In addition to the sparkling solo piano music are colourful orchestral works and a host of celebrity guest artists, such as Lang Lang’s wife Gina Alice, who sings ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ (“It’s so beautiful, I really felt like a wish is being granted when I hear it,” says Lang Lang). There are also appearances from singer Andrea Bocelli (‘You’ll Be In My Heart’ from Tarzan, 1999), pianist Jon Batiste (‘It’s All Right’ from Soul, 2020) and guitarist Miloš, who performs ‘Remember Me’ the lullaby from 2017’s Coco. Lang Lang’s new album The Disney Book – which has been released to mark The Walt Disney Company’s centenary – was recorded over multiple sessions in New York, Shanghai, Paris and London, where the pianist joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Robert Ziegler. “The whole thing was a learning experience for everyone, including me,” reflects Lang Lang. “The orchestra was wonderful – the colours are so strong. We knew that these songs are so important to Disney fans and we wanted to do them justice.” Some of the world’s top arrangers, including Sir Stephen Hough, Natalie Tenenbaum and Randy Kerber, created new solo piano and orchestral versions of Disney’s iconic melodies, evoking the soundscapes of Debussy and Chopin, as well as the virtuosity of Liszt and Horowitz. Lang Lang noted, “These new versions are tailor-made for me. I wanted something really artistic and pianistic.”

Lang Lang – The Disney Book (2022, CD) - Discogs Lang Lang – The Disney Book (2022, CD) - Discogs

Lang Lang is a leading figure in classical music today – as a pianist, educator and philanthropist he has become one of the world’s most influential and committed ambassadors for the arts in the 21st century. Equally happy playing for billions of viewers at the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremony in Beijing or just for a few hundred children in the public schools, he is a master of communicating through music. The Disney Book traces the history of music in Disney films from the 1920s to the present day and includes new versions of songs from Pinocchio and The Jungle Book to Frozen and Encanto. Lang Lang explained, “Animation sparked my imagination and transported me to other worlds. The music was a big part of this experience – and led to my life-long love of classical music. There is such a variety of styles in Disney songs; truly, something to inspire everyone. I hope that people of all ages will enjoy this recording and experience the joy that we all felt the first time we saw a Disney film.” Watch Lang Lang’s video for ‘Feed the Birds’ Animated characters, he adds, are not constrained by national boundaries or narrow cultural conventions. Above all, they satisfy every child’s need for fantasy. “Animation is this magical thing to kids. If you’re teaching and tell them about a real person, I think that’s less effective than using animation. It’s like a magnet that takes them into a magical world, which is real but also a fantasy. This is what kids love the most.”Lang Lang started playing the piano aged three, and gave his first public recital before the age of five. He entered Beijing’s Central Music Conservatory aged nine, and won First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians at 13. He subsequently went to Philadelphia to study with legendary pianist Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute of Music. He was seventeen when his big break came, substituting for André Watts at the Gala of the Century, playing Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach: he became an overnight sensation and the invitations started to pour in. The Disney Book’ features joyous new versions of songs from“Pinocchio”and“The Jungle Book”to“Frozen”and“Encanto,” along with several collaborators from across the globe.Andrea Bocelliprovides vocals for “You’ll Be in My Heart” from“Tarzan;” singer-songwriter and pianistJon Batisterevisits his Oscar®-winning“Soul” score with “It’s All Right;” and Colombian singer/songwriterSebastián Yatraperforms the Oscar-nominated song “Dos Oruguitas” from“Encanto.” There are also guest appearances from guitaristMiloš, Chinese erhu playerGuo Gan, and Lang Lang’s wifeGina Alice, plus theRoyal Philharmonic Orchestraand conductorRobert Ziegler. Inspired by iconic Disney film melodies, these reimagined classics invite fans of all ages to enjoy classical music through unique interpretations by Lang Lang. All songs will be available beginning on September 16, 2022 on Deutsche Grammophon, in collaboration with Disney Music Group. The combination of Lang Lang and Disney demanded and received extravagant musical arrangements. The pianist recalls learning from the experience of making his New York Rhapsody album, in which he often played second fiddle to the recording’s raft of vocalists. “This taught me a huge lesson,” he observes. “Sometimes you make mistakes, especially in a new area which you’ve never explored before. But for The Disney Book, I said to my team, ‘We need to find the best transcribers.’ People like Stephen Hough, Thomas Lauderdale, Natalie Tenenbaum from the Juilliard School of Music, David Hamilton—the best musicians who can make the most amazing arrangements. We built up this army of incredible piano transcribers and then worked really hard to make sure that this album was not going to be like ballroom music.” For about a decade Lang Lang has contributed to musical education worldwide. In 2008 he founded the Lang Lang International Music Foundation aimed at cultivating tomorrow’s top pianists, championing music education at the forefront of technology, and building a young audience through live music experiences. In 2013 Lang Lang was designated by the Secretary General of the United Nations as a Messenger of Peace focusing on global education.

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Fleet-fingered glissandos, scurrying basslines and intricately carved melodies fill the solo piano versions of ‘Whistle While You Work’ ( Snow White, 1937) and the theme to 1991’s Beauty and the Beast. This style of transcription – a ‘reimagining’ of a work – has its roots in the 19th century, when composers such as Liszt created versions of famous operas for the piano, designed to explore the extremities of a pianist’s technique. An equivalent today might be a sampling of an old pop tune in a faster, brighter version – or the TikTok trend of layering new interpretations, brilliantly demonstrated through Nathan Evans’ ‘Wellerman’ video that went viral in 2021. It is this virtuosic approach that appealed to Lang Lang when embarking on his new album The Disney Book. “I wanted something really artistic and pianistic,” he says. Alongside Hough’s fizzing arrangements is a sophisticated Mary Poppins medley by Natalie Tennenbaum and a plaintive version of ‘My Own Home’ ( The Jungle Book) by Thomas Lauderdale. Features Andrea Bocelli, Jon Batiste, Miloš and Gina Alice We had a really big success with Piano Book, which reached a lot of people who were new to classical music after it was released in 2019,” Lang recalls. “So, we began thinking, ‘What can we do to help them take the next step?’ Of course, we could have done a Piano Book Two, but that was not going to make a tremendous difference. Then we began thinking about animation because it had played the biggest part of my life as a kid.”The Disney Book features star guests including Andrea Bocelli, Jon Batiste, Sebastián Yatra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Robert Ziegler. If I had to choose one Disney melody,” says Lang Lang, “it would have to be ‘When You Wish Upon a Star.’ That’s so symbolic. I originally asked Pharrell Williams to sing this. He freaked out! He’s like, ‘You can ask me to do something else. But this song, I’m afraid to sing it. Everybody knows the melody—it’s really hard to sing.’ It seemed like nobody wanted to do it. So, I asked Gina, ‘What do you think?’ She said, ‘Look, I’m a pianist, not a real singer. Let’s do it.’ And she sings it beautifully!” If I had to choose one Disney melody,” says Lang Lang, “it would have to be ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’. That’s so symbolic. I originally asked Pharrell Williams to sing this. He freaked out! He’s like, ‘You can ask me to do something else. But this song, I’m afraid to sing it. Everybody knows the melody—it’s really hard to sing.’ It seemed like nobody wanted to do it. So, I asked Gina, ‘What do you think?’ She said, ‘Look, I’m a pianist, not a real singer. Let’s do it.’ And she sings it beautifully!” The album’s first single releasing today is a song beloved by fans and heralded as Walt Disney’s favorite song from“Mary Poppins:” ‘Feed the Birds.’Captured as dawn broke over the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle at the Disneyland Park, the music video captures the magic of Lang Lang’s album and of Walt Disney’s legacy. Watch the magic of that morning unfold and enjoy this beautiful new arrangement of ‘Feed the Birds!’ Justin on World Premiere Release of Ernest Gold’s ‘Tom Horn’&‘Gore Vidal’s Lincoln’ Scores Announced