REVIEW: Eric Lu in Recital

©️ Photo by Ed Maitland Smith

Framed as a Chopin evening, the programme moves across a wide span of Frédéric Chopin’s writing, from early works to the larger, more architecturally assured pieces of his later years. The Polonaise in B-flat major Op. 71 No. 2 and Nocturne in C-sharp minor Op. 27 No. 1 sit alongside the expansive Ballade No. 4 in F minor Op. 52 and the Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor Op. 58, forming a portrait that traces both growth and continuity. Before this, however, Lu opens with Franz Schubert, selecting three of the Four Impromptus D.935 as a kind of preface.

Written in 1827, these Impromptus carry an unexpected emotional depth in the way their gestures and moods are articulated. The first, in F minor, begins with a restless, almost declamatory idea before easing into more intimate exchanges between the hands, where melodic fragments pass across a constantly shifting texture. Lu does not rush this contrast. He allows the line to come to rest, giving weight to each transition without overstatement. The second, in A-flat major, turns inward, shaped with a steady, hymn-like clarity. The final F minor Impromptu introduces a sharper rhythmic profile, its dance character edged with accents and sudden harmonic turns. Here, Lu leans into the energy while keeping the structure intact.

What emerges in these opening works, and continues through the programme, is a performer attentive to detail at an unhurried pace. There is patience in how phrases are built, and a willingness to let the music unfold without pressure. It creates a sense of breadth in the recital, even in its more turbulent passages.

The move into Chopin feels continuous, though the emotional range widens. The Fourth Ballade is shaped with a clear sense of direction, its narrative gathering force through accumulation. In the Third Sonata, Lu finds a firmer structural line, particularly in the opening movement, where the larger architecture holds. The Largo stands out for its sustained stillness, while the Finale pushes forward with urgency, if not always with complete ease in its transitions.

Throughout the evening, the playing remains introspective and expansive, with close attention to nuance balanced against moments of intensity, touched by a certain vulnerability. Lu returned three times for encores, each met with sustained enthusiasm. At the age of 26, the Massachusetts-born pianist, winner of First Prize at the 2025 International Chopin Piano Competition and First Prize at the 2018 Leeds International Piano Competition, plays with a control that is finely shaped and still evolving.

★★★★

For more infomation about Eric Lu in Recital, please visit: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/eric-lu-in-recital