United Kingdom Varied: Eric Lu (piano), Vancouver Symphony Orchestra / Earl Lee (conductor). Chan Centre, Vancouver, 24.2.2024. (GN)

Zosha di Castri – ‘Pentimento’
R. Schumann – Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.54
Beethoven – Symphony No.6 in F main, Op.68 ‘Pastoral’

There are few younger pianists who’ve taken the world by storm as a lot as has 2018 Leeds Piano Competitors winner Eric Lu. Now 26, he has produced two extensively praised recordings of Schubert and Beethoven/Schumann for Warner and has acquired constant ‘superlatives’ within the highest essential circles.

The pianist’s command and fantastic readability of articulation had been actually on show within the Roberto Schumann concerto, the place his collaborator was the energetic younger Korean/Canadian conductor Earl Lee, at present Music Director of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The efficiency was larger and extra sturdy than normal, with the orchestral forces driving arduous within the outer actions, but it surely achieved uncommon integration. Lu by no means faltered in shifting the work ahead with class, power and precision, even when much less room was left for poetic repose. Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral Symphony’ had one thing of the identical vitality and power of line, and it emerged as nice and entertaining however not notably deep.

The opening motion of the Schumann concerto was very Florestan-like, daring and held on a good rein, with the orchestra shifting ahead within the spirit of Schumann’s ‘Rhenish’ Symphony or Beethoven. Lu confirmed pretty command in his entries, but it surely was the clear transparency and power of his taking part in that stood out greater than its lyrical shaping. This was a robust and direct efficiency, not a rhapsodic one, and never one which sought to probe all of the motion’s contrasted corners of expression. Quantity ranges had been additionally on the loud facet, making the dreamier, extra contemplative passages – such because the well-known duet between clarinet and piano – tougher to understand. The spotlight was the lengthy cadenza which, in Lu’s palms, got here off as a surprising virtuoso tour-de-force taken to nearly Lisztian proportions.

The Intermezzo gave better scope for repose, and Lu displayed an admirable sense of line and feeling. There was a purity and sculpted class in his taking part in and, apparently, a sure grandness later. Sadly, some coordination issues between piano, winds and orchestra occurred within the magical transition to the finale however, as soon as we received there, a searing expertise was in retailer, pushed by the velocity and depth of the orchestral response.

It was a robust, virtuoso interpretation, all the time rhythmically acutely aware, with Lu remarkably agile and sufficiently grand in his pianism. It received me pondering of Brahms and even Rachmaninoff at occasions. There have been some moments of illumination right here, and the motion didn’t come off as inflated and showy for the reason that pianist’s taking part in was so concentrated and communicative all through.

The efficiency impressed by advantage of its integration and consistency and Lu’s sterling pianism. Nonetheless, it’s clear that lots of the mixing was achieved by cutting down the work’s extra delicate moments of attraction, caprice and poetry – a key a part of the composer’s conception of the work as a ‘fantasy’. In order that was the draw back. The opposite story is about Eric Lu’s virtuoso command and energy, which was fairly gorgeous and important to creating this interpretation work.

The pianism witnessed right here was fairly totally different in character from the coaxing, soft-spoken lyricism of, say, his Schubert. His encore, Chopin’s in style Prelude No.15, was superbly etched and had a stunning focus of feeling. It appeared to lie stylistically about midway between the 2, revealing Lu as a pianist of really enviable vary and penetration.

Earl Lee’s studying of Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ had a few of the similar vitality and firmness of line because the concerto, and the conductor made a specific effort to safe wanted character from the woodwinds. The opening motion set off at a fast tempo, giving it the sensation of an harmless, open-air, countryside frolic. This was pleasing sufficient, however the end result was maybe just a little too breezy. It tended to gloss over the sense of latest discovery within the journey, the slight hesitations and doubts en route, whereas the velocity made the gradual crescendos within the motion troublesome to convey off convincingly.

The ‘Scene by the Brook’ was additionally pretty fast however had a agency pulse all through. It mined woodwind character notably nicely, and that’s essential on this motion. I loved it, and my solely concern was that, because the motion progressed, the poignancy of the preliminary expression tended to show into to a much less attention-grabbing ‘serenade’ of kinds – once more maybe barely too shiny.

The ‘Peasant’s Merrymaking’ was given essentially the most cinematic remedy I’ve heard – the peasants foot-stomping their method to unbridled delight, with the horns whooping their method to delirium. Maybe it was just a little over-the-top, however let younger conductors have some enjoyable! The principal hazard in inflating these early passages is that it could make the next thunderstorm anti-climactic, however right here the depth was saved up fairly nicely.

The younger conductor clearly loves the finale however maybe just a little an excessive amount of: the opening violin theme was too effusive and didn’t keep away from sentimentality, and the motion was not freed from rough-and-ready moments. But it surely was a great expertise general. I admired Lee’s spirit and conviction all through: extra depth and reserve will come later.

It was pleasant to see the 2 younger artists come collectively for this live performance. I additionally discover the event in Eric Lu’s imaginative and prescient and expertise astonishing since I first noticed him in 2017. I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out Zosha di Castri’s ‘Pentimento’, a brief work that began the live performance. It has a myriad of decisive percussion and brass results that mix to create rhythmic, nearly dance-like, postures, however I finally felt the piece remained underdeveloped.

Geoffrey Newman