[On Stage] Pianist Kim Sunwook Reinterprets Beethoven's Late Years

Beethoven 250th Anniversary Concert on the 13th of Next Month: Performance of Piano Sonatas Nos. 30, 31, and 32

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Ludwig van Beethoven (1770?1827) composed 32 piano sonatas throughout his life. He wrote his first piece in 1795 in his mid-20s and dedicated it to Joseph Haydn (1732?1809), and completed his final 32nd sonata in 1822 during his later years.

Unlike other types of music, Beethoven consistently composed piano sonatas throughout his lifetime. In contrast, his symphonies were concentrated in his 30s. Between 1799 and 1812, he composed symphonies No. 1 through No. 8, and then about ten years later, he wrote one more, the final Symphony No. 9, known as the "Choral."

Therefore, it is said that Beethoven’s entire life is reflected in his piano sonatas. Pianist Kim Sun-wook (32), who is known to be a great admirer of Beethoven, performed all of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in eight concerts, once each season from 2012 to 2013, for this very reason.

Kim Sun-wook is performing Beethoven’s piano sonatas again. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, he will perform Piano Sonatas No. 30, 31, and 32, as well as the Andante Favori, at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on the 13th of next month at 7 p.m.

Photo by Binchelo

"I tried to listen to the voice of my heart... In my 30s, I plan to perform works by various composers"
"Met Cho Seong-jin and others in Berlin on Lim Dong-hyuk’s birthday... Respecting each other's music"

Kim Sun-wook explained, "The difference from my previous performances is that I have made a great effort to listen to the voice of my heart." "I was aware that Beethoven suffered from hearing loss. However, in the past, I did not deeply consider what kind of sounds Beethoven might have imagined when writing the notes. So before starting practice, I carefully examined the score and tried to think from Beethoven’s perspective about the notes and instructions he wrote. 'What if I could hear nothing at all?' Under this assumption, I erased all the notes I had memorized from previous performances in my mind and repeatedly replaced them with new interpretations. As a result, every note sounded new, and the dynamics began to come across more directly. I am preparing while thinking about how to convey this excitement and surprise I felt to the audience well."

Kim Sun-wook revealed that in his 30s, he plans to perform music by a wider variety of composers. "It is undeniable that I played a lot of Beethoven’s pieces in my 20s. If the process of preparing to become a performer is Act 1, and the period when I frequently played Beethoven as a performer is Act 2, then I am now entering Act 3. In Act 3, I plan to perform works by various composers."

Kim Sun-wook gained attention by winning the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2006 as the first and youngest Asian winner. He has lived in London, UK since 2008 and moved to Berlin, Germany in 2018. Many Korean performers, including Cho Seong-jin (26) and Lim Dong-hyuk (36), currently reside in Berlin.

Kim Sun-wook said, "Recently, on Lim Dong-hyuk’s birthday, since everyone was in Berlin, we met," adding, "I was lucky." He explained, "Since we are all busy performers, it is very difficult to gather together. Even recently, when many concerts were canceled, we were all in different places." Although they have known each other since childhood and share a close friendship, they rarely talk about music when they meet. "Each has their own musical world, and we deeply respect that."

Photo by Binchero

Kim Sun-wook was hardly able to perform this year due to the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The upcoming concert at the Seoul Arts Center next month will be his first performance in six months since playing in Scotland in March. Therefore, this concert is especially precious to him.

"This year, the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, I am very happy to be able to deeply explore his music as a pianist and share it with the audience. Beethoven’s music offers great comfort to all of us. If I can provide even a little strength and solace during these difficult times, I will be very happy as a performer."

Next year, he is scheduled to make his debut performing with the Berlin Philharmonic, considered one of the world’s best orchestras. "Performing with an outstanding orchestra is always enjoyable and joyful. If I were in my early 20s, I might have been too excited to handle it well. Of course, I am still young and need to develop further, but with accumulated experience, I have come to enjoy performing on both small and large stages alike."

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