The Disney Book

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Fri, July 28, 2023 New Ghoulishly Delightful Ways to Celebrate ‘Haunted Mansion’ Film at Disney Parks

‘The Disney Book’ Album from Lang Lang launches with Stunning

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. 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. In 2016, the multi award-winning pianist was invited to perform at the grand opening of Shanghai Disney Resort and wowed the audience with a spectacular classical reimagining of the 2014 Frozen anthem, ‘Let It Go’. The album will be released on 16 September on Deutsche Grammophon in collaboration with Disney Music Group, and the first single, ‘Feed The Birds’ from 1964 film, Mary Poppins, is already out. The Disney Book features star guests including Andrea Bocelli performing ‘You’ll Be in My Heart’ from Tarzan; singer-songwriter and pianist Jon Batiste with ‘It’s All Right’ from his Oscar-winning Soul score; Colombian singer-songwriter Sebastián Yatra with ‘Dos Oruguitas from Encanto as well as guitarist Miloš, Chinese erhu player Guo Gan, Lang Lang’s wife Gina Alice, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Robert Ziegler.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.” 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.” 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!’ Lang Lang noted, “There is such a variety of styles in Disney songs; there is 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.”

Lang Lang - Royal Albert Hall Lang Lang - Royal Albert Hall

The inspiration for this album came from Lang Lang’s own personal journey and history with Disney films. Lang Lang shares, “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 .” 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’ 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. Justin on World Premiere Release of Ernest Gold’s ‘Tom Horn’&‘Gore Vidal’s Lincoln’ Scores AnnouncedCelebrating 100 years of Disney, Lang Lang’s new album features iconic melodies from Pinocchio to Encanto, all reimagined for the piano. Collaborators on the album include the operatic tenor, Andrea Bocelli, singer-songwriter and pianist Jon Batiste, and Colombian singer-songwriter Sebastián Yatra. 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!” 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.”