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2019
贝多芬
Ludwig: Beethoven The Piano (루드윅 : 베토벤 더 피아노) is a Korean original musical about Ludwig van Beethoven that blends factual biography with fiction to explore hearing loss, artistic will, and imperfect love. Rather than a cradle-to-grave chronicle, the show frames Beethoven’s life through a fictional figure, Marie, and his troubled bond with his nephew Karl, using live piano to turn memory and trauma into musical drama.
English:
Ludwig
Korean:
루드윅
Country: China | Language: Chinese
Review
🔗 All images are linked to their original sources or articles. No copyright ownership is claimed.
ORIGIN
Produced by Orchard Musical Company, the piece premiered in 2018 as a small-cast, music-driven work that places two pianos at the center of its stage language. It traces Beethoven across childhood, youth, and later years, but it is not a strict biographical musical; it is a “faction” built around letters, the Heiligenstadt Testament, and the composer’s inner voice. The score folds Beethoven motifs into original numbers, performed live to keep the music’s presence immediate.
STORY
A letter written near the end of Beethoven’s life is delivered to a woman named Marie, and the memories it unlocks become the play-within-the-play. On a stormy night in his youth, as despair over his failing hearing crests, Beethoven meets Marie and a boy, Walter, who ask him to teach piano. His refusal and regret echo forward into his consuming hopes for his nephew Karl. The musical moves between the child punished by his father Johann, the celebrated young virtuoso who hides his deafness, and the older Beethoven locked in a custody battle, until the letter’s truth resolves into acceptance: children are not raised so much as they grow, and love must learn to let go.
POSTER COLLECTION
Poster images are shown for documentation only. All rights belong to the original creators and producers.
KOREAN RUNS
2018 – Premiere, Orchard Musical Company, JTN Art Hall 1, Seoul (2018.11.27 ~ 2019.01.27).
2019 – Second season, Orchard Musical Company, Dream Art Center 1 (2019.04.09 ~ 2019.06.30).
2020 – Third season, Orchard Musical Company, Daehakro TOM 1 (2020.06.30 ~ 2020.09.27).
2022–2023 – Fourth season, Orchard Musical Company, YES24 Stage 1 (2022.12.20 ~ 2023.03.12.).
The title recurs in Korea with new casts and refinements to orchestration and staging while retaining live piano as a core device.
GLOBAL STAGINGS & ADAPTATIONS
China – Shanghai (2019)
Showcase presentation – K-Musical Roadshow, Shanghai Culture Square
Ludwig was introduced through excerpted performance and pitching sessions alongside other Korean originals, serving as an initial market entry step for Chinese presenters.
China – Shanghai (2020)
Licensed Mandarin-language production – Haishuo Culture Communication Co., Ltd.
Launched Dec 2020 with a full local cast and creative team, adapting the Korean script and score for Chinese audiences. Marked the musical’s first confirmed licensed staging outside Korea.
Japan – National Tour (2022)
Licensed Japanese-language production – “Ludwig – Beethoven The Piano”
Produced with local creative leadership (script/direction: Masahiko Kawahara; lyrics: Yukinojo Mori). Toured multiple cities including Osaka (Umeda Arts Theater Drama City, Nov 16–21), Ishikawa (Akabane Hall, Nov 25–26), and Miyagi (Denryoku Hall, Nov 29–30), establishing the title’s presence in the Japanese regional musical circuit.
REFERENCES
NamuWiki – Production overview and Korean run history (Korean)
Interview365 – Column on Ludwig’s fourth Korean season and concept (Korean)
https://www.interview365.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=104653
Hankook Ilbo – “Creative musical ‘Ludwig’ to enter China in December” (Korean)
https://www.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2020080409420000741
Douban – Mandarin licensed production page “Beethoven” with synopsis and credits (Chinese)
https://www.douban.com/location/drama/35302089/
Lawson Ticket – Japanese tour performance information and schedule (Japanese)
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