Lang Lang performs Chopin and Tchaikovsky

Famous for his interpretations of Chopin's works, Lang Lang chose to play the Polish romantic composer's famous Scherzi. The pianist would also perform The Seasons by Tchaikovsky, another composer dear to his heart since he played his Concertos in his first recording for Deutsche Grammophon in 2003.

Chopin's Scherzi are richly ornate, creating an ever more creative sense of fantasy and are tinted with tumultuous, passionate and tragic touches. In the words of Alfred Cortot: “These are games, but they are terrifying; dances, yet feverish, haunting; they only appear to punctuate the bitterness surrounding human torment.”

The Seasons by Tchaikovsky represent a cycle of twelve pieces written between 1875 and 1876. Each of the pieces represents a month of the year, which some have called "almanac chromos" and are among the Russian composer's most performed works.

Photo: Lang Lang © Alix Laveau