Welcome to The Works, our weekly playlist showcasing highlights from the latest and best classical albums, all performed by some of the world’s finest artists and ensembles. This week’s track features Liszt’s shimmering “Consolation No. 2” from Lang Lang’s Piano Book 2, the second part in the pianist’s continuing mission to inspire a new generation of piano students. “This piece has always touched me deeply,” Lang Lang tells Apple Music Classical. “It has this incredible balance between intimacy and grandeur—almost like a whispered prayer that suddenly opens up into something universal. It’s not one of Liszt’s most famous pieces, but precisely for that reason I wanted to highlight it. There is so much tenderness and humanity in this short work.” And it’s perfect for aspiring pianists, too, who want to enter Liszt’s magical world without having to scale the colossal technical challenges that the 19th-century composer’s music often presents. “On the surface, it looks simple—the notes lie quite comfortably under the hands—but the challenge is in the sound,” adds Lang Lang. “It’s all about voicing, about creating a singing tone, about timing the rubato so that it feels natural. Every phrase has to feel like breathing. That’s much more difficult than playing big virtuosic runs.” Don’t forget that we regularly update The Works, so if you find a piece of music or a performance you particularly love, be sure to add it to your library.