Eric Lu, the pianist who won both the Leeds International Piano Competition and the Chopin International Piano Competition, has released a new recording of Schubert's eight Impromptus. The album follows his 2022 release of Schubert's late sonatas and cements his reputation as a serious talent.
Lu's approach to these pieces is mature and un-egotistical, attuned to Schubert's overarching structures. He conjures a mesmerising feeling of stasis while keeping the music alive with detail beneath the surface. In several Impromptus, time seems to stand still.
From the lonely opening of Op 90 No 1, Lu draws the listener in with expansive phrasing. His playing can be weightier than some, but his lines extend into the distance, corners are smoothly turned, and dramatic passages grow organically from what preceded them.
While these performances may not yet be distinctive enough to make this recording a top choice in a crowded field, they certainly back up the decision of the Chopin judges. Lu is a serious talent.
