There are various notes on Chopin's character in storybooks.
Most of them are adjectives full of feminine characteristics such as weak, sentimental, poetic, implicit, etc.
But at the end of each label, it is indispensable to mention the heroic nature of Chopin's music.
People are more willing to listen to stories like this——
How a male poet with a slender appearance and a weak body composed a heroic chapter.
indeed.
The contrast between the author's own image and the character of his works will enhance the tension of such a story.
And many performers will also use this storytelling device to perform Chopin's music.
This in itself is not a problem, after all, the music itself is soft and beautiful, and no matter how strong the chord phrase is, it only lasts a few seconds.
Natsuki's performance abandoned this common routine. She started with the perseverance and determination of Chopin's character and directly reflected this image in her music.
Not pretentious, just like her playing style today.
Open and close without hindrance.
This treatment throughout the piece may seem a bit weak in the emotional passages of the music, but one point that cannot be ignored by the audience is that Natsuki is a weak-looking female performer.
From another perspective of stage performance, a female performer with such an image performs music with a sense of power that is not inferior to that of a male performer, which is also very enjoyable in itself.
The two complement each other, and the music itself and the stage performance tend to reach a certain balance.
As for whether this balance is convincing on this competitive stage, that is a matter of opinion.
But one thing is for sure, the audience who watched this game will remember the girl in the red dress and her fluttering long hair.
...
The symphony ended with Natsuki Aso's last note, and the audience burst into applause.
“Wow——————————————”
Nobuyuki Toshii in the audience showed a knowing smile at this moment. He heard about Natsuki's growth over the past year.
On the other hand, Shen Qingci also praised silently in his heart. As Natsuki's second teacher, he has always admired this extremely talented and hard-working Japanese student.
At the contestants' table, Qin and Duan also applauded the Japanese friend.
The sweet smile on Master Fang's face was a bit unacceptable for a while, but Qin Jian could understand his mood.
Everyone can see Natsuki's performance today.
Under applause, Natsuki bowed and left the stage.
...
Bayliss, who was the third to take the stage, had nothing special about her look today, wearing a black dress.
Bayliss should be the official runner in the final, which even he himself laughed at in interviews.
But his selection as a finalist did not surprise the public.
Now looking back at the first three rounds, as one of the older players in this competition, his performance was indeed particularly stable.
Compared with the same older player Duccio, Bayliss' performance in the second round showed more possibilities than Duccio.
This can be seen from the third round.
Now that he was bathing in the lights of the final, he told himself that he just had to play the last concerto steadily and completely.
From the beginning to the end of the music, Bayliss performed just like the first three rounds. There were a few minor errors during the period, but it did not affect the integrity of the music.
In the last movement, there was probably a little chemical reaction between the music's influence and his own emotions, and he made some changes in the small parts of the motive phrase.
These small changes give people a refreshing feeling. Although unstable, people can see Bayliss's attempt.
When Bayliss finished playing, he bent down and kissed the piano board of Yamah piano across the back of his hand under the applause.
“Wow————————————”
This scene seemed to light up the scene.
This is his gratitude to the Chopin Competition, which gave his career new progress and direction.
Say goodbye to the game with a kiss.
He knew it was time for him to leave and return to his hometown in Amsterdam to discuss the terms of the contract with the local brokerage firm.
Take a bow.
Qin Jian in the audience was shocked by the scene just now. When he saw Bayliss bowing and leaving the stage, he felt many feelings that he had never experienced before.
'good luck.'
He remembered the name of this young Dutch pianist - Tuukas Bayliss.
...
The scene gradually became quiet, and the 17 judges had finished scoring Bayliss.
The game continues.
...
The next contestant to appear may be a little controversial for the audience outside the judges' box, but it's not too controversial.
No. 9 Ivanov, this player who was crowned the seed of the Russian national team when he first arrived, indeed showed the world the elegance of a country with a strong piano culture in the very first game.
His third etude, his ballad, and his mazurka all show that he is here to win the championship.
But he happened to overturn in the third round of the sonata.
This overturn almost cost him no chance to appear in the finals.
But the final result was that he survived, which relieved his fans.
Fans are looking forward to seeing him make a comeback in the finals.
He himself hopes so.
...
When Ivanov came on stage, everyone in the audience could sense something from his serious expression.
This Russian guy who loves to laugh makes the audience feel his joy every time he appears on stage, but today we don’t see his smile.
"It seems he still hasn't adjusted well."
Qin Jian gave an onlooker's view. He knew that Ivanov must have been under a lot of pressure due to negative comments in the past two days.
Fang Zongyao did not comment on this. He was dissatisfied with the fact that the jury allowed Ivanov to advance.
The applause fell from the audience, and Ivanov sat upright.
Marik turned to look at him, then smiled and told him to relax.
Then he waved the baton.
The grand symphonic prelude sounded again.
This is the third Xiao Yi prelude in today's game, exactly the same as the previous two.
After a full four-minute prelude, Qin Jian counted the time.
When he looked up again, he saw the moment when Ivanov raised and lowered his arms.
"When——"
A piano note that was weaker than Natsuki and stronger than Bayliss sounded on the stage.
Ivanov's performance is beginning.
...
During the entire thirty-eight-minute performance, the audience could not feel how tormented Ivanov was from the changes in his expression.
Starting from the first sentence of the first theme of his first movement, everyone's attention has completely entered his Chopin world.
“Excellent performance.”
This was Ivanov's final call and Argerich's vocal comment.
Her voice was not quiet, and the judges around her could hear her clearly.
Ivanov showed his meticulous thinking in the final, and he seemed to fully understand the audience's expectations for the concerto.
When the delicate second theme appears, Bayliss's shadow is no longer in people's minds.
In the second movement, he wanted to be emotional and technical, completely returning to the superb level of the first two rounds.
In the third movement, he designed a singing section to perform, in which he displayed the essence of the Russian piano to the maximum extent.
At the end of the song, his expression finally showed a hint of relief.
Under the applause, he bid farewell to his Chopin competition with a silly bow.