The 10th Sahmyook University Department of Music Piano Alumni Scholarship Award Winners' Concert

Showtimes

Wednesday (19:30)

Cast

Kim Kyung-rim, Lee Ji-hoon, Noh Jung-min, Kim Min-sol, Lee Jin-hyuk, Kim Kyung-min, Kim Hwa-hyun

Synopsis

[Concert Introduction] <R. Schumann - Fantasie Op.17> This is a representative Romantic piano work composed by Schumann to express his longing for his lover Clara Wieck and his respect for Beethoven. Within a free form, poetic fantasy, passionate emotion, and deep lyricism blend together, revealing Schumann's unique inner world. <N. Kapustin - Variations Op.41> This is an original piano work created by Russian composer Nikolai Kapustin, combining classical forms with jazz idioms. While based on the traditional variation structure, swing rhythms, blues harmonies, and improvisational passages are organically interwoven. Each variation displays a different jazz style and atmosphere, demanding a brilliant sense of rhythm and high-level technique. Because Kapustin meticulously notated every element in the score, the piece is characterized by its intricate structural beauty while sounding like an actual improvisation. This work clearly demonstrates the unique character of Kapustin's musical world, which naturally crosses the boundaries between classical and jazz. <F. Chopin - Ballade No. 3> Among the four ballads, this piece possesses the brightest and most pastoral atmosphere. Beginning with a soft and flowing theme, lyricism and dance-like rhythms blend naturally, gradually building rich emotion and tension. In particular, even within the warm colors of the bright A♭ major, dramatic developments and delicate emotional shifts appear, highlighting Chopin's characteristic poetic imagination and outstanding sense of harmony. The middle section unfolds with dynamic energy and brilliant passages, and the piece concludes with a radiant and powerful coda. This work is regarded as one of the representative works of Chopin's ballads, harmonizing narrative lyricism with dazzling virtuosity. <S. Rachmaninoff - Piano Sonata No. 2> As a representative late Romantic piano work by Sergei Rachmaninoff, this piece is distinguished by its majestic sound and dramatic emotional expression. The first edition was completed in 1913, and Rachmaninoff later revised it in 1931 into a more concise and condensed form. The three movements are organically connected without interruption, with dark introductions, intense passages, lyrical melodies, and harmonic progressions of a religious atmosphere unfolding with tension. In particular, the wide range, rich harmonies, and massive climaxes create an orchestral resonance, demanding exceptional stamina and technique from the performer. This work is regarded as a masterpiece that encapsulates Rachmaninoff’s characteristic deep lyricism, Russian sorrow, and brilliant pianism. <D. Kavalevsky - Piano Sonata No. 3> Composed during World War II, this sonata features a contrast between strong driving force and lyricism. While maintaining a relatively traditional form, it displays the clear rhythms and distinct harmonies characteristic of modern Russian music. The first movement is characterized by powerful motifs and a tense development, while the second movement reveals human emotions amidst war through deep lyricism and a meditative atmosphere. The final movement combines dynamic rhythms with dazzling virtuosity, driving the piece forward with intense energy. This work clearly demonstrates Kabalevsky’s characteristic concise yet effective musical language and is regarded as one of the representative works of the Russian piano repertoire, possessing both educational value and artistic merit. <S. Prokofiev - Piano Sonata No. 4> One of Sergei Prokofiev’s early piano sonatas, this piece is distinguished by its dark and introspective sentiment. Prokofiev dedicated this piece to the memory of his late friend, Maximilian Schmidt, and it is deeply imbued with an overall melancholic and tense atmosphere. Amidst unstable harmonies, sharp rhythms, and sudden shifts in emotion, lyrical melodies are delicately revealed. In particular, the slow movement emphasizes a dreamy and somber color, while the final movement creates dramatic tension through persistent rhythms and intense momentum. This work is regarded as a sonata in which Prokofiev’s distinctive modern sensibility, cool-headed expression, and hidden lyricism harmonize. <F. Liszt - Tarantella: Venezia e Napoli ‘Tarantella,’ the final piece of Venezia e Napoli, is a work by Franz Liszt that combines the passion of Italian folk dances with brilliant pianism. Over a fast 6/8 Tarantella rhythm, dazzling passages, brilliant octaves, and leaps create intense energy. While grounded in the folk melodies and dance atmosphere of the Naples region of Italy, the piece is completed as a virtuoso work for solo recital by adding Liszt’s characteristic flamboyant sense of arrangement and dramatic development. Amidst the ceaselessly driving rhythms and dazzling virtuosity, a cheerful and lively atmosphere remains alive, maintaining explosive tension and ecstasy until the very end. This work is regarded as one of the representative pieces of Liszt’s outstanding piano composition and Romantic splendor.

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