A-flat major op. 25 / L. BERNSTEIN: Tonight from ‘West Side Story’ / F. Schubert: Marche militaire / J. BRAHMS: Hungarian Dance No. 5 / G. GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue / Prelude No. 1 / LU WEN CHEN: Reflections of the Moon on the Calm Lake / M. & P. HILL: Happy Birthday, Length: 96’ min —— VERSION 2: Lang Lang – Live in Berlin! featuring Herbie Hancock – P. TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1 / F. CHOPIN: Étude Op. 25, No. 1 A-flat major op. 25 / L. BERNSTEIN: Tonight from ‘West Side Story’ / G. GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue / Prelude No. 1 / LU WEN CHEN: Reflections of the Moon on the Calm Lake, Length: 82’ min.
Magic Moments of Music – Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays Ravel
The name Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995) is still inextricably linked with Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. The way Benedetti Michelangeli articulates the trill chains, for example, is considered unique. At the same time, Benedetti Michelangeli is a great mystery: he was notorious for his numerous cancellations. The smallest discrepancies on the instrument, a small change in the room climate from rehearsal to concert were enough to cancel a performance. His reputation, as one of the greatest of his guild, is undisputed. Pianist Krystian Zimerman remembers his artistic exchange with Benedetti Michelangeli. For Pierre-Laurent Aimard, the Italian pianist is a declared source of inspiration as a magician of acoustics. Serge Celibidache, the son of Sergiu Celibidache, provides insights into the special artistic friendship of the two perfectionists. While Marina Baranova goes in search of Benedetti Michelangeli’s grand piano in Bavaria, Cord Garben, his producer, remembers the not always easy collaboration. Jazz musician Stefano Bollani, an admirer of Benedetti Michelangeli, explains how the composer Ravel was inspired by jazz music.
Notre-Dame: The Renaissance
Over five years following the devastating fire, France’s renowned Notre-Dame de Paris has once again opened its doors, marked by a glamorous concert to honor its restoration. The event featured performances both within and around the cathedral, along with a breathtaking light show highlighting the structure’s exquisite façade. The cathedral welcomed a diverse lineup of performers, such as Pharrell Williams, Angélique Kidjo, Lang Lang, Benjamin Bernheim, Marion Cotillard, Yo-Yo Ma, Khatia Buniatishvili, Pretty Yende, and Daniel Lozakovich. The concert was conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and featured the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
Le Concert de Paris 2024
The 2024 Concert de Paris was hosted in occasion of the worldwide followed celebration of the Olympic Games. For this unique occasion, the stage was placed in front of an iconic point of the city: the Hôtel de Ville. Several classical music stars participated in the event: pianists Lang Lang and Khatia Buniatishvili, singers Nadine Sierra, Pene Pati and Fatma Said, cellist Gautier Capuçon and violinist Renaud Capuçon just to mention a few. With them on stage, the Orchestre National de France and the Chorus of Radio France conducted by Cristian Macelaru presented an extremely various program that can be enjoyed by the broadest audience: from the famous Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no. 2, to the well known French song “Sous le ciel de Paris” and opera arias from the French and Italian tradition.
Magic Moments of Music – Lang Lang at Carnegie Hall
Lang Lang chose a wide-ranging program for his solo debut in 2003. After a more classical first half with works by Robert Schumann and Joseph Haydn, he interprets the Chinese composer Tan Dun after the intermission, finally culminating with Franz Liszt’s Don Juan Fantasy. Even as a small boy, Lang Lang is drilled to be a pianist by his father: He is to become the best piano player in the world. He is rarely allowed to see his mother so that she does not keep him from practicing. When he invites his father on stage at the end of his Carnegie Hall debut to improvise together on a Chinese folk song, one chapter of life ends – and a new one begins. This defining moment deals with the difficult relationship between freedom and the sacrifices we make for it. Lang Lang lives his father’s dream, which becomes his own dream. It is about musical perfection and personal relationships, about virtuosity and emotions – themes that are reflected in Lang Lang’s performance and in his life. Not only for Lang Lang himself, but also for his long-time companions such as conductor Christoph Eschenbach, composer Tan Dun and his teacher Gary Graffman, this concert was a magical moment. Pianist Claire Huangci has also known Lang Lang since a young age, and Bruce Liu is currently considered the new shooting star on the piano. Together with audio producer Christian Gansch and body language expert Stefan Verra, they retrospectively classify Lang Lang’s legendary recital evening.
Nelsons conducts Bach & Saint-Saëns
Chinese superstar Lang Lang is the soloist in Saint-Saëns’s scintillating Piano Concerto No.2, joining the Gewandhausorchester and Gewandhauskapellmeister Andris Nelsons. One of the composer’s most popular works, the second concerto was written in just 17 days in the spring of 1868 and was once humorously described as “beginning like Bach and ending like Offenbach”. Its different styles certainly offer the virtuoso pianist the opportunity to display all sides of his or her technique – as Lang Lang does to scintillating effect here. The Bach-inspired first movement, meanwhile, provides the inspiration for the rest of the programme, which features rare and fascinating J.S. Bach orchestrations by Mahler, Elgar, Reger and Joachim Raff. PROGRAM Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No.2; Bach: orchestrations by Mahler, Elgar, Reger and Joachim Raff
Bach 300 – Tribute to Bach
An array of musical stars converges in Leipzig to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach taking up his appointment as Kantor at the city’s iconic Thomaskirche – a post that he occupied for more than a quarter of a century, covering a period in which he created many of his greatest works. Among those performing on a special open-air stage in the city’s market square are pianist Lang Lang, violinist Daniel Hope, cellist Sophie Kauer and oboist Albrecht Mayer, joined by the Thomanerchor and the Gewandhausorchester under current Thomaskantor Andreas Reize. Join us for what promises to be an unforgettable celebration!