05/09/2009

Prom 56 The virtuosic Chinese pianist Lang Lang

At last year’s BBC Proms, the Royal Albert Hall was completely packed out with people eager to see the Chinese pianist Lang Lang, who, fresh from his appearance at the Bird’s Nest stadium in the Beijing Olympics, thrilled them all with his flamboyant showmanship and above all, his brilliant mastery of the piano. Lang Lang’s facility for Chopin was especially remarkable and in today’s Prom, he’s back to play one of Chopin’s own favourite pieces - the Piano Concerto no 2 in F minor - a virtuosic and romantically poetic work that ends with all the fire and passion of a Polish mazurka.

World Service broadcast programme:
Chopin: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F minor

Performers:
Lang Lang, piano
Staatskapelle Dresden
Fabio Luisi, conductor