Piano Magic

Works by Bach, Chopin, Holst, Joplin, Liszt and Mozart

Lang Lang (piano)

Sony 19075862332 47:30 mins

There are things here to admire. Wherever the music challenges even Lang Lang’s tremendous technique – here in particular the three Liszt pieces – one is dazzled by the accuracy, the control of dynamics and the sheer exuberance of it all. Elsewhere, where he is given more time and space for imaginings of his own, I thought of Miss Jean Brodie’s immortal words: ‘For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.’ The disc begins with Mozart’s Rondo alla turca. Marked by him ‘Allegretto’, here it is despatched Prestissimo, a lot of sound and fury meaning very little, though the thunderous applauders obviously felt otherwise. The admittedly enigmatic structure of Chopin’s E flat Nocturne Op. 55/2 defeats the pianist, not helped by his early application of rallentando in the final bars, his refusal to play the last line in tempo, and a really horrid caterwaul on the penultimate pedal release. The disc includes two arrangements, including the

‘big tune’ from ‘Jupiter’ in The Planets, here given an astonishingly vulgar rendition. The compilation comprises five venues, so volume and acoustic are variable.

Roger Nichols

PERFORMANCE ★★

RECORDING ★★★