TV
There is a reason why Lee Young-ae's transformation is pouring in praise.
Lee Young-ae's transformation in her return to the role of Cha Se-eum, one of only 5% of the world's female conductors, in the tvN Saturday-Sunday drama 'Maestra' was praised as 'as expected'. Lee Young-ae's passionate performance, standing between a genius musician with star quality and Cha Se-eum, a human being suffering from inevitable agony, is arousing admiration.
First of all, Cha Se-eum (played by Lee Young-ae) was unusual from her first appearance. Just one scene was enough to impress the viewers with Cha Se-eum's strong affection and will for a perfect stage, to the point where he threatened to bring in a drunken musician who seemed unable to perform, with a gun.
In his first meeting with The Han Kang Philharmonic, he did not seem embarrassed by the members' performance of a song from the movie 'Mission: Impossible' and pointed out problems and areas for improvement and responded by conducting. It was a moment that made me realize how powerful Cha Se-eum, who rose to the top as a female musician, was formidable.
In addition, for the sake of the orchestra, they prioritized only ability instead of the age-old custom and made an unconventional appointment by appointing the youngest member, Lee Luna (played by Hwang Bo-reum-byeol), as concertmaster. In addition, Cha Se-eum's personality of focusing solely on raising the Hangang Philharmonic Orchestra to the top ranks, such as moving the stage outdoors in defiance of Chairman Yoo Jeong-jae (played by Lee Moo-saeng), who canceled the performance, was truly a 'maestra' itself. Lee Young-ae captivated viewers by carefully capturing not only each gesture of the conductor on the podium but also the resolute and rational personality of Cha Se-eum, including her eyes, posture, and tone of voice.
From being a resolute conductor who commands the stage, Lee Young-ae also delicately expressed the complex inner conflicts and emotions of the human Cha Se-eum after the lights on the stage were turned off. When Yoo Jeong-jae, his childhood sweetheart, took office as the chairman of The Hangang Philharmonic Orchestra, he constantly shook himself up, but he did not easily comply and did not lose his composure as a conductor.
In particular, when she found out about the affair between her kind and affectionate husband, Kim Pil (played by Kim Young-jae), and orchestra member Lee Ah-jin (played by Lee Si-won), she felt terrible despair, but she did not bring her emotions to the stage. When rumors of an affair between Pil Kim and Ah-jin Lee reached the point of threatening the orchestra, they appeared on the news and dismissed it as nothing more than a rumor, and devoted all their energy to being a 'musical partner' so that Pil Kim could write new songs. He only looked at the stage and suppressed his emotions endlessly and harshly, but he conveyed the character's multi-layered aspects sincerely with his sometimes fragile face.
Lee Young-ae's three-dimensional acting adds more solidity to the story, increasing the depth and tension of the work. Above all, we are looking forward to the future story of how Cha Se-eum, who is trapped in the shackles of Lamington's genetic disease that her mother suffers from, will overcome this crisis.
Lee Young-ae's shining presence can be seen on 'Maestra', which airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:20 PM.
Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr
