Pianoforte

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.