Controversy arose last month at the 19th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw when American-Chinese pianist Eric Lu was awarded the first prize. After being placed fourth in the 2015 edition and having bagged first prize at the Leeds in 2018, why had he returned to participate? It was a calculated risk which could have backfired badly had he been eliminated prematurely or not finished among the top prizewinners. Still, Lu bested the challenge of online favourites, the Chinese Tianyao Lyu, Malaysian Vincent Ong and Georgian David Khrikuli, by being the most musically reliable performer in all four rounds, thus garnering the highest votes from the most judges.
Viewing the competition on the Internet and seeing Lu in a live concert are two completely different experiences, yet one factor was unchanged: the sound production. By excluding extraneous factors like facial expressions, bodily movements, observed fingerings or audience response, the delivery and experience of his live performance was exactly as promised by his online appearances. He was just remarkably steadfast and consistent.
Opening with the Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op.27 no.1, one could immediately sense the colours and shadings he strived for in its slow but gradual build-up, from simmering underlying tension to a final release of pent-up passion. The unfolding journey was well worth the wait and watch. Continuing without a break to the Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op.60, the degree of cantabile achieved made this reading as memorable as the much-praised Warsaw performance, topped with finely-honed filigree at its rapturous close.
Then came three Polonaises performed in succession. The stately but sometimes vigorous dance of Polish nobility was merely a starting point. In Lu’s vision and hands, these became more than just polonaises. The Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op.44 was Chopin’s longest in terms of number of bars and also his most belligerent. Lu tapped into its raw energy, including the central “galloping” episode, but found the most traction in a slow mazurka interlude where time stood still before the final onslaught. Quite different but just as trenchant was the Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat major, Op.61, the longest in playing time, where the emphasis was more on fantasy than polonaise. Despite seemingly discursive asides, the heartbeat and pulse of Polish patriotism never dimmed.
For the recital’s second half, the posthumous Polonaise in B flat major, Op.71 no.2, with delicate ornamentations from the 18-year-old Chopin, provided contrast from the earlier dances, as did the mature Sonata no. 3 in B minor, Op.58. This sonata represented the pinnacle of Chopin’s art as well as Lu’s interpretation. His technical command was beyond reproach, and an ability to see the big picture was what made the performance memorable. Without fussing in details, the contrasting martial and lyrical qualities of the opening movement, the Scherzo’s etude-like writing, the Largo’s long-breathed sigh and the finale’s inexorable romp came through with utmost clarity and brilliance.
The encores of two Waltzes, expressing wistful melancholy in the C sharp minor Op.64 no.2 and dizzying ebullience in the A flat major Op.42, revealed yet another facet of being Chopin. Coaxed by seemingly unending applause, Eric Lu offered the Aria from J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, played simply and luminously. Nothing could possibly follow that.
