Masterpiece Scandal

Scandal 1: The gentleman in the black suit in Dancer on Stage is the ballerina’s lover? Koko Nakano, a well-known Japanese art critic claims that the man dressed in a black suit lurking behind the ballerina is the ballerina’s lover. It was highly possible that ballerinas who often came from lowly backgrounds and had a difficult time making ends meet, would take on lovers from a more well-to-do class in an exchange of money for love. The commentator delves deep into the shocking secret of the painting which reflects the grim realities of 19th century Paris, and compares it to contemporary Korean society. Scandal 2: Schubert didn’t compose Der Erlkönig? Spaun, a close friend of Schubert’s is said to have witnessed the creation of the masterpiece as it happened. But in an unbelievable turn of events, a letter by Schubert was discovered stating that he had not written the song and could never have written such awful music. Did Schubert really author the letter? To complicate matters even more, it has been discovered that there was a court musician by the name of Franz Schubert who was contemporaneous to the renowned composer. By delving into the story behind the creation of Der Erlkönig, a work known for its relatively simple melody which is brought to a masterful climax through revolutionary harmonic progressions and accompaniment, we will shed new light on both the work and the tragic life of the composer who created it.