Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1, Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No.1 : Lang Lang, Barenboim / Chicago Symphony Orchestra

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.
Lang Lang's programming choices for his debut on the venerable Deutsche Grammophon label may strike some as staid or even uninspired. Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto is a familiar war-horse that's been performed and recorded countless times. But, having dreamt of performing it since childhood, the work holds special meaning for him, and his breathtaking reading of it as a last-minute replacement at the Ravinia Festival in 1999 vaulted him to stardom. The piece is a virtuosic tour de force, a true test of pianistic mettle, and Lang's dynamic account of the work offers a fresh perspective and justifies the level of excitement he's generated in such a short time. He dispatches the notorious, finger-twisting passages with his characteristic aplomb and fearlessness, while balancing the technical fireworks with lyricism and delicacy. The result is a nuanced, almost introspective rendering that projects a musical maturity belying his young age. Lang contrasts the powerhouse force of the Tchaikovsky with the relative calm and serenity of Mendelssohn's First Concerto. This lovely work affords Lang the opportunity to indulge his sensitive side, and he responds with some elegant, lustrous playing. Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra contribute brilliant support to Lang's worthy efforts.