Disney+’s Maestra: Strings of Truth, a Studio Dragon production, turned out to be one of the most interesting series of this season. The show follows the life of Cha Se-eum, a gifted violinist and conductor, played by Lee Young-ae, who battles a genetic illness. As the series progresses, Se-eum returns to South Korea, intending to revitalise a failing symphony while keeping her fatal sickness a secret. However, with unexpected twists and turns, this proves to be easier said than done. But despite the difficulties she faces, Se-eum finds relief in the rich symphony of classical conducting and music, bringing her turbulent emotions into her work.

During our conversation with Lee Young-ae, she explained that the character of Cha Se-eum underwent a remarkable metamorphosis throughout the series. From her point of view, she described Cha Se-eum as “a genius violinist and conductor with a genetic disease who hides her terminal illness fiercely and returns to South Korea to push the crumbling orchestra to the top”. The actress also added that, while the series develops one episode after the other, “through the reappearance of an old lover, her husband’s infidelity, and the change of concertmaster, you can see Cha Se-eum changing while she uncovers secrets”.

One of the most engaging concepts of the show is its use of classical music, which provides a unique and touching backdrop to the main narrative. Lee Young-ae explores the lives and habits of conductors to prepare for her role, and she truly shines throughout the show.

The actress also shared more about the impact of music in her personal life, “I love all kinds of music, and I love classical music so much that I often listened to it as a form of prenatal music when I was pregnant with my children”. She also added that, “When I decided to take on this role, I began to study conductors more closely. I studied their habits, behaviours, costumes, and facial expressions. I also studied the basics of conducting with Chin-sol, a female conductor, reading the flow, studying the lives and works of composers, and practising different conducting styles, including Chin-sol’s style, to express Cha Se-eum’s style in more detail”.

The female maestra’s multilayered role in leading an orchestra and the challenge of mastering the violin brought moments of joy and difficulty for Lee Young-ae. With the classical instrument being one of the hardest to play, the actress revealed that it was, in fact, “fun to learn how to play the violin, which I had never played before, from vibrato to conducting in a week, but it was difficult and hard, and it was physically demanding to dedicate myself to this new character while also parenting my children at the same time”.

As the screenplay unravels layers of mystery and intrigue surrounding the orchestra, Lee Young-ae shared her initial thoughts while reading it, “I was impressed by the fact that it became more interesting as the case descended into chaos, and while Se-eum’s uncontrollable emotions intensified, the classical music enriched the narrative as a whole”.

While approaching Maestra, episode after episode, a lot of questions seemed to arise. And some of these questions will never be answered, with the story lacking firm closure. Despite being a really intriguing melodrama, the show concludes on a note of bittersweetness, leaving us with a sense that something is still missing. Musically speaking, it is like playing with a string half consumed: you can deliver a rather good play, but not a glorious one. 

What contributes to the uniqueness of Maestra is the number of people involved in the filming process. Lee Young-ae emphasised the joy of being able to film with such a vast cast. 

“Not only me, but many of the actors practised playing their instruments very diligently”, she said then added, “Foreign musicians working in Korea participated happily in the filming, and real musicians appeared too. I felt a great camaraderie as the actors and musicians became an orchestra and stayed together until the end, and I enjoyed those scenes very much. I was sad to see it end, and I miss everyone.”

When asked to define Maestra, Lee Young-ae eloquently illustrated it as “a narrative depicting human character evolution through the complex love, betrayal, and pain, matured and transformed by the timeless beauty of classical music”.      

Still, Maestra: Strings of Truth doesn’t entirely fulfil its premise to be an expansive symphony of emotions and gets lost in its own complicated plot. As a result, the series sometimes struggles with unveiling the complexities of life through the passionate story of Se-eum and the spellbinding power of music.

Written and interviwed by Marianna Baroli

_{View of the Arts is an online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}