Returning as a 'Wanderer,' Cho Seong-jin says, "Now, wherever I am is my home"

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Choseongjin
Photo by Deutsche Grammophon, (c) Christoph Kostlin

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] Pianist Seong-Jin Cho (26), the winner of the 2015 Chopin Competition, has returned as a 'Wanderer.'

Seong-Jin Cho's fourth album, "Wanderer," released under the world-renowned classical label Deutsche Grammophon (DG), will be released on the 8th of next month. The album contains three pieces: Schubert's (1797?1828) "Wanderer Fantasy," Franz Liszt's (1811?1886) Piano Sonata, and Alban Berg's (1885?1935) Piano Sonata. In a written interview, Cho revealed that after selecting the "Wanderer Fantasy," he chose two more pieces that complemented it.

This is the first time Seong-Jin Cho has included works by multiple composers on a DG album. His previous three albums each featured works by a single composer: Chopin (2016), Debussy (2017), and Mozart (2018).

Cho said, "Recording works by a single composer is more comfortable and easier in many ways. Still, I wanted to try recording an album like a recital program that combines several composers at least once." This indicates the depth of his consideration in selecting the pieces.

The "Wanderer Fantasy" was composed by Schubert by borrowing the melody from his own song "Wanderer." The melody of the song "Wanderer" is used in the second movement of the "Wanderer Fantasy." Cho explained, "'Wanderer' seemed to be a very important word during the Romantic era. Both Schubert and Liszt were composers of the Romantic period. Although Liszt settled down in his later years, he moved around a lot and traveled extensively. Artists like pianists and musicians may not be wanderers per se, but they travel a lot. I thought this aspect was a commonality with the musicians of that era, which is why I chose these pieces."

In a sense, Seong-Jin Cho himself is a wanderer. He went to study in France in 2012. After winning the Chopin Competition, he moved his residence to Berlin, Germany, in 2017. "I spend about four months a year in Berlin. Since my job involves traveling for performances, I’m not there that much. Still, when I return to Berlin, it feels like home. Sometimes when I go to a hotel for a concert, it also feels like home. So I concluded that wherever I am is home."

He said he does not particularly feel lonely. "I am an only child and have spent a lot of time alone since I was young, so I don’t find being alone difficult or lonely. When I travel for performances, I meet many people like orchestras and conductors, so I actually need time alone."

The "Wanderer Fantasy" and Liszt’s Piano Sonata each consist of four movements. Usually, after finishing one movement of a sonata, performers take a short break before playing the next. However, Schubert structured the "Wanderer Fantasy" to be played continuously without breaks for about 20 minutes through all four movements. Liszt’s Piano Sonata is similar. Cho said the uninterrupted connection between movements reflects "Schubert’s progressive mindset and imagination." He added, "I believe Liszt was influenced by this and composed his sonata in a similar continuous format without breaks between movements. Liszt actually liked the 'Wanderer Fantasy' so much that he even made an orchestral arrangement of it."

Berg’s piece is the first movement. Cho explained, "All three pieces are in sonata form, and they share the characteristic of being connected continuously without breaks between movements, making each sound like a one-movement sonata."

Cho recorded Schubert’s and Berg’s pieces in Berlin in June last year, and Liszt’s sonata in Hamburg in October. He said the 30-minute Liszt sonata was the most challenging. "Liszt’s sonata is very difficult to play perfectly from start to finish, but I recorded it all in one take. I thought recording it in one go without dividing it into parts would preserve the flow better. I tried to make the recording sound as live as possible."

Choseongjin
Photo by Deutsche Grammophon, (c) Christoph Kostlin

Recently, due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), concert halls worldwide have been closed. Cho said this is the longest break he has taken since winning the Chopin Competition. Online concerts are becoming more active as offline performances are halted. On the 28th of last month, on World Piano Day, Cho performed Schubert songs with baritone Matthias Goerne (53) at the "Stage at Home" concert hosted by Germany’s Oval Media. He also participated in DG’s free online concert.

"It was my first time performing live without an audience. At first, it felt awkward, but later I felt the energy as if I were at a concert. It was also my first time showing myself playing the piano at home. The piano hadn’t been tuned for a long time, so I was a bit disappointed with the sound."

Spending more time at home recently, he has been listening to more music. He said, "Listening to music a lot these days, I’ve come to realize anew that music is essential in our lives. Whether we have nothing to do, need comfort, or want to enjoy ourselves, I feel that music is indispensable to our living." Recently, he has been listening a lot to pianist Evgeny Bronfman (62). "I met Bronfman for the first time at the end of last year and even played piano in front of him. I came to like him not only as a performer but also as a person. I heard his live performance for the first time at the end of last year. He performed Beethoven’s No. 4 with the New York Philharmonic, and it was wonderful."

Seong-Jin Cho plans to hold a domestic tour in Korea this July after two years. He said, "I hope the July concerts in Korea will definitely take place. Although these are difficult and challenging times, I believe we will overcome them soon."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.