LANG LANG RELEASES HIS NEW ALBUM OF J.S. BACH’S ICONIC GOLDBERG VARIATIONS
“These twin versions will open new doors to Bach’s sublimely coded mystery” – The Economist
“Deeply felt and two decades in the making” – New York Times
“Lang Lang indeed shows himself a mature and individual performer, fully engaged with Bach’s genius.” - The Times
4 September 2020 – “This is a very important dream-come-true moment”, says Lang Lang. The superstar pianist, who waited 20 years before playing Johann Sebastian Bach’s monumental composition in public, has finally achieved his goal of recording the Goldberg Variations. The result of two decades of deep study and personal reflection, his vision of Bach’s Aria and 30 Variations is out now on Deutsche Grammophon.
Also available from today is a super deluxe edition featuring not only Lang Lang’s studio recording but a performance captured live in concert at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche, where the composer worked and is buried. This coupling of studio and live recordings, a world first for the “Goldbergs”, offers fascinating insights into the art of interpretation. Lang Lang’s performances intensify the work’s breath-taking blend of contrapuntal complexity, diverse musical styles and life-affirming spontaneity.
Fuelled by a lifelong passion for one of the most challenging but rewarding compositions in the entire classical repertoire, Lang Lang’s latest album represents a major milestone in an already stellar career. “I would say performing and recording this concert leads me into the next level of piano playing,” he explains. “I’m now 38 and, while that’s not old, I think the time was right for a new stage in my artistic development,” he adds. “I’ve moved into new terrain with the Goldberg Variations and really immersed myself fully in this project. My goal as an artist is to keep becoming more self-aware and more knowledgeable, as well as to keep offering inspiration to others. It’s an ongoing process, but this project has taken me a little further along the path.”
Out now: Deutsche Grammophon’s super deluxe edition offers world-first coupling of studio recording and live performance at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche – Bach’s own church