The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    PHOTOSTrapped along borders

  • 3

    Korea wins gold in League of Legends competition; Faker tops podium

  • 5

    Trailblazing nonagenarian artist honored for redefining Korean fiber art

  • 7

    Pentagon's CWMD strategy document calls N. Korea 'persistent threat'

  • 9

    BTS' Jungkook drops 2nd solo single

  • 11

    Yoon hosts Chuseok luncheon for Korean atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima

  • 13

    Apple, China met to discuss Beijing's crackdown on western apps: WSJ

  • 15

    Swimmer Kim Woo-min captures 3rd gold in Hangzhou

  • 17

    What to know and what's next for Travis King, the American soldier who ran into North Korea

  • 19

    S. Korea eliminates N. Korea in women's table tennis doubles

  • 2

    BTS' Jungkook to drop 2nd solo single

  • 4

    VIDEOBustling Chuseok: Namsan Hanok Village immerses visitors in Korea's rich traditions

  • 6

    Opposition leader Lee again proposes talks with President Yoon

  • 8

    Builders vie for leadership in modular construction

  • 10

    Are 'finfluencers' helping or harming investment community?

  • 12

    Korea fails to be included on FTSE Russell's global bond index

  • 14

    Poll shows 79% of young Koreans agree on need to improve ties with Japan

  • 16

    INTERVIEW'Coexistence of different art hubs across Asia is necessary': Art Week Tokyo Director

  • 18

    Second release of Fukushima wastewater to start next week

  • 20

    S. Korea cruises past N. Korea in women's basketball

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sun, October 1, 2023 | 22:20
Music
Pianist Kissin mesmerizes Korean audience again with four encores
Posted : 2021-11-24 21:23
Updated : 2021-11-24 21:23
Park Ji-won
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Pianist Evgeny Kissin performs during a solo recital held at the Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Lotte Foundation for Arts
Pianist Evgeny Kissin performs during a solo recital held at the Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Lotte Foundation for Arts

By Park Ji-won

"His music reminded me of an encounter with my loved one," Choi Eun-kyu, a violinist and classical music critic, said after the recital by Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin at the Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, Monday. Kissin is one of the most popular concert pianists in Korea.

Indeed, the 50-year-old pianist, who has visited Korea five times since 2006, made the 1,600 audience members feel that they and his music were inseparable. As the audience's applause continued, he had to move between the stage and backstage nine times after the planned program ended, in order to play four more pieces.

Whenever he smiled, the audience applauded louder. He asked the staff to place a big mirror backstage for him to check his appearance, but he had no time to take a look at it, as he was too busy going back and forth for the encores. The tickets for the concert were sold-out within 25 minutes, its organizer said.

Pianist Evgeny Kissin performs during a solo recital held at the Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Lotte Foundation for Arts
Pianist Evgeny Kissin performs during his solo recital held at Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Lotte Foundation for Arts

The virtuoso was born in Moscow in October 1971 and began to play by ear and improvise on the piano at the age of two. As a prodigy, he made his concerto debut playing Mozart's Piano Concerto K. 466 at the age of 10, and gave his first solo recital in Moscow the next year. By the age of 12, he had performed both Chopin concertos in Russia, which made him an international star, and by age 19, he had made appearances with overseas orchestras, such as the Berlin Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic.

While being known as a prodigy, not everyone with his talent has such a successful career. He may have sustained such success because of his endless efforts and dedication to practicing. Even for the one-day Seoul concert, due to his tight recital schedule in other countries, he started practicing on a Steinway in Korea every day for seven hours, Nov. 20 and 21, as well as for one hour Nov. 22, right after he came back from his tour of Japan.

The program was actually not filled with popular works that Korean audiences would easily recognize. But he chose to play a wide ranging classical repertoire ― from Bach and Mozart, to Beethoven and Chopin ― which requires not only technique but also mature interpretation.

Starting with Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, arranged by Tausig, he continued with Mozart's Adagio in B minor and Beethoven's Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major. After adjusting the piano during the intermission, he played Chopin's "Mazurkas" and "Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Billante Op. 22."

"It seemed that he chose to play serious pieces in the first half of the program, and put more colorful music in the second part after the intermission to entertain people. Playing the pieces Beethoven wrote in his later days is tough without maturity, but he made it through well." Choi said.

Pianist Evgeny Kissin performs during a solo recital held at the Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Lotte Foundation for Arts
Pianist Evgeny Kissin performs during a solo recital held at the Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Lotte Foundation for Arts

His playing was impeccable and he seemed to express more of himself in it, leading to a more profound interpretation.

"Russian piano techniques are famous for being powerful in hitting the keys. So it is normally difficult to maintain balance while playing. But he was perfect in terms of preciseness and keeping control in order to make the music sound balanced. He expressed himself more in the music, and had more conversations with the audience than before," Choi added.

"His music has become more liberated than before, and he put his best energy into every sound as if this were the last concert he were to have."

The four encores were Bach's Chorale Prelude ― "Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland" BWV 659, arranged by Busoni; Mozart's Rondo In D Major K. 485; and Chopin's Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor Op. 31, and Waltz No. 12 In F Minor, Op. 70, No. 2.

He will tour Europe with a similar program next year, and is also planning to hold recitals in North America.



Emailjwpark@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
miguel
wooribank
LG
Top 10 Stories
1[INTERVIEW] Risk-averse culture is forcing daring creators to flee showbiz INTERVIEWRisk-averse culture is forcing daring creators to flee showbiz
2[PHOTOS] Trapped along borders PHOTOSTrapped along borders
3Koreans adapt to soaring food prices Koreans adapt to soaring food prices
4Education ministry prohibits parents from recording classes Education ministry prohibits parents from recording classes
5[VIDEO] Bustling Chuseok: Namsan Hanok Village immerses visitors in Korea's rich traditions VIDEOBustling Chuseok: Namsan Hanok Village immerses visitors in Korea's rich traditions
6Builders vie for leadership in modular construction Builders vie for leadership in modular construction
7Are 'finfluencers' helping or harming investment community? Are 'finfluencers' helping or harming investment community?
8Value, consumer goods, financial stocks expected to gain momentum after Chuseok holiday Value, consumer goods, financial stocks expected to gain momentum after Chuseok holiday
9[INTERVIEW] ROK-US alliance is win-win partnership: KUSAF chief INTERVIEWROK-US alliance is win-win partnership: KUSAF chief
10Over 30,000 protesters march for climate actions Over 30,000 protesters march for climate actions
Top 5 Entertainment News
1[INTERVIEW] 'Coexistence of different art hubs across Asia is necessary': Art Week Tokyo Director INTERVIEW'Coexistence of different art hubs across Asia is necessary': Art Week Tokyo Director
2M+ deputy director discusses Seoul's potential to challenge Hong Kong as Asia's art hub M+ deputy director discusses Seoul's potential to challenge Hong Kong as Asia's art hub
3Trailblazing nonagenarian artist honored for redefining Korean fiber art Trailblazing nonagenarian artist honored for redefining Korean fiber art
4[INTERVIEW] With '30 Days,' Kang Ha-neul finds new level of comfort in acting INTERVIEWWith '30 Days,' Kang Ha-neul finds new level of comfort in acting
5Rwandan artists bring diversity to Seoul's art scene Rwandan artists bring diversity to Seoul's art scene
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group