Lang Lang Piano Academy -- Mastering the Piano: Level 3 -- Technique, studies and repertoire for the developing pianist

by Lang Lang

Mastering the piano is the first series of books to be launched in the Lang Lang Piano Academy, a major new piano program encompassing a range of materials for pianists of all levels. Comprising five progressive books, mastering the piano captures Lang Lang's passion, drive and extraordinary mastery of the piano. Each book gives students the chance to learn from this exceptional talent who has impressed the world.

Units in Lang Lang Piano mastering the piano, Level 3 (approximately equivalent to Grade 3/Late Elementary) focus on exploring the keyboard, developing dexterity, the pedal, strengthening your hands, chords, playing in new keys, independent fingers, and independent hands. Xmas Bells (Hindson) * Cradle Song (Grieg) * Little Prelude in C (attrib. J. S. Bach) * Clowns (Kabalevsky) * Hua hao yue yuan (trad. Chinese) * By Crystal Stream (Carroll) * Les Pifferari (Gounod) * Chant of the Cree (Bullard) * Sarabande (Handel) * The Wild Horseman (Schumann) * Prayer (Karganoff) * Vivace in A (Rathgeber) * Old French Song (Tchaikovsky) * Air from Water Music (Handel) * Romanze (attrib. Beethoven) * El Cóndor Pasa (Robles).

999 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2014

About the author

Journey of a Thousand Miles

Number One was a phrase my father -- and, for that matter, my mother --repeated time and time again. It was a phrase spoken by my parents friends and by their friends children. Whenever adults discussed the great Chinese painters and sculptors from the ancient dynasties, there was always a single artist named as Number One. There was the Number One leader of a manufacturing plant, the Number One worker, the Number One scientist, the Number One car mechanic. In the culture of my childhood, being best was everything. It was the goal that drove us, the motivation that gave life meaning. And if, by chance or fate or the blessings of the generous universe, you were a child in whom talent was evident, Number One became your mantra. It became mine. I never begged my parents to take off the pressure. I accepted it; I even enjoyed it. It was a game, this contest among aspiring pianists, and although I may have been shy, I was bold, even at age five, when faced with a field of rivals.

Born in China to parents whose musical careers were interrupted by the Cultural Revolution, Lang Lang has emerged as one of the greatest pianists of our time. Yet despite his fame, few in the West know of the heart-wrenching journey from his early childhood as a prodigy in an industrial city in northern China to his difficult years in Beijing to his success today.

Journey of a Thousand Miles documents the remarkable, dramatic story of a family who sacrificed almost everything -- his parents marriage, financial security, Lang Langs childhood, and their reputation in Chinas insular classical music world -- for the belief in a young boys talent. And it reveals the devastating and intense relationship between a boy and his father, who was willing to go to any length to make his son a star.

An engaging, informative cultural commentator who bridges East and West, Lang Lang has written more than an autobiography: his book opens a door to China, where Lang Lang is a cultural icon, at a time when the worlds attention will be on Beijing. Journey of a Thousand Miles is an inspiring story that will give readers an appreciation for the courage and sacrifice it takes to achieve greatness."