Weekender
Lim Dong-min presents Chopin & Schumann
I want to present contrasting sentiments by Chopin and Schumann’s works.
Back in October 2005, Korean pianist brothers Lim Dong-min, 25 at that time, and Lim Dong-hyek, 21, surprisingly shared the third prize together during the prestigious 15th International Chopin Piano Competition.
No second prize was awarded then, and the Korean brothers studying in Russia tied for the third honor and became the first Koreans to ever win a prize at the Chopin competition.
Ten years later, another Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin received the top prize, breaking their record.
Yet Lim brothers have since remained in Korean music fans’ hearts for their impressive performances and brilliant talents.
While younger brother Dong-hyek has continued his globe-trotting career with several albums released, older brother Dong-min has focused more on teaching as a professor at Keimyung University since 2008, and seems to stay out of the public eye. That’s why Lim’s new album release and a national tour concert will be particularly great news for those who’ve been interested how Dong-min’s musicality has matured and changed since his mid-20s.
Now 39, Lim has released his new album “Chopin and Schumann” on the Sony Classical label, his first release in eight years.
The album has Schumann’s “Kinderszenen, Op.15,” or “Scenes from Childhood,” a set of 13 pieces by Schumann in 1838, as well as Chopin’s passionate Scherzos works.
“From a musician’s perspective, Chopin’s Scherzos works are very attractive, because they have diverse elements of effects and lyricism, as well as meditative and glamorous characters. As I realized I had desires to express them, I chose to play Scherzos for this album and for the tour concerts. As for Schumann’s pieces, I think they present purity and sensibility, which are not externally dazzling yet internally authentic and deep. I chose the pieces as I was drawn to such aspects,” Lim said during a press conference held in Seoul, Tuesday.
“I wanted to present such contrasting sentiments by Chopin and Schumann’s works for the audiences.”
Although Lim has been playing Chopin all his life, from his winning of the Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow, his third prize at the Chopin International Competition and to his previous albums, this year is extra special to him. It marks the 15th anniversary since he was awarded at the Chopin competition.
Over the 15 years, he said his Chopin sounds have changed over the time.
“When I was young, I played very passionately. Then I began to focus more on the intellectual and sensitive sides of Chopin’s works, and now it feels like I’ve come back to being passionate,” Lim said. “I don’t know what caused such changes. Renowned pianist Dang Thai Son said he played passionately when young, then became more contemplative, and then again became passionate in his later years. I think I am also such a case.”
What is also salient about his playing of Chopin is that listeners can sense a strength of sinew and grit as well as calm sobriety, which is underlying Chopin’s ardent melodies and innate lyricism.
“Chopin’s passionate and sensitive sides are well known to the public, but his music also has other characters as well. I think I tend to reflect calm strength when playing his music. Getting older, we are exposed to various changes, from societal to personal sides; these elements allowed me to have such moderation, composure and delicacy. But at the same time, while these elements are still kept in my playing, I somehow became very passionate again. Preparing for this album’s Scherzo repertoires also rekindled my passion. As life is music, and music is also life, I think it is natural that one’s playing goes through various changes through life,” he added.
Lim said he’s very satisfied with the album’s quality. He said he asked advice from his younger brother and fellow pianist Dong-hyek while preparing for the album.
“As music is subjective, people feel and react differently. Some told me they like the playing of Schumann pieces more, some said they like Chopin Scherzos more. Dong-hyek said he particularly liked the album’s fresh impacts of Chopin’s Scherzos,” he said.
Inside Dong-min’s new album, Dong-hyek wrote a recommendation for his older brother as the following: “His uniqueness and originality added to his brilliant pianism to give us the chance to reconsider these already-famous pieces. If you love these pieces, I strongly recommend listening to this album. Especially, the scherzo movement will fascinate us with a fresh impact.”
Although not much seen from the public during the eight years, he also said it’s not that he was away from performances during the time.
“I was engaged in performances from time to time both in and outside of the country. It’s just that I didn’t perform for big recital concert tours. But in case of legend pianists like Van Cliburn or Vladimir Horowitz also had many years of breaks during their music careers. There are various cases for each performer,” Lim explained.
“For now, I try to focus on my tour concerts from October to December, and other concerts scheduled in outside of Korea.”
Lim will start his national tour concerts at Lotte Concert Hall on Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. in southern Seoul. Other five concerts will follow on Nov. 15, 17, 21 and Dec. 12 and 14 in cities of Gwangju, Goyang, Daegu, Incheona and Tongyoung.
“There are various types of artists, but I’m more of a performer who put more focus on intentions of composers. As I put my best in fully delivering composers’ sensibilities, I hope audiences also enjoy the stage,” he said.
After this tour, classical music fans can expect more diverse repertoires from this talented pianist.
“As I have long played Chopin, and I still love his works; but I don’t’ want to be confined to his repertoires. Schubert is one of other composers I love. I think his music conveys more of purity, rather than Chopin’s refinement. I also love Russian composers like Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, and hope to play more of them later,” he added.