Chinese Judge Chen Sa of the Chopin International Piano Competition: A Good Phenomenon, Audiences Listening to Concerts with Music Score
"The conductor master Jaczek skillfully outlines the musical lines, has a unique tone, and the pauses and blank spaces during rehearsals have inspired me a lot. The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland is adept at Chopin's songs and can keenly capture subtle rhythmic changes, with a very relaxed voice," described Chinese pianist Chen Sa.
On the evening of September 13th, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra of Poland returned to the stage in Shanghai. Led by Polish conductor Jacques Kaspchik, they teamed up with Chen Sa to perform classic works by Panderetsky, Chopin, and Dvorak, marking the opening of the 2023/24 autumn and winter performance season of "Infinite Life with Score in the Heart" at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center.
Dongyi New Performance Season Opening Concert Live
The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland is a century old symphonic powerhouse from Chopin's hometown. In 1901, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra of Poland held its inaugural concert at the newly completed Philharmonic Hall. This historic concert was conducted by the then artistic director and chief conductor of the orchestra, Imel Milnasky, with pianist Padrefsky as the soloist. In the early 20th century, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra had become the main center of music life in Poland and a leader in the European music industry.
The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra is not only an authority in interpreting Polish Romanticism and contemporary works, but also a collaborating band in the International Chopin Piano Competition. In the final stage, the band performed live for the participating pianists, witnessing the rise of countless new classical music stars. Chen Sa is one of them. In 2000, at the age of 21, Chen Sa won fourth place and the Best Performance Award for Polish Dance at the 14th Chopin International Piano Competition, marking the beginning of his career. In 2010, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Chopin's birth, the Polish government awarded Chen Sa the "Chopin Art Passport", praising her contribution to playing Chopin music. In 2021, she became the youngest and only Chinese judge of the Chopin International Piano Competition. "This year, I once again collaborated with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra as a performer, achieving a complete and rich experience," said Chen Sa.
Dongyi New Performance Season Opening Concert Live
At the beginning of the 2013/2014 season, Jacques Kaspchek served as the Artistic Director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra until his resignation in 2019. During this period, he led the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra on a large-scale world tour and received rave reviews wherever he went. As one of the most authoritative conductors in Poland, this season, Jaczek was invited to lead the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra again on a tour.
The repertoire of the Shanghai concert is all composed by Slavic composers: "Paradise Lost" has a romantic opening with a small slow tempo of just over 4 minutes, paying tribute to the late Polish contemporary composer Panderetsky; Chen Sa followed closely behind and led Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2; Dvorak's Ninth Symphony is coming to an end, with classic melodies echoing in the audience's ears.
Chen Sa introduced that "Piano Concerto No. 2" was a work written by young Chopin during his happiest days. Although numbered "No. 2", it was actually the earliest work created. The three movements of the Second Piano Concerto have distinct personalities, with the first movement featuring many stream of consciousness shapes, providing the performer with ample room for expression; The second movement is beautiful, fragile, and highly dramatic. Chopin is like a painter, drawing his love for an opera actress into it; The third movement is full of singing and dancing, very joyful and rich in layers. "Chopin's songs, no matter at what age they are played, always touch your heart with the beauty and youth they contain, as well as the true and transparent emotions. That's why I have always loved them." Chen Sa said, "And these pieces created by Chopin when he was young, and even today, people are still willing to play and listen to them, which is enough to prove its artistic charm."
During the 2023/24 autumn and winter performance season, Dongyi planned a pop-up bookstore called "Youpu" in the theater lobby, where audiences can select and browse relevant music scores before the heavyweight concert. Chen Sa was the first musician to see this "Youpu" bookstore.
Chen Sa is at the Youpu Bookstore
Nowadays, the phenomenon of music fans carrying scores and listening to music is becoming more and more common. Chen Sa said, "This is a very good phenomenon. Not only people in the music industry, but also some music enthusiasts are starting to learn to read scores. Their understanding of music is not only emotional, but also rational."
