Chung Kyung-wha returns with Bach

Chung Kyung-wha speaks during a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap

By Yun Suh-young

Violinist Chung Kyung-wha returned from a 15-year hiatus with "Sonatas & Partitas Bach - Kyung Wha Chung" released Wednesday by Warner Classics.

Her previous Brahms’ violin concerto album with conductor Simon Rattle was released in 2001.

The new album contains six of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas from No. 1 to 3, a monumental work of Bach.

Chung had recorded parts of this repertoire in 1974 but never recorded the entire work. Forty-two years later, she finally attempted and completed recording the whole repertoire.

Chung will be holding a concert next month playing Bach’s six pieces from beginning to end in one day. The concert will last three hours and will be a challenge for both the audience and Chung.

The piece is like a violin monologue with no other instruments joining in. It is a piece where a single violin performs from beginning to end.

Chung had left the stage for five years after pulling a ligament of the index finger on her left hand in 2005 and was unable to perform. In 2010, she recovered from the injury and returned to the stage. Ever since then, however, she only occasionally played on stage due to her on and off pain and physical conditions.

Defying her age at 68, she is challenging herself again to complete the Bach repertoire on stage, which is her first attempt ever.

"I am so thankful and grateful for being able to perform and record this album which I didn't imagine I would be able to do since my finger injury. I gave up performing and taught at Juilliard and thought that would be my future. But you never know what life brings to you," said Chung during a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday.

"I cannot express how I feel when I'm performing. I'm so happy and it's such an amazing feeling, full of passion and love."

Chung said she is particularly honored and delighted to be able to finish the whole repertoire of Bach, whom she had favored all her life.

"I have loved Bach ever since the first time I learned violin. His music is timeless and embraceable by any generation and any time period. He is also very pure in spirit. You can feel that in his songs," said Chung.

"It's so wonderful and miraculous to be able to deliver the feeling as if I'm in Bach's mind. I wondered what Bach would say to me when he heard me play this piece and I think he would have loved it."

Chung has a tight schedule ahead for the next year. She has a duo recording with pianist Kevin Kenner and an orchestra collaboration recording coming up and a performance at the New York's Carnegie Hall in May.

When asked if she had any physical difficulties due to her finger or her age, she said "it's always difficult."

"Oh, you can't imagine," said Chung. "When I'm up on stage, however, there's this surprisingly strong energy that comes through. I think it's passion. It's a wonderful feeling on stage, but when I'm off stage, I feel like dropping to the ground. Of course I need to consider my physical condition.

"I wish I could perform continuously, but complete recovery is the most important thing for me and for the audience. For this recording, I had to take painkillers."

To offer the best sound in this album, Chung and her crew sought out locations all across the world and selected St George's Bristol in the southwest of England.

Her long-time partner and Grammy-winning producer Stephen Jones participated in the album once again to create the finest sound possible.