Pianist Lang Lang tackles Mozart

Lang Lang
“The Mozart Album”
(Sony Masterworks)

This double-CD set is the first all-Mozart recording from the Chinese-born piano virtuoso Lang Lang, who at age 32 has achieved something approaching matinee idol popularity for his performances of classical music.

He’s also enjoyed unusual crossover success: This year alone he popped up at the World Cup concert in Rio de Janeiro, where he appeared with tenor Placido Domingo, and at the Grammy Awards, where he performed with Metallica.

Until now, Lang Lang’s prodigious technique and charisma have seemed best suited to composers of the 19th-century romantic repertory, including Liszt and Chopin. So for this foray into Mozart, he was wise to choose conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt, a specialist in 17th- and 18th-century music, as his collaborator.

On the first CD, Harnoncourt and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra accompany Lang Lang in two concertos, the sunny No. 17 in G major and the majestic No. 24 in C minor, the latter one of Mozart’s greatest compositions. Lang Lang plays the solo parts with a restraint that is no doubt due in part to Harnoncourt’s careful shaping of the musical line.

The pianist is on his own for the second disc, a solo tour through three sonatas, plus some shorter works, including the Allegro for Piano in F major, which was written when Mozart was just 8 and clocks in at a mere 56 seconds.

Here the results are less consistent. Lang Lang’s technique is never in question: Note how fearlessly and accurately he races through the familiar Rondo alla turca. But occasionally his penchant for the dramatic -- a particularly emphatic crescendo here, a stretched-out melodic phrase there -- threatens to overwhelm these elegant pieces. (AP)


Jessie Ware cruises on sophomore album

Jessie Ware
“Tough Love”
(Interscope)

Jessie Ware’s “Tough Love” is lovely, and that’s not a tepid endorsement. No, the English singer’s sophomore disc is lovely in the way of a sunset or a cruise around the lazy river after a long day at the waterpark.

The whole thing is a pleasure to enjoy, with Ware laying bare her aches and pains over a series of down-tempo tracks, her vocals easing listeners from song to song like a gentle current.

The title track and lead single, produced by BenZel (the duo that includes heavy hitter Benny Blanco), has Prince-in-the-’80s written all over it, and Ware certainly does the vibe justice. She channels the music icon again on “You & I (Forever),” a gem that credits fellow Prince fan, R&B singer Miguel, who also lends his songwriting help on the deliciously sultry R&B track, “Kind of. Sometimes. Maybe.”

“Sweetest Song” very nearly lives up to its title, thanks to lush layers of guitars and echoing background vocals. “Champagne Kisses” is fun, and the vocal harmonies of “Keep on Lying” are nothing short of beautiful.

Ware’s easygoing pace sometimes works against her, though, increasing the likelihood that listeners are lulled into listening autopilot. But an unexpected musical build up or twist, such as in the final minute or so of the Ed Sheeran-assisted “Say You Love Me,” does a good job of keeping ears engaged.

Other times, like on “Pieces,” Ware arrests attention from the beginning. “It’s illogical, I was nothing without you, you oughta know, I was lost when I found you,” she sings, exerting her voice over a striking arrangement of strings.

Ware’s “Tough Love” is certainly not for everyone, but of course, neither are sunsets or lazy rivers. (AP)



Dionne Warwick’s duets album is uneven

Dionne Warwick
“Feels So Good”
(Bright Music Records)

The duets from Dionne Warwick’s new album show her remarkable voice undiminished by time, still as sweet and melodious as ever. Her phrasing and delivery sound easy and effortless. And the choice of material is, of course, beyond reproach, relying heavily on classics composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

So the combination of Warwick with a number of younger performers, as well as some who’ve been around for decades, should have been a winner. But the record struggles to find a groove -- a common shortcoming of duet compilations -- and some of the arrangements sound a bit flat, too polished to carry an emotional wallop.

There are exceptions. “Every Once in a While” with Eric Paslay is spare and convincing, filled with yearning for a time that cannot be recovered. A quirky reggae version of “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” with Ziggy Marley seems to combine a dozen different styles into a witty rendition that works; and Phil Driscoll brings a welcome touch of Barry White to “This Guy/This Girl’s In Love With You.”

A country-inflected “Hope is Just Ahead” with Billy Ray Cyrus manages to deal with the horrors of school shootings and other modern-day troubles without giving in to despair -- their voices work well together, and the Motown-style horns and acoustic guitars somehow mesh.

But what should have been a dream team pairing with Gladys Knight on “I Know, I’ll Never Love this Way Again” fails to bring out the best in these two giants, and Cyndi Lauper doesn’t really add much to “Message to Michael,” which was probably perfect the first time around. (AP)