Lang Lang – Pianodao

Lang Lang Piano Book 2

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

The Lang Lang Piano Book is undoubtedly one of the music publishing landmarks of recent years, a collection of inspiring pieces for advancing players selected by the classical superstar in part because of the joy many of them added to his own musical learning as a child. Now available as the paperback Encore Edition, I have reviewed it here in depth.

Following the success of the original publication and CD double album, a sequel was perhaps commercially inevitable, and is now here. Lang Lang Piano Book 2 delivers another 30 piano pieces, both as a recorded album from Deutsche Grammophon (CD, vinyl, download, streaming), and as a Faber Music piano anthology.

We are told that for this second installment the pianist has included “a rich blend of playable classics alongside neoclassical pieces and music from film, pop and video games”, marking something of a departure from the first collection. So let’s investigate further…

Lang Lang • Piano Book

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

When The Lang Lang Piano Book appeared in 2019 as a deluxe hardback publication from Faber Music, I described it as ‘sumptuous’. In the years since, several who come for lessons with me have enjoyed Lang Lang’s outstanding selection of popular classics and lesser-known pieces.

The original Artist Approved Collector’s Edition is now being replaced by the new Encore Edition, including scores of four additional pieces which appeared on the extended version of Lang Lang’s DG recording of the same name. This review similarly replaces my original one with an update that considers the publication in its new form.

The full list of pieces will appear later in this review (see below). But let me say from the outset that it’s a great list, and that I am sure that many will enjoy the Lang Lang Piano Book and welcome it as a strong anthology for early advanced players, the bulk of the material suitable at around UK Grades 6-8.

Lang Lang’s Technical Exercises

Educational Resources

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Lang Lang’s Daily Technical Exercises is a new addition to the Lang Lang Piano Academy series published in the UK by Faber Music.

Subtitled, “Warm-ups, work-outs and scale routines to develop technique”, the book is introduced by its global superstar author with this encouragement:

“Everything you play should be performed with love and musicality, so all of these exercises are designed to be satisfying exercise patterns that lead you smoothly through all the key centres. Enjoy your scale practice, and your piano playing will take off!”