Pianist brings to stage Elgar, Strauss

By Do Je-hae

An upcoming concert at the Sejong Chamber Hall will feature chamber music that is rarely performed here, like the Elgar Sonata for Violin and Piano and songs by Richard Strauss.

Pianist Lee Jee-hee will lead the Jan. 12 concert, which also involves the participation of two singers — a baritone and a soprano — and a violinist and an additional pianist.

Lee is a professional accompanist trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

The program will also include a solo performance of Mendelssohn’s “Phantasie Op. 28” and Liszt’s “Concerto Pathetique,” the Hungarian composer’s most substantial and ambitious two-piano work played without orchestra.

The concert is a rare occasion to experience various genres of chamber music in a single concert, according to Lee.

“The most important aspect of our performances is communication. It is an occasion for various artists to connect emotionally,” Lee said in a statement.

“I hope to display to the fullest my capacity not just as a soloist but also as an able accompanist.”

A graduate of Hanyang University in Seoul, she additionally studied at Trinity College in the U.K. The pianist formerly taught at the Korea National University of Arts and the youth academy at the Seoul Arts Center. She currently leads a vocal ensemble in Incheon.

The highlight of the program is British composer Edward Elgar’s passionate sonata for violin and piano in E minor.

The piece in three movements is rarely played, but the large-scale, passionate work is a major sonata of the 20th century, along with the Richard Strauss and Franck violin sonatas. It was written in 1918, when Elgar was at the height of his powers and enjoying international recognition. The piano has equal importance as the violin in these modern sonatas.

In recent years, it has been recorded a number of times, and there are now over 20 recordings. Those who have recorded it include violinists Yehudi Menuhin, Nigel Kennedy, Midori and Maxim Vengerov. Midori’s 1997 recording with pianist Robert McDonald is considered one the finest ever made.

For more information on the concert, call 02)586-0945. Tickets are 20,000 won and 10,000 for students.