There is no doubt who was the star of The Piano, the television series in which members of the public are filmed playing pianos at railway stations and emotions have run high as new talents are discovered, heartfelt stories told.
When Lang Lang announced last summer that he was leaving the show, his admirers went online to say the programme would never be the same, though it is not as though the high-achieving Chinese pianist can be accused of resting on his laurels.
This solo recital at the Barbican is just one stop on an extensive world tour that lasts well into the summer, as he takes the same programme to Spain, south-east Asia and Australia.