Multiple Pianos Create Formidable Sound

From left, pianists Kim Jun-hee, Paik Kun-woo, Kim Sun-wook and Kim Tae-hyung play together in a rare concert featuring four pianos at Seoul Arts Center, Sunday. The four artists, shown here performing an encore piece on one instrument, are touring South Korea through Friday. /Courtesy of Credia

Evgeny Kissin’s Seoul tour in April seemed like it would be the most talked-about classical music event of the year. Barely a month following the Russian sensation’s performance, however, maestro Paik Kun-woo and three rising South Korean pianists set the Seoul Arts Center concert hall on fire -- again.

The beauty of a live piano performance is, in addition to hearing inspired melodies in real time, seeing the artist’s flying fingers in motion. Seoulites saw Monday and Tuesday such dynamics of not two but eight hands, conjuring to life four Steinways in ways the local art scene has never seen before.

A single one of these instruments is enough to generate the sound of an orchestra. Many multiple-piano pieces were originally conceived with the sound of the harpsichord or light fortepiano, and on modern instruments sounds tend to be unpleasantly thick and cluttered.

The recent performance -- something rare not only in Korea but also abroad -- brought together four shining artists that individually possess the star power to attract more than enough attention. In 2007 Paik rewrote classical music history by playing all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in just seven days. This time, joined by the three rising pianists -- Kim Tae-hyung, Kim Sun-wook and Kim Jun-hee -- the maestro pianist added a splash of color to the sometimes-monotonous local music scene (the three Kims, all barely past their teens and sharing the same alma mater as well as an impressive resume of top wins in international competitions, are unrelated).

With their inspired performance, the four artists hushed doubts that such a concert would be for show, and that four grand pianos could, with the right repertoire and teamwork, work together like a single unit. It was also a special treat to see the four alternate the parts of first, second, third and fourth pianos, instead of the elderly artist dominating the lead, for Wagner’s Overture to ``Tannhauser’’ and Milhaud’s ``Paris Suite’’ for Four Pianos, Op. 284.

A grand spectacle unfolded when Rachmaninov’s ``Symphonic Dances,’’ Op. 45, for two pianos, was presented in relay form, with Paik at the first piano and the three youngsters joining him one at a time for the three movements. The heated concert peaked with Ravel’s ``Bolero,’’ transcribed by Jacques Drillon, as the four instruments gave way to delightfully attuned interplay.

A full standing ovation followed, as heated as that in Kissin’s recital, and in return the players offered ``Carmen Fantasie,’’ and, sitting in a single row in front of one piano, Lavignac’s ``Galop-Marche.’’

Another special event took place Sunday, which also happened to be Paik’s 63rd birthday, and the three Kims sang happy birthday to Sun-wook’s piano playing.

The four pianists continue their tour tonight in Daegu and Friday in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 100,000 won. Call (02) 318-4301.

Maestro Paik, Rising Stars to Offer Four Piano Show

Maestro Paik Kun-woo, second from left, will give a rare concert featuring four grand pianos in May with three next generation pianists Kim Jun-hee, left, Kim Tae-hyung, third from left, and Kim Sun-wook, right. /Courtesy of Credia

Following 2007’s historic marathon of Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas in a week, maestro pianist Paik Kun-woo brings another unique project _ featuring four grand pianos in concert with three of South Korea’s hottest young artists, Kim Sun-wook, Kim Tae-kyung and Kim Jun-hee.

The idea for a concert featuring pieces for eight hands was conceived a few years ago, Paik told reporters Monday in Seoul. ``During (Franz) Listz’s time, renowned pianists came together for a concert featuring multiple pianos. I wondered how it would be to do something similar here, today,’’ he said.

Paik and the three Kims will alternate the parts of first, second, third and fourth pianos for Milhaud’s ``Paris’’ Suite for Four Pianos and Wagner’s ``Overture zu Tannhauser’’ transcribed for eight hands. Also included are Ravel’s ``Bolero’’ transcribed for the four instruments and Rachmaninov’s ``Symphonic Dances,’’ Op. 45. ``The multiple pianos will create grand sounds, and harmonize and resound like the glimmerings of twilight,’’ said the maestro.

While the performance itself is a one of a kind event, however, the pianist noted the significance of playing with young artists. ``If I think about it, my senior Han Dong-il inspired me. When I was going through hard times and loneliness in a foreign place, he was always there for me,’’ said the 62-year-old, who, with the elder pianist Han, was one of the first Korean musicians to debut overseas.

``In the past, Korean musicians had to build their careers on their own, but young musicians these days are blessed with well-trained local teachers,’’ he said. `` I am very proud of this new generation.’’ Paik saw the three young pianists perform in Paris, where he is currently based. ``They are all extremely talented, and cherish one another very much,’’ he said.

The three Kims are friends from the Korean National University of Arts. All barely out of their teens, they are seen as representing the new generation of pure, ``domestically-bred’’ musicians who have championed international events without having studied in the West at a young age. All three agreed it was a great honor to play alongside the maestro, and that it would be ``fun’’ to mix chemistries. >>More

Paik Kun-woo's Beethoven Sontata Marathon: Intoxication With Musical Poetry

Paik Kun-woo, 61, is one greedy man. The celebrated pianist has embarked on a historical marathon concert, playing all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in just seven days.

With Paik’s commanding presence and impeccable style, just one of these concerts would be enough to keep you entranced for days. Packing eight of these in a week seems, at first, a sort of injustice to the serious listener, who has to erase the deep imprint of one performance for the next.

``If I take breaks in between I’ll have to return to reality, and I don’t want to,’’ Paik had explained. The daily recital is indeed difficult to digest, but it leaves you in a state of intoxication -- what better way to become completely drunk with Beethoven’s music?

Some 600 fans here had formed the Beethoven Club a year ago to support the serial recital. The special package enabling audiences to attend all of the performances at half the price was sold out months before the concert.

Paik’s rendition of Beethoven is pure, with no frills. It is thus far from comforting to hear, to be sure. Even ``Moonlight’’ on Tuesday was chilling in all its beauty. But Monday’s concert featuring piano sonatas Nos. 16, 17, 22 and 23 was an especially frightening experience.

Beethoven is said to have remarked ``Just read Shakespeare’s `The Tempest,’’ when asked about sonata No. 17, dubbed ``The Tempest,’’ as well as No. 23, ``Appassionata.’’ In the play, the heroine Miranda responds to her father’s incredible story by saying ``Your tale, sir, would cure deafness’’ -- indeed Paik, while capturing the urgency of the deaf composer’s vision, paints music that would speak even to the hearing impaired.

His rendition of ``The Tempest’’ was storm defined, encompassing both the violent, eradicative effect of an angry Mother Nature and the lovely sunshine after the rain. The volatile character of the first movement of the piece was clearly defined by Paik’s alternation of inquisitive largo and ominous allegro.

``Appassionata,’’ on the other hand, was unlike any other performance. Paik is a poet who paints with the piano keys. As T.S. Eliot said, ``poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion,’’ and Paik’s musical poetry, assuming a life of its own, completely spellbound the audience for the full 23 minutes. The recital hall, fully packed on a weekday night with even the chorus seats open to the public, fell utterly silent, without a random cough or shuffle in the crowd.

The third movement, with its melodic fragments and canons crashing down, was passionate, despairing and absolutely breathtaking -- ``I thought my heart was going to explode,’’ muttered one audience, clutching her chest.

With the last notes, ``Appassionata’’ left you in a state of awe that made it seem more appropriate to keep the hands together, palm to palm, in a moment of prayer rather than perform the mundane act of clapping. An explosive standing ovation followed a few seconds later.

The drizzling rain that night was a blessing, enabling you to calm down the beating heart and cool down the heated senses -- to sober up from the intoxicating experience.

The series continues at Seoul Arts Center, with sonatas Nos. 27-29 tonight at 8 p.m. and Nos. 30-32 Friday. Tickets cost 20,000-50,000 won. For reservations, call 1577-5266 or visit www.interpark.com, www.ticketlink.com.