Classical Sessions: Lang Lang

For his Classical Session, Lang Lang offers two contrasting pieces, each of which shows an aspect of his artistry. He opens with the third of Liszt’s three Liebesträume (Love Dreams), described by the Chinese pianist as “one of the most romantic piano pieces”. “It has been a companion ever since I started my career,” he tells Apple Music Classical. “I played this famous piece as an encore at my Carnegie solo recital debut and many times since. I also performed it at the opening ceremony of the EXPO 2020 in Dubai.” For his second track, Lang Lang is joined by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for Joe Hisaishi’s “One Summer’s Day”. It’s a work that not only gives free rein to Lang Lang’s gentler, poetic style of playing, but also exemplifies a musical world that first captured his imagination. “Animated films have always sparked my imagination,” says Lang, “and this iconic track from Studio Ghibli’s Oscar-winning film Spirited Away is one of my most beloved melodies of Japanese anime films. ‘One Summer’s Day’ was originally written for piano and orchestra and it was a pleasure to record this version with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.”