Paik Kun-woo's Beethoven odyssey highlights 32 sonatas

Paik Kun-woo speaks at a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Yun Suh-young

"I don't know exactly know why I fell in love with Beethoven, but I think there's a point in life when a musician meets his piece of a lifetime."

To every musician, there's a favorite composer. To pianist Paik Kun-woo, a legendary figure in the history of Korean music, it’s Beethoven.

"It's like suddenly you understand Debussy or feel closer to Chopin. For me, it was Beethoven 10 years ago. I guess it hits us as we mature," he said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday.

Paik returns after 10 years with a series of performances where he will complete the 32 sonatas of Beethoven, a task that is rarely challenged because of its strenuousness, even for young pianists. But at age 71, Paik is still daring.

"Completing the 32 sonatas is actually a huge project. It's been 10 years since I performed the complete 32 sonatas. It feels like I kept performing these for 10 years. I feel like I'm getting closer to them as I play. Now that I'm doing it again, I feel like I understand these pieces better. It feels new and it's an adventure for me," Paik said.

"Beethoven is a genius composer who made a stroke in the musical history. Living my life playing his work is such a joy."

Paik is currently on a nationwide tour performing Beethoven’s 32 sonatas. The tour began on March 29 in South Chungcheong Province and will last until Oct. 14. The last concert will be performed in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. In between, he will visit many other regions such as Busan, Jeju, Gimhae, Hanam, Daegu, Andong, Bucheon, Daejeon, Ulsan and more. At each region or location he visits, he plays four sonatas _ one of the popular repertoires and three lesser known ones.

But the peak of the project falls in September when he plays the complete collection in one week at the Seoul Arts Center. He will be playing the 32 pieces back to back, broken down to four to five repertoires per day from Sept. 1 to 8.

"I mixed up the numbers based on how I felt the pieces matched. For instance, I felt it was more appropriate to begin with No. 20 so I put that at the very front. It's not important to play the scores according to their numbers," said Paik.

"What's different in this year's performance from 10 years ago is that at that time, I performed only in Seoul. But this time, I'm traveling all over the country to share Beethoven's music. I'm delighted to be able to play for a wider audience and that classical music has expanded its reach in Korea."

To Paik, performing in regions outside Seoul was important.

"I play in 20 regions this time. It's important to me that the whole country becomes involved in a big project such as this. We're all taking part in this big picture as a collective group to listen to the 32 repertoires. I think this is what we need to continue to foster," he said.

The reason he began the tour was to include everyone in the experience.

"I began the touring performance 30 years ago because I realized I was always playing in the same few cities. I felt small cities also had the right to enjoy the same music and questioned why it had to be only the big cities. So I suggested the tour. There is no difference in communicating with the audience wherever I am. I believe that music can resonate with everyone."

"There are always technical difficulties but rather than feeling challenged, I feel closer to the composer and to his work. I'm always fascinated how Beethoven could come up with these ideas. It's impossible to completely digest his pieces. But I will continue to discover," Paik said.

"The reason I could continue playing without getting exhausted was because I wasn't satisfied with my performance. Decades later, now I feel like I can comfortably play the instrument. I feel freer in expression.

"When I was younger, I had my own interpretations that I insisted. But I realized that the conductor has his ways, the orchestra has its sound, and that there were limitations to what they could do. It's important to realize that quickly. So I came to pull the best out of the situation I was in with the resources I had."

Although Paik said it was difficult to imagine what would come next when this project was over, he did say he wanted to try a concerto.

"In 2020 it will be the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. Maybe I'll do that by then!"