Simon Rattle (right), chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, accompanied pianist Cho Seong-jin at a press conference on the morning of the 19th. The two musicians will perform at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul until the 21st. [연합뉴스]
“(Cho) Seong-jin naturally plays excellently without even trying. I know that he really hates compliments, and I can still see the ‘allergy to compliments’ in his eyes. (Laughs) I’m sorry!” At a press conference held at the Lotte Concert Hall in Jamsil, Seoul on the 19th, world-renowned conductor Simon Rattle (69) smiled while talking about pianist Cho Seong-jin (30).
The two were explaining Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2, which they would perform on the 20th. Cho Seong-jin said, “It’s a song of such a huge scale that I’m so exhausted that I can’t do anything after the performance.” Rattle said, “Sungjin is so humble,” and added, “This song is like a tennis match. They pass the ball to each other, but if the serve is too fast, they cannot receive it. “When we give a passage to the orchestra, we have to be able to pass it back,” he said. “Performing with some musicians is a nightmare, but Seongjin’s performance is simple and musical. “It’s a situation that only a few pianists can feel,” he said.
Rattle and Seong-Jin Cho will now join the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) in Munich, Germany. On the 20th, Brahms Concerto No. 2 will be performed, and on the 21st, Beethoven Concerto No. 2 will be performed. Rattle served as principal conductor at the Berlin Philharmonic for 16 years and was music director of the London Symphony until last year. He has served as BRSO’s permanent conductor since September of last year. Previously, he performed in Korea with the Berlin Philharmonic in 2017 and with the London Symphony in 2022. This is my first visit to Korea with BRSO.
Whenever Rattle visits Korea, Seong-Jin Seong is the collaborator. Rattle said, “It’s ironic because we toured with different orchestras, and the soloist each time was Seong-Jin Cho.” Rattle called Cho Seong-jin, who performed with him at the Berlin Philharmonic concert in 2017, “the poet of the piano.” It was the debut performance of Seong-Jin Cho of the Berlin Philharmonic, who performed on stage in place of pianist Lang Lang, who had injured his arm at the time. Rattle selected Cho Seong-jin as a collaborator for all 12 of BRSO’s Asian performances (2 in Korea, 6 in Japan, and 4 in Taiwan). The last performance is on the 5th of next month. Rattle explained, “I perform in a variety of programs, and I thought Cho Seong-jin was the performer who could share that diversity.”
Cho Seong-jin said, “Stamina is important for a long tour,” and added, “I played Brahms Concerto No. 2 with the BRSO in Munich a few days ago, and it was physically and mentally difficult. But the orchestra was great, so I forgot all about the hardships and only prepared music for this tour,” he said. He then introduced this piece, saying, “If Concerto No. 1 retains the passion of the young Brahms, Concerto No. 2 is more symphonic, so I think the role of the orchestra is important.”
BRSO, founded in 1949, was led by virtuoso conductors such as Eugen Johum, Rafael Kubelik, Lorin Maazel, and Maris Jansons. This is the first performance in Korea in 6 years since 2018 with Zubin Mehta. BRSO CEO Nicolaus Font said, “This year marks the 75th anniversary of our founding. “We are going on a long tour with difficult pieces, and all orchestra members have high expectations,” he said. In addition to the concerto, BRSO will perform Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 on the 20th and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 on the 21st.
