The live recording album of pianist Lim Yun-chan and the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra became a "platinum-selling" album within hours of its release, Universal Music announced Wednesday.
“Beethoven, Isang Yun, Barber” sold more than 10,000 copies upon its release Monday, a testimony to Lim’s skyrocketing popularity.
A platinum-seller had been expected as presales of the album had reached nearly 10,000, according to an official at Universal Music on Wednesday. In Korea, domestic operators of major labels like Universal, Sony and Warner Music consider an album platinum when 10,000 copies are sold.
“Beethoven, Isang Yun, Barber” is a live recording from Tongyeong Concert Hall on Oct. 8 and also the first album released by the winner of the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
Lim and the Gwangju-based orchestra, led by Hong Seok-won, performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73.
The album also contains three encore pieces Lim played at last month's concert -- Federico Mompou’s “Jeunes Filles au Jardin,” Alexander Scriabin’s “Poeme Op. 69/1” and “Feuillet d’Album Op. 45/1.” Lim said it was his desire to introduce pieces by lesser-known composers and to avoid the trendy pieces played by many.
The album, released by Deutsche Grammophon, also includes the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Isang Yun's “Exemplum in Memoriam Kwangju” and Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings.”
The CD was released Monday in South Korea, and became available worldwide on the same day via iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music and local streaming service Melon, among others.
