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Violinist Kyung Wha Chung presents Bach's unaccompanied pieces

By Zhang Qian | November 14, 2016, Monday | Online Edition

ALL of Bach’s six sonatas and partitas for unaccompanied violin were staged within one night by legendary violinist Kyung Wha Chung at Shanghai Symphony Hall on Saturday.

In her 60s, Chung was confident about completing the task, which may be quite a physical challenge even to a younger violinist.

“It is my dream project,” said Chung, “presenting all of Bach’s unaccompanied pieces for violin well within one concert is an incredible miracle. I would be thrilled to realize that on stage.”

Bach’s, as Chung believes, is the purist art form in the world that brings eternal peace, harmony and love to all humans. 

Though she had played some of Bach’s unaccompanied pieces before, it was not until 2012 that Chung staged and recorded all the six Bach’s unaccompanied pieces for violin. And her last performance of all the pieces in May in Beijing was enthusiastically-received by the audiences.

“It was a remarkable experience. I did wonder about whether such a concert of all unaccompanied pieces would be received. But the audiences were incredibly passionate from the beginning to the end,” said Chung.

Started playing violin at 6, Chung established instant connection with the amazing instrument and fell in love ever since. Though not much gifted in piano, Chung learnt violin pieces very quickly and had her very first performance in public only two weeks after her first touch on the instrument.

“It was on an assembly at school where my mother made me to perform. Everybody is listening to me and my music. That was the very first time that I actually felt the fulfillment that violin could bring me,” said Chung.

With great support from the family, Chung’s talent in violin was quickly recognized. She studied with Ivan Galamian at the Julliard School since 12. And winning the top prize of the Leventritt Competition in 1967 started her glamorous music career. She toured around the world with top musicians like Andre Previn, Riccardo Mutti and Daniel Barenboim, and made more than 30 records with companies like Decca, RCA and EMI.

Yet, a finger injury in 2005 forced her to quit her loving stage at prime years.

“I felt like felling down from high to the earth. There were so much pain and sorrow that I sometimes felt unable to breathe,” said Chung, “But those years also brought me great richness in life that I might never have experienced if I had continued my stage career.”

Before her return in 2011, Chung devoted much herself to music education at the Julliard School and spent much more time with her family.

“I had two boys at the terrible teenage period. I now feel so glad about able to accompany them in those years. I had been too busy before, and wouldn’t have woken up and experience my life but for the incident,” said Chung.

As returned, the violin queen now enjoys picking up what she has always been gifted – performing on stage.

“I was made for stage. Live performance and interaction with audiences fulfills me,” said Chung. But she is not so firm about sticking to the stage.

“When I have grandchildren, I may quit temporarily and returned three years later. How about that?” said Chung. 

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