Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn: First Piano Concertos

1	Piano Concerto No. 1 in B
2	Piano Concerto No. 1 in B
3	Piano Concerto No. 1 in B
4	Piano Concerto No. 1 in G
5	Piano Concerto No. 1 in G
6	Piano Concerto No. 1 in G
Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn: First Piano Concertos
1.	Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23 38:30
	Composed by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
	Conducted by Daniel Barenboim
	Performed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lang Lang
2.	Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 20:49
	Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
	Conducted by Daniel Barenboim
	Performed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lang Lang

Barnes & Noble

"Don't record the standard repertory unless you have something new to say" is the common refrain of critics these days. Well, there's no doubt that Lang Lang -- the young, Chinese-born pianist whose baby face belies a powerhouse virtuoso technique -- has a unique view of these two popular concertos. The Tchaikovsky, in particular, is given a very personal reading in which every phrase seems to be reconsidered afresh. Tempos are on the slow side, and there is a focus on detail that puts this account somewhat outside the interpretive mainstream. Yet, somehow, it works, partly because Lang Lang has such a sensitive partner in Daniel Barenboim on the podium. Barenboim elicits some glorious pianissimo playing from the Chicago Symphony to match Lang Lang's expressive delicacy. But not to worry, the big moments are given their due. In the Tchaikovsky, one might not expect such a light touch, but the Mendelssohn demands one, and Lang Lang's quicksilver performance is remarkably sure-footed. The quiet playing is exquisite (and, again, there's lots of it), but it is the rhythmic buoyancy that impresses most here. Lang Lang will undoubtedly refine his views of both concertos as his career progresses, but this disc is evidence of a remarkably individual and refined musical imagination at work. Andrew Farach-Colton

New York Times

There seems no limit to where [Lang Lang's] gifts can take him. Michael Kimmelman

Gramophone

Lang Lang's performances of the Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn concertos bear out glowing reports of his youthful brilliance and sensitivity.... With such sparkling playing -- Lang Lang erupting into a winningly joyful account of the finale [of the Mendelssohn] -- this makes a rare and attractive coupling for the distinctive account of the Tchaikovsky. Edward Greenfield

Time Out New York

Unsurprisingly, Lang Lang is equal to the considerable challenges of Tchaikovsky's well-worn Piano Concerto No. 1, tossing off its demanding runs and leaping octaves with considerable brio.... Both performances provide further evidence of a young star who warrants continued attention.

Philadelphia Inquirer

You fall in love with the [Tchaikovsky] all over again...thanks partly to Barenboim's unusually thoughtful conducting and to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which delivers blazing accompaniment.... Lang Lang gives the music nuance and intimacy. David Patrick Stearns

Chicago Tribune

The sheer pianistic command, the charismatic style, the barnstorming brilliance are much as one remembers.... The Mendelssohn concerto [is] a young man's work that this young man plays with an irresistibly youthful joie de vivre.

Courier-Post

Lang Lang's prodigious technique makes these challenging scores sound easy. He produces a lovely, lustrous sound at all dynamic levels and shows a mastery of the piano pyrotechnics that abound in both concertos. Robert Baxter

Seattle Times

The headlong passion and youthful effervescence Lang Lang always brings to the keyboard explodes here in performances that consistently arrest the attention.