Lang Lang in need of further rest

Fears have arisen that Lang Lang’s long-term recovery is in jeopardy after another round of high-profile cancellations. Due to play Bartók’s Second Piano Concerto with the Berliner Philharmoniker this month, he has pulled out both of the orchestra’s subscription concerts at its home and on a tour of East Asia, citing the need for additional time to recover from the tendonitis which has afflicted him throughout the year.

The 25-year-old pianist has already cancelled most of the year’s concerts, though he made a striking exception last month for the annual gala at Carnegie Hall, where he played Gershwin with the right hand while Maxim Lando, his 14-year-old protégé, supplied the missing hand.

Lang Lang has also cancelled his prospective recital appearance at the Berlin Philharmonie in April 2018, which will be more than a year after he was initially forced to cancel three months of engagements.

The affliction is common in pianists and string players, especially those with so punishingly relentless a playing schedule as Lang Lang’s, and the most reliable treatment for reducing inflammation in the affected joint is prolonged rest.

Berliner Philharmoniker audiences can be assured, however, of distinguished substitutes: Seong-Jin Cho, playing Ravel in Berlin, and Yuja Wang, who will join the orchestra on tour to Guangzhou, Wuhan, Shanghai and Tokyo with her renowned strong-arm approach to Bartók.

In the meantime, here at Pianist, we wish Lang Lang a speedy recovery. We miss you and your fabulous playing! We came across this video, and just love its title: '74  Seconds of Virtuosity'. So we wanted to share with Lang Lang fans....