Lang Lang says Bach the remedy for troubled times
Print Edition
In times of crisis, star Chinese pianist Lang Lang believes music is the best medicine, especially Bach, who he says penned the perfect soundtrack for these pandemic-troubled times more than 250 years ago.
The globe-trotting performer, born in the northeastern city of Shenyang in 1982, became famous playing the great romantic composers and has been 鈥渒eeping his hands warm鈥 returning to them in recent months.
But mastery of Bach has been the quest of a lifetime, he says.
鈥淢usic is a good remedy in these particular times,鈥 he said, ahead of the release of his version of the Goldberg Variations on Friday.
鈥淏ach, if we compare him to other great composers, has an even greater healing power.鈥
To tackle the 鈥淰ariations鈥 鈥 one of the most difficult pieces in Bach鈥檚 repertoire due to its great variety of styles 鈥 Lang Lang drew deep on his past.
The pianist played the 30 Variations 鈥渁t the age of 10鈥 and knew them entirely by heart seven years later.
鈥淢emorising them wasn鈥檛 that hard, because I started early.鈥
But 鈥渢o be ready ... 27 years. That鈥檚 the truth,鈥 he said.
鈥淚 have been waiting to really get to know the piece better.鈥
With the live entertainment world thrown into disarray by the virus, Lang Lang 鈥 a prolific performer who used to give at least 90 concerts a year before the pandemic 鈥 says he has missed playing in front of audiences.
鈥淲hat I missed the most is the stage,鈥 said Lang Lang, adding that he hoped a medical breakthrough could help end the disruption.
鈥淚 wait for the vaccine, I get a shot and I go on a trip.鈥
He has not been entirely absent from his audiences. In April he accompanied Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Andrea Bocelli and John Legend in a virtual concert celebrating health workers.
Despite his fame, he said he would not force his children into learning.
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