Lang Lang performs Fauré, Schumann, and Chopin
A spectacular solo recital by one of piano's biggest superstars at the Philharmonie de Paris
Cast
Lang Lang — Pianist
Program notes
Feast your eyes and ears on a specially curated recital by the charismatic Lang Lang, "the world's most famous pianist, an artist of dazzling technique" (The New Yorker), at the Philharmonie de Paris! He begins with the elegant and haunting simplicity of Fauré's instantly memorable Pavane, before tackling a work that may represent the height of Schumann's considerable prowess as a piano composer: the Kreisleriana, eight miniatures of infinite invention inspired by the writings of E.T.A. Hoffmann, and by the light and dark sides of Schumann himself. Lang Lang continues with a lineup of favorites by Frédéric Chopin, highlighting two genres that exemplify the composer's proud Polish spirit: a selection of highly rhythmic Mazurkas, based on a traditional dance form; and the furious Polonaise in F-sharp minor, one of Chopin's most explosive showstoppers, which he called "a fantasy in polonaise form" for the expansiveness of its structure and emotional power.
