Schubert: Piano Sonatas D.784 & 959; Allegretto D.915

by Eric Lu

Overview

Pianist Eric Lu has been the talk of Britain, with a win at the Leeds International Piano Competition and a highly praised Wigmore Hall debut, not to mention a concert with the 91-year-old Alfred Brendel (who read poetry). With this Warner Classics release, his sophomore album, he delivers on his promise. Lu faces a great deal of competition in the two Schubert piano sonatas featured here, but he delivers absolutely distinctive interpretations. His Piano Sonata in A major, D. 959, is one of the most deliberate on recordings, clocking in at close to 48 minutes as compared with an average of just over 39. It is a risky strategy for a young pianist, but Lu fills the spaces convincingly, drawing a remarkable variety of textures and timbres from his keyboard. The slow movement is absolutely haunting, with the smallest details unpacked by Lu into meditative mini-discourses. After the little-heard Allegretto in C minor, D. 915, as an entr'acte, Lu offers the Piano Sonata in A minor, D. 784, cut from the same cloth, and by the time the program is over, the listener has the feeling of having been on quite a journey. This release suggests once again that listeners are in the presence of a major artist. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	02/17/2023
Label:	Warner Classics
UPC:	5054197298127
Rank:	186596

Tracks

1. Piano Sonata No. 20 in A D.959~I. Allegro
2. Piano Sonata No. 20 in A D.959~II. Andantino
3. Piano Sonata No. 20 in A D.959~III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Trio. Un poco pi¿¿ lento
4. Piano Sonata No. 20 in A D.959~IV. Rondo. Allegretto
5. Allegretto in C minor D.915
6. Piano Sonata No. 14 in A minor D.784~I. Allegro giusto
7. Piano Sonata No. 14 in A minor D.784~II. Andante
8. Piano Sonata No. 14 in A minor D.784~III. Allegro vivace

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Eric Lu   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Martin Sauer   Producer
Francis Marchal   Liner Note Translation
Benjamin Ealovega   Photography
Michel Brandjes   Piano Preparation
Christiane Frobenius   Liner Note Translation
Valerie Archeno   Photography
Eric Lu   Liner Notes
Sebastian Nattkemper   Engineer
Franz Schubert   Composer
Alain Lanceron   Executive Producer