Can the music of Kang Bi-o, played by Song Kang, be heard again even after the drama ends?
tvN drama ‘Four Hands’ has revealed plans to release a classical collection and a combined OST album ahead of its finale.
There is interest in how the performance pieces that shaped the relationship between the two pianists in the work will be included in the recordings.
3-Line Summary
1. Song Kang’s ‘Four Hands’ recordings will be released one after another
2. The 10 classical tracks will be released on October 4
3. The release plans and the broadcast content should be distinguished
From Kang Bi-o’s Signature Piece to ‘Danse macabre’
STONE MUSIC, the OST production company, announced on October 1 that it would officially release ‘Four Hands OST Classic Collection’ at 6 p.m. on October 4, followed by the combined album ‘Four Hands OST,’ containing the full recordings, at noon on October 5. These are the production company’s release plans and should be distinguished from the actual release results.
The classical collection is planned to consist of 10 tracks overseen by music director Kim Jun-seok. The track list includes the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd movements of ‘Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2,’ presented as Kang Bi-o’s signature piece, played by Song Kang, as well as four-hands piano and orchestra versions of Saint-Saëns’ ‘Danse macabre,’ performed together by Kang Bi-o and Choi Jeong-yo.
In ‘Four Hands,’ four hands refers to a technique in which two people play one piano together. Kookmin Ilbo introduced the performance as an opportunity for Kang Bi-o and Choi Jeong-yo to grow closer. The fact that the two characters’ relationship is connected through scenes of them coordinating their playing together, rather than being explained only through competition and conflict, is also evident in the composition of these recordings.
The Scene Song Kang Chose Came After the Performance in Episode 2
Song Kang chose the second-floor railing scene in Episode 2 as the most memorable scene from his role as Kang Bi-o. According to MoneyToday, Kang Bi-o and Choi Jeong-yo played until the school doors closed, then faced a situation in which they jumped together from the railing to return home. Song Kang said that while filming the scene, he and his co-star became deeply immersed in their respective characters.
The scene chosen by writer Shin Yi-won was also the ‘Danse macabre’ four-hands performance from the same episode. The writer recalled writing the scene in which the two leave the school together immediately after first playing in sync. Playing one piece together thus served as a device that moved the two characters’ story of friendship and growth.
The combined album is planned to include 10 classical pieces, along with the score by music director Kim Jun-seok and 3 vocal tracks by Jung Seung-hwan, So Soo-bin, and Jaeyeon. In particular, the self-composed piano concerto ‘Nemesis,’ which Choi Jeong-yo completed over 5 years in the drama and entrusted to Kang Bi-o for its premiere, is also planned to be released for the first time.
‘Four Hands’ Ahead of Its Final Broadcast
Kookmin Ilbo reported that ‘Four Hands’ began with a rating of 3.4% in Episode 1 and recorded 7.2% in Episode 10, broadcast on September 27. The figures are based on Nielsen Korea’s nationwide ratings, and the same report stated that this episode ranked first among all channels, including terrestrial broadcasters, in the same time slot.
MoneyToday reported that Episode 8 recorded the drama’s personal-best rating of 7.9%, but the basis was Nielsen Korea’s nationwide households on paid platforms. When comparing figures, both the episode and the measurement criteria must be considered.
The drama is approaching its 12th and final episode broadcast on October 4. The music release is not information that prematurely confirms the story’s ending; it is a plan to allow listeners to hear separately the music that guided the relationship between Kang Bi-o and Choi Jeong-yo. The key point of this release is that, in Song Kang’s comeback project, the piano did not remain merely background music.
References
Tags #SongKang #FourHands #SongKangFourHands #KangBio #LeeJunyoung #ChoiJeongyo #FourHandsOST #FourHandsClassicCollection #DramaOST #PianoDrama #DanseMacabre #Nemesis #tvNDrama