GERMAN composer Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) left behind a a rich and expansive body of works, yet he wrote only three solo piano sonatas — all in his early 20s. On Oct. 17, acclaimed Chinese pianist Shen Lu will perform the complete set at the Shenzhen Concert Hall, offering the audience an immersive, uninterrupted listening experience that presents the full scope of the composer’s most treasured and passionate youthful creations.

The program opens with the “Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major, Op. 1,” composed in 1853. Brahms chose this work as his first officially published composition. The sonata combines a grand symphonic scale with refined emotional expression, displaying the young Brahms’ vigorous and fervent creative drive while underscoring his commitment to classical formal structures and his dedication to cultivating instrumental textures.

The evening continues with the “Piano Sonata No. 2 in F-sharp minor, Op. 2,” dedicated to Clara Schumann, wife of Robert Schumann and a renowned European pianist and composer. More introspective than its predecessor, it leans toward inner struggle and fantasy. This shift in mood may have been influenced by Beethoven’s late sonatas and Schumann’s piano fantasy-sonatas, giving the work a “fantasy sonata” quality with a more pronounced Romantic sensibility.

The concert concludes with the “Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5,” the pinnacle of Brahms’ early piano composition and the largest and most emotionally intense of the three sonatas. The work is steeped in personal emotions of turbulence, anguish, and defiance. Breaking from the traditional four-movement structure, the third sonata employs a five-movement design and has been described by later generations as a “symphony on the piano.” It ranks among the most expansive solo piano works of the Romantic era.

Shen Lu is an associate professor at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou and holds a doctorate from the Cleveland Institute of Music. A gold medalist at the 2014 Hilton Head International Piano Competition, he has been praised by The Musical Times for his “perfect blend of technique and musicality.”(Tang Li)

Time: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 17

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Futian District (深圳音乐厅)

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D