A medley of emotions

The notable new recording from pianist Gina Alice Redlinger reflects the life-changing experiences of motherhood, her high-profile marriage and moving to China, Chen Nan reports.

There are two concerts that pianist Gina Alice Redlinger will never forget.

One is a concert she attended with her father in Berlin when she was 10 years old, where she saw Chinese pianist Lang Lang performing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1. It was the first time that she saw a live performance of his and, 15 years later, they would be married.

The other is a concert held in her hometown of Wiesbaden, where Lang played Bach's Goldberg Variations on March 1, 2020. The recital marked the first of many scheduled to be held throughout Europe, North America and Asia in support of Lang's recording of the Bach piece.

After Redlinger and Lang tied the knot, punctuated with a wedding banquet at the Palace of Versailles in France in June 2019, she moved to China and has gained a significant fan base in the country as the wife of the famed pianist.

On Nov 5, Redlinger released her debut album, titled Wonderworld, with which she hopes to return to the role of a pianist in her own right.

Released by Deutsche Grammophon, the album features a compilation of 28 pieces, including classical, modern, Western, Chinese, jazz and movie tunes, reflecting the experience and life changes of the pianist after she moved to China, as a wife and became a new mother.

"I spent 14 days recording the pieces in Shanghai, which I selected myself. Each one has a story to tell and I am happy to share them with the listeners," says Redlinger, adding that her husband, Lang, was with her every day during the recording. "He has lots of experience recording albums, which he shared with me," she adds. Lang is also credited as the album's producer.

"It's the first time that I produced an album. I know that this album is meaningful for my wife," says Lang. "She has been dedicated to taking care of the family after we got married. She is also a talented pianist."

Unlike performing in concert halls, it was an intimate and intense experience playing those pieces in the studio, Redlinger notes.

"I have been playing these pieces since I was a child. Every note has a meaning. I have tried to bring out my very true emotions in the moment," she says.

Tracks on the album include German composer Robert Schumann's Traumerei, Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude in D Major Op 23 No 4, Chopin's Nocturne Op 9 No 2 and Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi's Merry-Go-Round of Life, one of the soundtracks of the animated fantasy film, Howl's Moving Castle, directed by Hayao Miyazaki.