Pianist Yongmei Hu put on a brilliant all-Romantic program Friday at Pepperdine's Smothers Theatre, performing pieces by Johannes Brahms and Frederic Chopin. Hu opened with Brahms' third piano sonata in F minor, Op. 5, effectively capturing the great Brahmsian contrasts in emotion throughout the opening movement. The lyrical second theme flowed tenderly from Brahms' sharp and somewhat jagged first theme.

Hu's lyricism in the second movement was exquisite, and she made the most of the major-minor interplay in the middle section. Her soft and tender lyrical lines were spectacular, and her subtle rolling of chords underneath the movement's lyric sections was very effective.

Hu showcased great energy in the third movement's opening, and used subtle delays in harmonic resolution to great effect. The slow march section in the stormy fourth movement was exquisite, and Hu nicely captured the sheer emotion throughout the movement. She played the initial lyrical theme of movement five very tenderly, and treated the final lyric theme with great care. The work's tour de force ending, one of the piece's more challenging sections, was filled with great drive and energy.

The second half featured Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28, and Hu's lyrical playing was spectacular. She played the romantic B minor No. 6 splendidly, using rubato to great effect. Hu nicely captured the intense emotions of No. 9, and played the brief and fleeting No. 11 superbly. Her use of rubato was most striking in No. 15, where her subtle stretches of time and smooth lyrical playing made for a stunning performance.

Reach staff reporter Andrew McIntyre here.