Thursday night’s concert in Amsterdam, on a rather grey and chilly June evening was all about Lang Lang. Tickets were like gold dust, devoted fans came prepared with their copies of his CDs and various piano music for the man himself to sign; all with their sparkly permanent pens at the ready. This was not just any classical music concert. Lang Lang was in town!
The Programme
The Concert
The Encore
Lang Lang performed a stunning encore, Rainbow Connection, an arrangement of film music from The Muppet Movie by the British jazz pianist and arranger, Paul Williams, in a display of great virtuosity. Whoever thought music associated with Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy could be so emotional, so virtuosic. Who else would have the nerve to play music from The Muppet Show in an all-Beethoven concert in one of the most historically important concert halls in Europe? It was just perfect!
The Partnership
Lang Lang collaborated with Andris Nelsons and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra for this all-Beethoven concert tour across the great capital cities of Europe. Nelsons, the 44-year-old Latvian conductor, is well-known to British audiences after his tenure as principal conductor and Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) from 2007 – 2015. He now spends much of his time working with the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Lang Lang the Inspiration
This was no ordinary classical music concert and this was reflected in the audience with some quite young children sitting beside some very proud parents. Lang Lang’s special gift is to speak in two different worlds whilst always retaining musical excellence. As performances at The King’s Coronation Concert show, Lang Lang continues to shine a light on musical excellence in all genres and uses his popularity to reach an increasingly diverse audience. He is the ultimate role model for aspiring students, possessing a firm ethos of dedication and craftsmanship.
The Interval
Interval drinks are included in the price of a ticket at most concerts in The Netherlands and are very civilised affairs as a consequence – no pushing and jostling at the bar! On this occasion, after standing chatting for a while, I felt a little tap on my shoulder. It was a retired gentleman who was seated a couple of rows behind us who had recognized that I was writing a review. He was curious to know what Lang Lang had played as an encore, and thought I might be able to help, which of course I was!
We discussed how Lang Lang usually performs a piece from his latest album and that I had indeed wondered if he would play some Disney music in the Concertgebouw? Was music from Beauty and the Beast or Mulan appropriate as an encore after performing Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto? Rainbow Collection from The Muppet Show, was perfect.
I learnt that the gentleman in question lived just across the road and had been attending concerts at the Concertgebouw for nearly 30 years, sometimes up to 40 concerts in a year. This is not the first time I have heard such a story. The audience here in Amsterdam is incredibly loyal and are more than willing to pay to listen to a vast and diverse range of music.
After the Concert
British trumpeter, Christopher Dicken; Australian trombonist, Jonathan Ramsey, (now solo trombonist with the Berlin Phil) and German trombonist, Andreas Klein. I am told that the use of natural trumpets dates back to the orchestra’s early days | © Clare Varney
Hero Worship – Past and Present
The bar upstairs in the Concertgebouw is lined with beautiful artwork including a number of busts of some rather important musicians from the past who have performed in this historic venue. Pictured above is the Russian-born pianist, Vladimir Horowitz who last performed at the Concertgebouw on November 23rd, 1986. The picture below from the National Archive is of people queueing before this very performance, all waiting for their hero of the day – Horowitz. How different the Concertgebouw looks today!
Reviewed at The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam on Thursday 1st June, 2023
Click here to read the full review on Bachtrack.
Click here to read more about Lang Lang’s recent partnership and performance with Nicole Scherzinger at The King’s Coronation Concert, May 2023.
Follow Clare Varney on Facebook or Instagram to read more about Music, Food and Culture
