On track: From cartoons to live at Carnegie Hall

By WILLIAM DART

Chinese pianist Lang Lang reveals his age when interviewed, enthusing over Norah Jones and Britney Spears and revealing that some of his first musical influences were the soundtracks to Tom and Jerry cartoons.

His 2003 Carnegie Hall recital, now available on Deutsche Grammophon, shows a young man riding a wave of media frenzy. (It's significant that DG reverentially allots the introductory applause its own 26-second track.)

Lang has had this programme on the road for some time. It was his Wigmore Hall debut five months before Carnegie, and he's presently taking it around the United States to promote the new CD.

Perhaps it will provide an encore when he plays in Auckland with the NZSO in August.

The recital sets off confidently and the Schumann Abegg Variations glitter agreeably.

It's an early work (Schumann's Opus 1) and, let's face it, mostly a matter of digital dexterity.

Lang gave us Haydn in his 2000 Tanglewood recital and this time he's chosen the composer's late C major Sonata.

Dexterity isn't quite enough in the fast movements, especially a Finale which bypasses its essential esprit, although the Adagio has a measured eloquence to it.

Heavyweight virtuoso fare is supplied by Schubert and Liszt.

Schubert's Wanderer Fantasie takes the breath away but leaves the soul intact, although there are glimmers of something deeper stirring in its Adagio.

On the second disc, Liszt's Reminiscences of Don Juan has more cheek than charisma and its thumping Finale suggests that death by stone statue could be preferable.

Lang acknowledges his Chinese heritage with Tan Dun's Eight Memories in Watercolour which, alas, are watery affairs; Debussy with jet lag.

Among the encores, there's another exotic crowd-pleaser when Lang's father comes on with his Chinese fiddle and the two romp through a tawdry arrangement that sounds as if it's been worked up while playing the provincial circus circuit.

Talking encores, Schumann's Traumerei and Liszt's Liebestraum show Lang at his unassuming best, although two pieces aired in New York didn't make the disc - a Grunfeld transcription of Johann Strauss and Horovitz's arrangement of Stars and Stripes Forever - curious omissions, as there is oodles of room on that second disc.

* Lang Lang Live at Carnegie Hall (Deutsche Grammophon 474 820)