Lang Lang & Andris Nelsons: Saint-Saëns's Piano Concerto No. 2

Chinese superstar Lang Lang is the soloist in Saint-Saëns's scintillating Piano Concerto No.2, joining the Gewandhausorchester and Gewandhauskapellmeister Andris Nelsons. One of the composer's most popular works, the second concerto was written in just 17 days in the spring of 1868 and was once humorously described as "beginning like Bach and ending like Offenbach". Its different styles certainly offer the virtuoso pianist the opportunity to display all sides of his or her technique – as Lang Lang does to scintillating effect here. The Bach-inspired first movement, meanwhile, provides the inspiration for the rest of the programme, which features rare and fascinating Bach orchestrations by Mahler, Elgar and Reger.

Soloist: 

Lang Lang (Piano)

Ensemble: 

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Conductor: 

Andris Nelsons