Pianist Lang Lang is a rare artist, a worldwide musical ambassador with an inspiring ability to connect with audiences. His career includes numerous iconic Carnegie Hall moments, including his legendary debut recital. With a two-year Perspectives series that begins this season, he writes the next chapter.
This Perspectives series is the next in a long list of your accomplishments at the Hall. What do you hope to gain?
Lang Lang: To perform at Carnegie Hall is already a great achievement鈥攖o me, it鈥檚 like the World Cup or the Olympics. It鈥檚 special in a way that never feels like just another concert. This Perspectives series will allow me to bring a lot of new ideas and explore new challenges. It will mark a milestone in my career that features duet recitals with other instrumentalists and solo singers鈥擨 love everything about these collaborations, though they are often difficult to coordinate with conflicting schedules. But this is a great opportunity for me to work intensely with some of my favorite musicians and to learn from their artistry. This series gives me the chance to be myself, but also to go beyond my comfort zone and to find new musical worlds.
In this first year of your series, one of those collaborators is soprano Angel Blue, who is beginning to establish her own relationship with the Hall.
I鈥檝e been always a big fan of accompanying great singers, from Cecilia Bartoli to Ren茅e Fleming. I want to give them the most comfortable sound that comes from the most inspirational touch of the piano to complement their voice. I鈥檓 very excited to work with Angel. She鈥檚 the newest, biggest sensation from the world of classical music. And while she鈥檚 already enjoyed great success, this will be her recital debut at the Hall. She鈥檚 such a versatile artist, so we are piecing together a program that highlights a variety of styles, from her upbringing in the church to French and Russian songs, and selections from the Great American Songbook.
Your own Carnegie Hall recital debut was filmed and released as a documentary. What do you remember about that experience?
My Carnegie Hall recital debut was in 2003 when I was 21 years old. It was the biggest night of my life. I remember the repertoire was quite unique. The first half featured traditional works, so I wore a tuxedo with a white tie and long tails. And then the second half was more varied, including a premiere by Tan Dun. So to fit the mood, I wore a pink-colored jacket from China鈥攏ot your typical recital attire. I also wanted to give my father a chance to shine鈥攈e always dreamed of being a world-class erhu player. So I invited him to perform an encore with me. It was unforgettable.
Your solo recital this March highlights short works for piano, which is quite different from your usual repertoire.
In the past, I usually focused on big repertoire鈥攈uge Romantic pieces. With this program, I feature a dozen Chopin mazurkas鈥攚hich to me are musically and rhythmically mysterious鈥攁nd then his Polonaise in F-sharp Minor. But the first half begins with Faur茅鈥檚 Pavane鈥擨 start with this very impressionist French piece that aurally flows out into the concert hall, followed by the intensive craziness of Robert Schumann鈥檚 Kreisleriana and its contrasting temperaments. So this recital will be quite different compared to a lot of other recitals I鈥檝e done in the past.
For you, what is it about performing in Carnegie Hall that differs from other stages around the world?
Carnegie Hall marries a majestic look with an otherworldly sound. Sometimes you can be in a really big hall, but you have to use a microphone or additional equipment. And then there are smaller halls that are not as visually inspiring from the stage, though the experience for the audience may be musically great. But Carnegie Hall strikes that ideal balance that you just can鈥檛 find anywhere else in the world. And the Hall鈥檚 sound is straight from heaven. You can hear everything so clearly, but the sound is never dry, never too much, never too hollow. In other venues, sometimes the vibration is too much, so the performer can鈥檛 really hear what they鈥檙e doing. But Carnegie Hall has this beautiful, sustained sound that travels to the back of the room. Before, I always thought maybe Carnegie Hall would not be good for Baroque music, which is somewhat more delicate. But when I went in the space and practiced J. S. Bach鈥檚 Goldberg Variations, I knew I wanted to perform them as part of the Hall鈥檚 post-pandemic reopening in 2021. It鈥檚 a place where you can showcase whatever repertoire you want. Some stages are ideal for Schubert lieder, but not Rachmaninoff or Liszt. Some are great for Liszt, but don鈥檛 work for Mozart sonatas. Or maybe it鈥檚 a space that鈥檚 better for recital, but bad for opera. Carnegie Hall, however, is able to handle it all.
Whether on or off the stage, what is your earliest memory of the Hall?
I actually saw Carnegie Hall for the first time when I was watching a video of Horowitz. What I distinctly remember was the audience. It felt like the whole room was fired up in a palpable exchange of passion between performer and attendees. Maybe it鈥檚 the magic of the Hall. When you are in the space, you are somehow transformed. You become a different person. When you鈥檙e listening to music within such a great acoustical space, you experience a higher level of enjoyment. I have personally felt that since I first walked out on that stage. I can鈥檛 wait to see what new experiences await throughout my series.
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