Lang Lang: next album announced as Bach's Goldberg Variations (photo: Olaf Heine)

Lang Lang has today announced that his next album will be a recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, the recording of which he describes as a lifelong dream.

Set for release on Deutsche Grammophon on September 4, the release will contain two performances: the first recorded in concert at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche, where Bach worked and where he is buried; the second a studio recording, made shortly afterwards.

‘I’m now 38 and, while that’s not old, I think the time was right for a new stage in my artistic development,’ says Lang Lang. ‘I’ve moved into new terrain with the Goldberg Variations and really immersed myself fully in this project. My goal as an artist is to keep becoming more self-aware and more knowledgeable, as well as to keep offering inspiration to others. It’s an ongoing process, but this project has taken me a little further along the path.’

Lang Lang is among the few living classical musicians that could be considered a mainstream global star, and recent years have seen him use that position to encourage and nurture a love of classical music among children through education projects and releases, including his chart-topping 2019 release Piano Book. Returning to recording an album of repertoire of this nature – a work that’s been in his repertoire for half his life - is clearly a significant moment for the pianist.

‘Playing in the Thomaskirche, where Bach is buried, was unbelievably emotional for me,’ the pianist added. ‘I’ve never felt as close to a composer as I did during that recital. The live version is very spontaneous, whereas in the studio version my playing is different – very considered and reflective. In a concert situation you experience the 100-minute work as a whole. In the studio you can focus on individual details and nuances, and of course that can affect the musical experience quite substantially.’

Watch a video of Lang Lang playing the opening Aria of Bach's Goldberg Variations below.