As of: March 8, 2024 8:06 a.m
The pianist Lang Lang has released a new album with music by Saint-Saëns together with Andris Nelsons and the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester. In an interview with NDR Kultur he talked about working on the album.
I’ve always wanted to say this sentence: There’s no need to introduce my next guest, welcome Lang Lang!
Lang Lang: Thank you.
You are at the beginning of an interview marathon. Luckily I can be the first today. I asked a lot of pop artists and they all said they hate interview marathons. Are you a good actor?
Lang Lang: I’m not a good actor. Sometimes I like it, but when the same questions are asked over and over again, it’s not so good. The good thing is, we’re at the beginning and I still feel pretty fresh.
What question is asked in every interview?
Lang Lang: How many hours I have to practice.
What would you ask yourself and why has no one done it before?
Lang Lang: It depends. Today I would ask myself when I can start practicing Ravel. I have just played the second movement in a concert, but not the entire work yet. I think I’ll practice tonight.
VIDEO: Star pianist Lang Lang touches in the Elbphilharmonie (2 min)
You recorded “Carnival of the Animals” with your wife Gina Alice Redlinger. Is this a special situation? What was it like recording with her?
Lang Lang: We had good preparation for almost two years. We started with a few concerts in China to figure out the best way to do this. They’re really exciting pieces, but it’s still a little under the surface. It’s not just carnival and animals. When Saint-Saëns wrote this, he criticized a few of his colleagues, made a few mean comments, and he used the animals to embarrass people. It’s not about funny animals, it’s about the people behind the animal. We try to find a balance that makes it fun but also has substance behind it. It is a great honor that we can do this with the Gewandhausorchester and Andris Nelsons.
Making and recording music together is different than living together. What new sides have you discovered about Gina?
Lang Lang: She’s a different kind of musician than me. She is not only a pianist but also a songwriter. By writing songs, she brings in other aspects. That’s very inspiring for me, especially with the Debussy Suite – it’s a very pictorial piece that should be played very gently. It’s a challenge and I tried to tease her a bit. This is a piece for four hands that only Barenboim, Eschenbach and Martha Argerich have previously played. I said to her: Are you really ready for this? I wanted to scare her a little. She did it anyway and she’s fine.
Further information
“Saint-Saëns” elegantly combines well-known and unknown pieces. There’s a duo worth listening to with Lang Lang’s wife Gina Alice. more
Disney always said: If you want to make good children’s films, you have to entertain adults too. Is it the same here – on the one hand for children, on the other hand for adults? Which character does your son Winston love?
Lang Lang: He likes two fundamentally mutual sections. He is fond of the cello – he had his first cello lesson yesterday. He’s only three years old, but he chose this. As you know, this is the little brother of the double bass who plays the elephant in the “Carnival of the Animals” and he loves him – and of course the swan. He sings all the time and I have to play it for him over and over again. These are more deep melodies that he likes. Considering he’s so small and has a high-pitched voice, it’s a real contrast.
Her father was quite strict when it came to music education. How do you want to deal with it: how much pressure, how much letting go?
Lang Lang: At the moment I’m relaxed. I don’t force him to do anything, including music, of course. He is very interested in playing the cello and dancing. I believe as a parent you should be a good music inspiration. You can put together a playlist. It doesn’t matter whether the children want to learn it or not, but music should always be a good friend.
VIDEO: Pianist couple Lang Lang and Gina Alice Redlinger (22 min)
Everything is becoming more complicated: From the perspective of the East, the West is no longer what it used to be. Does this influence Western classical music in the Chinese music market? Is it the same as it was 20 years ago?
Lang Lang: There was a lot of attention for classical music in China. Interest has been waning a bit recently. I think the children are learning too much and there is no time left to practice. But there is also a larger increase among younger children whose parents want their child to learn an instrument, such as the flute or clarinet, to stay connected to the world. There is also a great development of Chinese folk music. There are new works, more tours, more concerts that put Chinese groups in the spotlight. This is a positive development and I hope it continues like this. That’s good for everyone.
It’s interesting that people all over the world are returning to their traditional music.
Lang Lang: Yes, that’s interesting. It’s good that people are returning to their traditional music. It’s nice that people in the Western world are interested in this: How do you play Chinese music and what do Chinese instruments sound like? This is definitely interesting for the listeners too.
Camille Saint-Saëns’ Concerto is a misunderstood work, you said. You compare the second movement with Mendelssohn’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Why?
Lang Lang: I love the concerto very much, but whenever I want to play it, the orchestras are not happy. Last year I managed to make a recording and win over an orchestra: the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Everyone told me they hadn’t played this concert in 60 years.
The conversation led Mischa Kreiskott.
Further information
ARD media library
In addition to classics and rarities, the new album “Lang Lang – Saint-Saëns” also includes a recording of “Carnival of the Animals”.
Video
4 Min
A new CD by Lang Lang – presented on NDR Kultur. 4 mins
3 Min
He is playing his solo concert for the third time. Included are the greatest works by Chopin and Schumann. 3 mins
4 Min
NDR classical music expert Ludwig Hartmann talks about the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. His most famous work: The “Carnival of the Animals” from 1886. 4 min
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NDR Culture | The Afternoon | 03/07/2024 | 3:10 p.m