Lang Lang, Zubin Mehta, the Wiener Philharmoniker - the only thing that
could make an outdoor orchestral concert more attractive would be a
spectacular venue, such as a majestic Baroque palace. And here it is:
Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace, with its brightly lit facade on a resplendent
summer evening! Held the day before the final match of the Euro 2008
football championship, this concert rallied both football fans and music
lovers to Vienna's most beautiful imperial palace.
At 26, Lang Lang is already considered as one of the top pianists in the
world. He made his international breakthrough at the age of 17, and has
since been performing with all major orchestras and leading conductors.
In this concert, the young Chinese artist - the "pop star" of the
international piano elite - dazzled his way into the hearts of the
audience with his rendition of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2. "His
mighty, lightning-fast finger acrobatics were virtuoso and technically
perfect - amazing to the eyes and ears." (Wiener Zeitung)
Conductor Zubin Mehta, who had warmed up the Wiener Philharmoniker with
Weber's Oberon Overture before tackling the Chopin, led his musicians in
a rousing performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony after the
intermission. Now crisply outlined against the dark-blue sky, Schönbrunn
Palace transformed itself into an expressive backdrop for Beethoven's
dramatic symphonic masterpiece. The excitement was not over with the
last chord, however, as Lang Lang returned to give several encores,
including Chopin's A-flat major Polonaise, which "roused the audience to
rapturous standing ovations." (Wiener Zeitung)
