A full house enthusiastically greeted the slight figure of Seong-Jin Cho for his first solo recital at the Barbican. Since winning the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015 his reputation has developed and he is already one of the most admired pianists of his generation, with a huge following.
In this recital he chose to link the programme in a number of ways. Firstly, there was a Handel connection between the with Suite no. 5 in E major, “The Harmonious Blacksmith” that opened the concert and the Brahms' Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel before the interval. Secondly there was the link between Brahms and Schumann, which was explored in the second half of the evening. Thirdly, all the main works used a variation form structure of some sort.
The Handel Suite made a gentle opener to a heavyweight programme, with Cho instantly transporting us into his light-as-a-feather world of subtle, yet robust fingerwork and sensitive emotional reactions. Like all great performers, he drew you into his vision and held you there throughout the evening. In the Handel the delicacy of the first three movements gave way to fantastically precise passagework in the extrovert finale, which is the famous variations on a theme known as The Harmonious Blacksmith.
The Chaconne by Sofia Gubaidulina from 1962 that followed was new to me and proved to be a fabulous showpiece for the instrument and for the pianist. Full of brutality and glimpses of beauty, Cho’s body language completely changed here, looking like a praying mantis as he leant impressively into the dynamism of the piece.
The Brahms Handel Variations that followed is one of the most important pieces in this form, following in the footsteps of Bach's Goldbergs and Beethoven's Diabelli Variations. It also has a kinship with the Schumann Études symphoniques which would end the concert. Cho was able to characterise each of the variations with a dazzling range of colours and technical wizardry. He also kept an ear to the overall structure, which should lead inevitably to the final monumental fugue. In this passage he showed us the power in his fingers, without ever tipping over into thumping or bombast.
After the interval, a different side to Brahms was shown with four movements from his later Klavierstücke, Op 76. Cho’s presentation of four of these almost impressionistic pieces, was sensitivity incarnate. Their interior nature was captured completely, in complete contrast to the public-facing splendour of the previous work.
It was the performance of Schumann’s Études symphoniques that showed Cho’s full range of expression in one place. This masterpiece of early romanticism is perhaps the composer's greatest work for the piano, combining the early fantasy of pieces like Carnaval and Papillons, within a more extended symphonic structure. Cho revelled in the charm and endless variety of textures and dancelike rhythms, rising to the occasion at every turn, an inspired performance of a work that demands nothing less. As an encore, the charming Minuet from Handel's B flat major Suite cleansed the palate perfectly.
