All language subtitles for BBC.Storyville.2023.Pianoforte.1080p.HDTV.x265.AAC.MVGroup.org

Come to this beautiful state.

The beautiful state of the sound.

Creative energy is coming to you.

It won't leave you.

It's flowing, flowing, flowing.

Chopin will be alive.

You'll be playing for him.

People are going to love you.

Let go of all the stress.

Let it go. It's no longer there.

You just have to go in, and that's it.

Seven.

Eight.

-Is there tension between the blades?
-Of course.

Three more.

More restrained, Eva.

Otherwise, one can't keep up.

Thank you. Try the 16th bar.

Fine.

Now play the same on the Yamaha.

Eva!

Try the Scherzo on the left one.

On the left one.

You sounded good on that one.

He sounds more graceful.

I agree.
Who's playing now?

The right one sounds better.

Turn it off.

-Turn it off.
-I'm listening to it.

-So what if you're listening?
-Off.

-He's out, hey!
-Come, come!

-I'm done with the exams.
-You are!

One, two, three.

Once more. One, two, three.

Good, very good.

Now, you must practice.
You finally can!

I haven't heard you play
for a few days.

You have to regain form.

-You still know how to play the piano?
-I played for three hours two days ago.

Good. It's not easy at all.

I still have that Nocturne to learn.

Don't think about that one yet.
It's too easy for you.

You've learnt politics
and all that already, eh?

I like the Kawai,
but I'm scared.

Don't be.

That keyboard.
I've never played on the Kawai.

-My fingers aren't used to it.
-You're going to practice.

Two days?
That's not enough. I'm scared.

The Steinway is uncomfortable,
but it sounds good.

-If it's uncomfortable...
-I don't know. It's all uncomfortable.

I don't know what to choose, Mum.

We can already feel the atmosphere
of the Competition.

Stage One begins today.

The pianists have to show
all their skills in a short repertoire.

...from Etudes in Stage One to the
final Concertos with the orchestra.

The finalists should be able to play
a nearly three-hour repertoire.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we would be very grateful if you
turned off your mobile phones.

We also kindly ask you not to take
photographs or record the concert.

We are about to open
the first stage

of the long-awaited 18th International
Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.

Guys, now it's time...

...and cordially welcome
the members of the Jury.

The Chair of the Jury,
Ms. Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń.

Mr. Dang Thai Son.

He will be playing on Steinway,
serial no. 479,

performing the following program:

Étude in F major, Opus 10, no. 8,

Étude in A minor, Opus 25, no. 11,

Nocturne in E-flat major,
Opus 55, no. 2.

Marcin Wieczorek, Poland.

Your Pig's right here.

I have to brush it a bit more.

No need to. It looks good.

I've just noticed that.
I don't like it.

Later.

More delicately, okay?
More calmly.

She's won forty international prizes.

So many that it's hard
to enumerate them.

She's one of those personalities
at the Competition

who demonstrates maturity as a pianist
despite being young.

She plays concerts all over the world.

Today, she's going to play
in Warsaw for you.

Seventeen-year-old Eva Gevorgyan.

Crap, my sound
should have been clearer.

But I screwed it all up.

I screwed it all up so badly.

I felt wonderful on stage.

I think the audience liked it.
Well...

That was intense.

It was really intense.

Oh my God!

Be cheerful and smile.
Smile and things will go well.

-I'm going upstairs.
-Okay.

Good luck! Play for me.

I'll be upstairs. Good luck.

Do you need to use the toilet?

Are you sure? Good luck.

Nice to see you again!

You're Talon's mom, right?

I'm Vivian. I'm Hao's teacher.

-And I thought you were his mum.
-I wish. I'm his teacher.

-He has a piano mamma.
-Yes, yes.

I've taught him since he
was a very little kid.

So I raised him. It's the same.

-So his mum is back home?
-At his hometown.

Remember:
they have to desire you.

Be simple on the one hand,
but seduce them with sophistication.

Okay, so...

Promise me
you won't act like a little girl.

True, you're right.

They can't treat you like a kid, get it?

I'd like to have an Xbox.

I'd like to do something else,
not only play the piano.

Just for a few days.

And then, I'd work hard again.

Right hand, more quietly!

This is one cycle.

You will do this three times.

The second direction is forward
as you exhale.

The wrists should rotate
with outward movement.

We created an evil that we
have to fight ourselves.

Nobody likes competitions.

Nobody will like it.

The Jury will not like it, the people
that do it will not like it.

And everybody does it.

Because we like some aspects of it.

We don't like the idea
of the competition.

How can you compete in music?

Who will win the gold medal
and forty thousand Euros...

Stage One has finished tonight.

Out of 87 pianists,
only about 40 are going to stay.

Nearly half of them will say goodbye
to the Competition and go home.

We're going to miss those
who won't make it to Stage Two.

-I'd say second place.
-She'll be very high, I'm sure.

What about first?

The man who played today?

-Yes.
-Me too!

-Didn't you want to do what you did?
-Who knows what to do at the age of five?

I wanted to be a footballer.

They didn't let you play football.

-No, because...
-You could break your hands?

No, it was just...

Vulgar.

And this beautiful, spacious,
melodious theme!

It contrasts wonderfully
with the dynamic opening.

For a seventeen-year-old...

-Sit down.
-No, thanks. I'll stand.

This boy has
incredible musical maturity

at such a young age.

In his music,
he shows a sort of emotions

he can't have possibly experienced.

-Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
-It's started.

I'm lowering the volume.

By the verdict of the Jury
of the 18th Chopin Piano Competition,

the following participants
have qualified for Stage Two:

Mr. Piotr Alexewicz, Poland.

Ms. Leonora Armellini, Italy.

Wait. Stop...

Michelle Candotti from Italy.

Yasuku Furumi from Japan.

Ms. Eva Gevorgyan, Russia/Armenia.

Mr. Hao Rao, China.

Ms. Miyu Shindo, Japan.

We can listen to it once again.

I didn't hear it wrong, did I?

Finally, Mr. Marcin Wieczorek
from Poland.

-Hi, I've made it to the next stage.
-Congratulations.

Great!

You're making me shy.
Where's my wine?

Anyway, I also play Metallica.

Oh, here's a replay.

We can pretend it's the first time
I've been watching it

and I'm like, "I'll qualify for sure."

Mr. Tomoharu Ushida, Japan.

Finally, Mr. Marcin Wieczorek
from Poland.

Finally, Mr. Marcin Wieczorek
from Poland.

-He was singled out.
-You're the only one with "finally".

Come on, guys!

Come on, guys.
I should play Chopin.

I should do that.

Is it like worldwide?

Yes. It's like the Olympics of piano.

-You play as well?
-Unfortunately yes.

-He's one of the forty people also...
-Cheers!

Winning this Competition might be
one of lifetime achievements.

-Really?
-Yeah, absolutely.

But it's really hard, guys.
It's really difficult.

If you win the 40 thousand prize,
you might be using it to go to therapy.

I think... It's really complicated.

You might get a sore throat.

I'll take it just in case. This is fine.

Don't finish it then.

Beware of getting pimples.

Good night.

Okay, bye.

Alex!

-Hello, good luck!
-Thank you.

You should send Grandma...

-A message.
-Say you're going back to China.

I feel sad to be going back.

Oh, a piano!

A piano.

Here. Let's weigh it.

Twenty kilos.

I can put in two more books.

22.7 kg.

Stay calm...

Now, go!

These people I hear...

They don't do a wrong note.
Not even if you pay them.

These people are seriously machines.

They train their all lives.

They're like CIA or marines, you know?

They wake up early morning,
they do all the push-ups.

Then, they do Etudes.

See? Not a wrong note.

I think I'll scream after
I end the last note.

Like this.

Maybe. If it was okay.

And even if it wasn't okay,
"Fuck you all! I want to go home!"

This theme... I think I did it like
20,000 times in these days.

And my parents will kill me,
I think, if I do it again.

But I will.

She listens to me, she sleeps.

Sometimes if I'm doing
something very dark,

very passionate,

she has nightmares.

She starts running,

but she's the only one
who doesn't complain.

Yes, right?

Maybe because she cannot speak.

You have to look nice
at the Chopin Competition.

The more you look like Chopin,
the more likely you are to win.

Take Blechacz or Zimerman.

It's no coincidence!

At the Competition,
the camera films your face like this.

I just have to straighten up a bit.

It looks better.

It gives you extra charisma points.

Plus other points.

And you get to the next stage.

These are the train and plane tickets
we've been collecting

since Hao started to play the piano.

Dang Thai Son's concert,
at the Wuhan Qintai Concert Hall.

It was our first concert

so I kept the tickets as well.

To get to Wuhan,

we needed to change
trains twice

in Jishou and Huaihua.

In total, it was nearly
a twenty-hour train ride,

as there were no direct trains
at that time.

As soon as we arrived in Wuhan,
we rushed to the concert

and immediately took the train

back home afterwards.

The same happened

when we went to his teacher
for lessons.

It took us more than thirty hours

to go there and come back.

"Read ten thousand books,
travel ten thousand miles."

I'd like to have their problems.

The first year at school,
that's serious.

Her figure has changed a bit.

-She's grown up.
-Yes.

-Can you work something out?
-We'll see.

It should be okay.

-Aren't straps too tight?
-No, they sometimes fall down.

We'll lower the armhole a little.

When should it be ready?

At the end of September,
it's for a competition.

-I can take your dress.
-No.

No need to keep your arm bent
for fifteen minutes.

-Give it to me.
-I'll switch hands.

All your fingers. Finish it off.

Raise your fingers comfortably.

Sit straight.

Let go of the pedal more precisely.

Move your hands, not your head.

Don't move your head.
Your hands are working.

Eva, if I have to leave
and you feel uneasy,

just clench your fists tightly
and throw the tension away.

Clench and throw. It'll pass.

How does she compare
with the others?

She's in the top three, I'd say.

The man from Japan was
very good yesterday.

Clear articulation.

Today, this Chinese man
from Canada was very good.

-Except for the ending.
-The first one?

-Yes.
-He mixed things up at the start.

In that slower part.

That's it!

Dad?

-Good, but...
-Do you like the Polonaise?

It was different from the other day.

Yesterday, it sounded much better.

I mean the initial elegance.

But when you're tired,

it's better to do something else,

like yoga for example.

Every piece has to tell some story.

You play,
but you don't tell a story yet.

It seems you're still working on it.

You talk a lot.

All right. It's acceptable.

It's acceptable,
because there's no other choice.

I think people don't know
what the stake is.

Everyone just wants to win.

They don't realize
that not everyone is going to win.

They don't have a Plan B.

If they get an honorary award,
they want to participate again.

Kira, sit! Bravo!

Come!

Last evening, I was like...

"I shouldn't be a pianist.

I don't like being a pianist.

I want to be someone else.
I don't know what.

I want to change my life."

After the performance,
"Yes! Let's do it again!"

I don't think it went well.

-Sorry?
-I don't think it went well.

You were very good.

So many stupid mistakes.

I told your mother your sound was
very beautiful on the balcony.

-Very balanced.
-Yeah, but all the rest...

It's a pity because I feel
like I really started playing...

Sorry, I'm out of breath.

I feel like I really started playing
the Polonaise, the second piece.

I feel there I started playing.

Before I was fucking nervous.
Shit!

I made only one mistake.

-Why?
-I panicked.

I wiggled and wiggled,
and wondered where I ended up.

I saw that my hand was almost
in the wrong place.

I knew the harmony,
so I corrected myself at once.

-You didn't stop.
-Not for a second.

Two bars weren't good,
but the rest was okay.

Your mouth. Here.

I mean...

What's that?

Mango. Yellow. It's okay.

I want to be the best.

I know normally, people say,

"I want to express my feelings in music."

No. I want a career
and stability in the future.

And the Chopin Competition

is one of the few competitions

that can make this happen.

Other competitions give you money,
but money is useless.

You can stay poor all your
life, and it's fine.

Money doesn't solve anything.

The thing that solves
anything is your name.

You should tidy your room up a bit.

It's hidden somewhere.

You put it inside.
Get the metronome.

Get the metronome.

Do you want to change your shoes?

Maybe later.

Tired?

The first movement or the second?

The second.

Let's not talk about other participants.

Okay.

My professor tells me not to discuss
our performances with other participants.

But I go back home
and you're commenting on that.

-I don't care.
-You don't?

Is this the accompaniment
to your story?

Yes.

It's never easy.

Life is sad.

How do you feel?

Not well.

Did you take everything?

Your suit and turtleneck?

Yes.

-Shoes?
-Yes.

-Foundation?
-Yes, I took everything.

Even a bottle of new hairspray.

-New hairspray?
-Yes.

I bought a stronger one this time.

I have to warm up my muscles

to the 110 bpm tempo.

Let's see if I can do it.

-Who's playing right now?
-Hyuk Lee.

-Hi, Bruce!
-Good job.

-Did you listen or...
-No.

Yes, yes.

I just want to say good luck,
all the best!

-Thank you.
-Just play as usual.

Here? This way?

-Bye-bye! See you later!
-Bye!

What a nice support act.

Hyuk Lee won the Paderewski Competition.

And Bruce is a whiz.

Excuse me, if you're waiting...

If there's no one to look after you,
here's your room.

Whom should I tell that I'm resigning?

-Why?
-I feel terrible.

Just a moment.

Excuse me!

Are you absolutely sure?

What should I say? He's about to finish.

"We are sorry to announce"?

Not "sorry".
"Due to health reasons."

We are sorry to announce that
due to health reasons

Mr. Marcin Wieczorek has resigned
from the Competition.

So that was the last performance
of the evening.

The list of the pianists qualified
to the next round

will be revealed at around 10 pm,

which will be broadcast
from the Mirror Hall.

We encourage you to visit
our website...

We're here to announce the results
of the second stage

of the 18th International Fryderyk
Chopin Piano Competition.

Leonora Armellini from Italy.

J.J. Li Bui from Canada.

Alexander Gadjiev
from Italy/Slovenia.

Martín García García from Spain.

-You're a little sad, aren't you?
-I am.

I know.

From Russia/Armenia.

Aimi Kobayashi from Japan.

Hyuk Lee...

You're better than other players.
You're the leader.

Last night, I dreamt about
a zombie apocalypse.

And I had to save everyone.

What a difficult night:
saving the humanity.

But I think maybe

the zombie apocalypse was
happier than today.

That guy who dropped out
of the second round,

maybe he had a terrible disease
and infected all the Philharmonic.

You cannot do the Competition
with zombies around the city.

It's impossible.

Remember about the final concert.

-Brave girl. How are you feeling?
-Can we make one quick call?

-How are you?
-Fine.

There's so much going on.

-Tired?
-Yes.

What did you like the best?

I don't know. I just want
to call my boss. She knows.

Hello, Professor! Good evening!

Thank you.

Can you imagine
that the audience stood up at the end?

Hi!

Two things. There are some
radio interviews upstairs.

We can go there whenever you're ready.

Someone will be waiting outside.

Also the TV would like to have
a live interview with you.

But it would be in about an hour
after Yasuko finishes playing.

Yes, of course.

Yes? Okay, great!
Perfect. Fantastic.

-Congratulations on your performance.
-Thank you.

Do you need anything?

-Water maybe?
-Yes.

Okay.

The prize isn't the most important
in this contest.

Of course, if I could get any prize,
it would mean a lot to me.

I feel that I'm growing up
as a musician,

stage by stage.

-It was very good.
-Congratulations.

Thank you.

Everyone says you played
like a genius.

Oh my...

So, at seven, in ten minutes,
I'm having another interview.

I've already done at least six.

Congratulations, it was quite something.

Describe your emotions if it's possible.

It's not possible at all.
It's... everything.

I think it may be the best
emotion in my life so far.

It's too much.

It was so good at the beginning.

How could you forget?

I still can't remember it.

Are you thinking less?

No. I just don't remember
that part at all.

How could this be?

...one of the most awarded
Italian pianists of all time.

Recently, you've won prizes in Sydney,
Hamamatsu, Monte Carlo.

Yes, what you say is true.

A few years ago, I was also named
a BBC New Generation Artist.

Here's a great artist.

-Hi, guys!
-Devoted to music, right?

-Always.
-Always... Bye!

We'll see if they care...

They shouldn't if this was Stage One,

but this was
a "life-and-death" situation.

-Thank you.
-I'll cross my fingers for you.

Thank you.

One. Two. Three.

There was too much pressure this time.

But we still need
to practice the Concerto.

-I can't.
-You have to practice.

If they qualify you for the next stage,
don't let them down.

They'll give you another chance
to perform the Sonata better.

Let's practice the Concerto
after we grab a bite.

It's a must.

Your left hand must play.
It can't be inert.

You let go of the pedal.
I don't like it.

You're playing like this...

Lazy fingers don't finish it off.

Finish it off.

That's right. Play it lightly.

Try to look less focused.

No. Radiate with glow.

There won't be any glow
without this note.

Left hand, move it! It's too inert.

Don't flap it around.

No. The transition must be identical.

Green light, red light!

-How are you doing?
-Fine.

-Can I sit here?
-Sure. And how are you?

-I don't know.
-You said you were tired?

-I'm a bit sad.
-Why?

I don't know.

I don't know.
I have a strange feeling about it.

His hands are so thin.

He's got fans.
An Instagram fan club.

It's stuck.

Don't let me listen.
I'll lose my confidence.

He looks like Bruce Lee.

It's beautiful. I'm so eager to play it.
I hope for the best.

Let's hope!

We're waiting and hoping!

Keep working.

Shh, why are you doing this?

No need to bend your fingers.

Keep working, keep working.

Use the whole hand, look.

It'll be four times louder.

But you can't play it
if you bend your fingers.

The whole hand must work.

We stop here.

And we hold it.

Loose wrist, stiff fingers.

Today is the last day for me.

-You're sure?
-Yeah.

It's like a grieving period.

First, there's desperation.

Then rage.

And then acceptance.

You can say, "You are still
in the Competition.

You don't know until tonight."

Okay, but...

I know how I played.

And...

I know the others, so...

I don't want to be delusional.

I'm always honest.

I'm always critical.

I don't believe in unicorns.

Did I get in?

Already?

The Jury of the 18th International
Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition

have decided to qualify
as many as 12 pianists

for the final stage
of the Competition.

And these are in the
alphabetical order:

Leonora Armellini from Italy.

What?! Yes!

Alexander Gadjiev
from Italy/Slovenia.

Congratulations!

Eva Gevorgyan
from Russia/Armenia.

Hao Rao...

Hyuk Lee...

Let's go back.

Alex! Bottoms up!

I thought I didn't make it.

You see my hands? They're shaking.

Calm down, I believe in you.

Believe in yourself.

Maestro! Maestro!

Maestro!

Maestro, we did it!
Damn, we did it!

You've really made it in?

Luckily, we practiced today.

Eva, let's go and eat!
Your professor is hungry.

Come on!

-Thank you.
-No, I want...

It's great to...

I already saw that I had a flight at 5
from the Chopin airport, so.

A bit of time to pack.

When I come home,
I'll have a Chopin tattoo done.

What?
Like at the Olympic Games, you see?

It's like someone goes to the Olympics
and has those rings tattooed.

I have to do the mental practice.

My mum played Beethoven's
Symphony No. 1 with an orchestra.

They were about twenty-two back then.

When they were twenty-five,
they were already married.

And what the hell
are we doing with our lives?

I'm doing a course on improvisation.

-So get off me!
-And I make risotto!

You keep playing it
in a strange way.

I'm tired.
I can't do it anymore.

So terribly tired.

My fingers are also exhausted,
full of calluses.

Horrible.

Damaged, ugly.

This is the story I told Hao

to encourage him, to inspire him.

It's because...

Actually, my teacher Monique
prepared me

to participate
in the Chopin Competition.

We were aiming for...
It was the year 2000.

We'd been aiming for that one
since I was a freshman.

But of course, I never went.

We prepared all the program.

We had all the repertoire,
but I was just never...

How should I put it?

I was not ambitious enough

for the Competition, I guess.

She also let me go to some
other competitions.

But I was really not like... fully driven.

So whenever I felt like, "Okay,
this piece, I already know it.

I know how it will work out,

what I'm supposed to do and what
it's supposed to sound like.

It's okay."

Then I just wanted to put it aside.

And I never really tried to

make the effort.

All those hours...

All those hours that you're supposed
to repeatedly polish something

until you can go up on stage.

Let's wait a bit to see
if your fingers are numb.

Did you fall asleep?

You did? Awake now?

You didn't finish the note.

Luckily, I checked.

-Is it sore?
-A bit.

Almost there, just a bit more.

Let's try crescendo
in bars two and three.

It's impossible
if we're too loud at the beginning.

More diminuendo .

Tempo!

She says she sweated,
which worries me.

She doesn't understand she's resting.

She's convinced she's playing.

The same happened in Stage Two.

I'd like to shake your hand
and thank you.

I promise the girl won't be speeding up.

No, she won't.

She won't be sleeping
like she slept at the rehearsal.

-Maybe she didn't have enough sleep?
-She's asleep now.

We'll go and wake up now.

Thank you!

Flat. Everything is flat.

-The piano or...
-Not the piano. Eva.

Flat.

Not enough difference between
fortissimo and pianissimo.

And emotional difference.

It's a little bit like rehearsal.
"I play rehearsal. Sorry."

Rehearsals are not to be perfect.

No love for this Concerto.
You have to love this Concerto.

-I love this Concerto.
-At home. When you sleep.

You have to love it on stage.

It's difficult.

Do you know Richard Rodzinski?
He was a manager of the Van Cliburn...

Yes, I know him.

First, don't think about the jury.

Don't block Chopin!
You can stand.

Beautiful. See? Chopin is satisfied.

This is the worst part of the Competition.

And finally in the Hall.

Finally, yes.

-That's actually my first time.
-Me too.

Did you listen to somebody else
during the selection or...

My hands were really tired.
During the final, they were shaking.

Not because I was nervous.

I've never practiced so much in my life.

You know that if you win a prize,

you'll need to perform
again tomorrow.

The first six people.

What are you going to do now?

-Wait for the results.
-Sure. But in a week or month?

I want to rest.
Then I'll be playing concerts.

Many concerts?

"La serata è molto bella."

-Well done!
-What does it mean?

-"The evening is very beautiful."
-I don't agree.

She says there are 120,000 people
waiting together with us online.

It's like the whole world is waiting.

It's so weird.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

The Jury of the 18th International
Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition

have made their decision.

Oh God, seriously?!

My god!

The fifth prize...

Leonora Armellini.

The fourth prize goes
to Aimi Kobayashi, Japan,

and Jakub Kuszlik from Poland.

The third prize goes
to Martín García García from Spain.

There's a tie for second prize
between Alexander Gadjiev,

Italy/Slovenia,

and...

...Kyohei Sorita, Japan.

And the winner
of the competition...

is...

Bruce Xiaoyu Liu from Canada.

-You are really great!
-You too!

Dear Katarzyna,
thank you so much for listening to me.

It's a big honour to see you.

-Thank you.
-Congratulations.

-You are an exceptional young person.
-Thank you.

I think that... Who knows?
Probably you will come again.

-You're still seventeen.
-Thank you.

Did the Chair of Jury say anything?

Something like, "You'll come again,
you're only seventeen."

I don't get it.

Maybe not everything was good,
but it's strange.

You're doing great!
You made it to the final!

You're the only Chinese person
in the final, out of forty.

Even Eva didn't get anything.

It's really mixed up.
It's hard to make sense out of it.

It's all right.

Have a little cry.

-But not in front of cameras.
-Okay.

-You can cry when you get home.
-Fine.

Next three days will be hard.
Get ready for that.

You'll get over it in three days.

It's going to get better.

Please, smile and say you're glad.

Okay.

Say you're happy and so on.

Stay strong.

What you feel now is normal.

Ms. Eva Gevorgyan.

Mr. Hyuk Lee.

Mr. Hao Rao.

Ms. Leonora Armellini.