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▲This photo, provided by Yonhap News Agency, shows Lim Yoon-chan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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| ▲This photo, provided by Yonhap News Agency, shows Lim Yoon-chan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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SEOUL, December 11 (Yonhap) -- Lim Yoon-chan, a pianist who fascinated the world's classical industry at the age of 18. His first solo concert in Seoul since winning Van Cliburn was a time to showcase a new universe opened with music in front of the audience.
Lim Yoon-chan played Bach's "Sinfonia," Liszt's "Two Legends," and "Dante Sonata" in turn, starting with Orlando Gibbons' "Pavan And Galliard Lord Salisbury" at the concert hall of the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul on December 10.
It is a repertoire that may seem somewhat unfamiliar, but Lim Yoon-chan's high understanding of the pieces and excellent performance skills have broadened the audience's musical perspective.
Lim Yoon-chan, who appeared on stage with thunderous applause, greeted the audience and sat in front of the piano and began his first song without delay. Opening with a song by Renaissance composer Gibbons, he summoned the medieval landscape where the song was written to the concert hall with only a short performance of about six minutes.
Bach's "Sinfonia," which was then played, is also an unfamiliar song that is difficult to meet on stage. Through "Sinfonia," which is followed by 15 songs with different compositions, Lim Yoon-chan conveyed various emotions of humans going back and forth between joy and sorrow. When playing a song with a different atmosphere, he took enough breath, wiped his sweat, closed eyes, soaked enough in the emotions to express in the following song, and placed his hand on the keyboard.
Lim Yoon-chan introduced the piece at an earlier press conference as "a song that feels like it contains Bach's birth to death." From the moment full of hope and spirit to the mournful and grieving inner side, it was time to meet the true side of Bach drawn by Lim Yoon-chan.
On the second stage filled with songs from the list, Lim Yoon-chan turned into a storyteller who tells stories with music.
"Two Legends" is a piece of music by Liszt depicting the life of St. Francesco. An epic story about St. Francesco's preaching even admired the birds of the forest and crossing the rough waves with spiritual force unfolded on the keyboard.
The last song, "Dante Sonata," seemed to prove why Lim Yoon-chan gained all his fame and attention. In addition to the spectacular performance which audience could no see his hand, deep understanding and immersion in Dante's 'The Divine Comedy," an epic poem which goes between heaven and hell, made more than 2,000 audiences breathless.
As soon as the last note was over, most of the audience stood up and responded with a hot standing ovation. Lim Yoon-chan played Bach's "Siciliano" as an encore song and "The Swan" among Saint-Sans' "The Carnival of the Animals."
Lim Yoon-chan's concert ticket was sold out, and the lobby of the Seoul Arts Center's concert hall was crowded an hour before the performance. Audiences of various ages, regardless of gender or age, visited and showed keen interest in Lim Yoon-chan.
Lim Yoon-chan, who made his debut in Japan at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo on December 3, will begin his overseas activities next year. He will make his debut at Wigmore Hall in London on January 18 next year and will also go on tour in the U.S. and Europe, including New York, Milan, Rome and Paris.
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