Lang Lang Releases New Album Featuring France... Recorded with Korean Wife

Saint-Sa?ns' 'Piano Concerto No. 2' and 'The Carnival of the Animals'
Including Ravel, Debussy, Lily Boulanger, and Germaine Tailleferre

World-renowned pianist Lang Lang from China released his new studio album "Saint-Sa?ns" under Deutsche Grammophon on the 5th, Universal Music announced on the same day.

Lang Lang included music by five French composers in the new album, including Saint-Sa?ns. Besides Saint-Sa?ns, the album features well-known works by Ravel and Debussy, as well as pieces by Lili Boulanger and Germaine Tailleferre, who were not fully recognized in their time.

The Saint-Sa?ns works recorded include Piano Concerto No. 2 and The Carnival of the Animals. The "Piano Concerto No. 2" is also the piece Lang Lang performed during his concert in Korea last year with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

[Photo by Universal Music]

The recording involved the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, a world-renowned private orchestra with a 280-year tradition. The conductor was Andris Nelsons.

Nelsons said, "Working with the esteemed Lang Lang was truly a rich experience," adding, "Especially through this recording project, I realized that the Gewandhaus Orchestra holds a unique approach to Saint-Sa?ns' music."

Lang Lang stated, "This album project was a journey exploring the musical world of Camille Saint-Sa?ns," and added, "Nelsons and I agreed to treat Saint-Sa?ns' 'Piano Concerto No. 2,' which is underrated compared to its excellence, as a famous piece, and we endeavored to bring out every element, from the diverse colors and characters of the work to its musical humor."

For the recording of The Carnival of the Animals, Lang Lang's wife, Korean-German pianist Gina Alice, also participated as the second pianist.

Lang Lang is scheduled to meet his Korean fans with a solo piano recital on November 30.