By Rafael Velasquez |Staff Writer|
Dr. Moonjung Kim told the first student right after his performance, “Very impressive…you can work more on your left hand while performing.”
She and the rest of the masterclass also joined the rehearsals prior to the performance.
Dr. Moonjung Kim performed an hour long to various Chopin pieces in the Piano Day I event at the Choir Room in the Performing Arts building.
The first student, Ferdinand Torres, performed Chopin’s “Grande Valse Brillante in E Flat Major Op. 18.”
Musician Frenzel Maralit performed Beethoven’s “Sonata No. 20 in G Major Op. 49 No. 2,” also known as the “Spanish Dance.”
Lastly, pianist Fang Her performed “Sonata ‘Pathétique’ No. 13 in C Minor Op. 13, Grave-Allegra Di Molto E Con Brio.”
Kim reviewed the parts of the pieces students were struggling with after each of their performances.
She gave an overview lecture of the piano pieces and later performed right before the actual show.
Chopin’s Four Ballades were performed during the event.
The Four Ballades included Polish Christmas folk songs and wordless ballads.
They performed using psychological changes in characteristics such as optic luminescence, mostly in F major, A minor, and A major.
The piano pieces were based on composer and pianist Frederic Chopin’s ballades in the first half of the 19th Century.
The legendary Romantic era composer began his career when he performed his first piece in 1817.
Although his strength was in music composition, he also took a strong interest in melody, harmony, poetry, and theory in 1826 while attending Elsner’s Conservatory.
Composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and George Frideric Handel were one of his early influences and inspirations, but he was later exposed to his contemporaries such as Felix Mendelssohn and Niccoló Paganini.
He exposed himself to Mendelssohn’s and Paganini’s music in his late teens when he visited Berlin, Germany and Warsaw, Poland respectively.
Chopin performed his first successful debut in August 1829 at the Theater am Kärntnertor while he was still in Vienna.
He began making his way through Germany and Italy to compose and perform one of his concert tours shortly after his debut.
He composed several essential pieces such as “G Minor Ballad” and “B Minor Scherzo” for his later concerts that occurred in Germany and Italy.
He also composed another essential piece “Funeral March” before arriving at his final destination of his career in Paris.
Chopin also composed and performed mazurkas, waltzes, and impromptus in his career until his death of tuberculosis in October 1849 in Paris.
He came to be known as the “Mozart” of the 19th Century for his renown melodic ballads.
His work continues to inspire current generations interested in Classical piano music.
The actual performance event will be held for free during the Piano Day II event on May 22 at the Recital Hall in the Performing Arts building.
The time will be announced as the event nears.
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