beethoven virus (베토벤 바이러스) premiered on september 10, 2008 and ended it’s 18-episode engagement on november 12, 2008. the drama consistently stayed in the number two spot in its time slot throughout its run, and even introduced a new term, ‘kang mae syndrome (강마에 신드롬),’ into the korean vernacular.

the story takes place in the fictional city of seokran, led by a mayor intent on making his hometown a mecca for classical music. he invites the world-renowned conductor kang gun-woo, whose nickname is ‘orchestra killer,’ and gives him full artistic freedom with a state-run orchestra to call his own. problem is, the orchestra is a hodgepodge of amateurs, has-beens and misfits, and maestro kang, we find out early on, is a perfectionist.

kmm beethoven virusplayed brilliantly by kim myung-min (korea’s acting guru), maestro kang is a hot-tempered, elitist son of a bitch with one goal in mind: to make the original intents of the composers come to life. he takes no prisoners with his harsh insults and uncompromising standards (a cello player is reduced to nothingness within the first couple of weeks of rehearsal). but a character who doesn’t change is a static character. so, who can reach the heart of the demanding conductor?

ljy beethoven virusdu ru-mi (lee ji-ah) is first violin in the orchestra. she is sweet and effervescent and, at times, foolish. her one dream is to play in a concert on a big stage; the man who guides her to her dream is maestro kang, who is so hard-hearted, yet so charismatic. does she develop feelings for him? just a student crushing on her middle-aged mentor, perhaps.

jgs beethoven virusthe autumn-spring romance in the series is complicated by the third main character, kang gun-woo (yes, he has the same name as the maestro). the baby-faced singer/actor jang geun-seok plays gun-woo, a musical prodigy who is still wet behind the ears when it comes to classical music. he has perfect pitch and can memorize entire pieces with one listening, but he lacks discipline. maestro kang sees gun-woo’s talents and takes him on as a student.

these three characters—a conductor, a violinist and a trumpeter—round out the love triangle in beethoven virus. behind this love story, though, are plotlines that involve the supporting orchestra members (a timid housewife, an aging oboist, a rude flautist, a cantankerous bass player, etc.), a shift in power in seokran politics, a chronic illness that plagues one of the leads and various auditions and tests and competitions.

beethoven virus is the first korean drama to center on the lives of classical musicians, and the viewers’ response was highly favorable. not only were the ratings strong, but the series garnered numerous prizes at year-end awards shows (including the coveted daesang (‘grand prize’) for actor kim myung-min). the aforementioned ‘kang mae syndrome’ took over korea: classical music was hip again and so were the stuffy, crisp suits worn by maestro kang, and commercials sprouted up here and there featuring actors from the series. in short, the show was a big hit.

i saw the first seven or so episodes this past winter but stopped for some reason. recently, i viewed the remaining episodes and found myself (re)captivated by the show’s music, romance and acting. lovers of classical music will go nuts over the behind-the-scenes drama of a city-owned orchestra, and lovers of romance will go nuts over the relationship between du ru-mi and kang gun-woo (the older one).

the third point of the triangle is the weak aspect of the series. jang geun-seok, while very adorable, cannot stand up to kim myung-min in acting or in stature; the student is unable to trump the formidible teacher in the duel for the girl. therefore, he is never a threat to the mr. rochester-jane eyre relationship of maestro kang and du ru-mi. he kind of just sulks through many parts of the drama.

additionally, conflict seems to fall on top of the characters, rather than be created by them. when obstacles are presented to characters, it makes the story contrived. i found myself thinking more than once, “jesus, another mountain to climb over? really? these orchestra members just don’t seem to get a break.” and we certainly don’t get a break from the writers with the last episode of beethoven virus, which falls short of expectation.

despite a few gripes, i highly recommend the series. i plan to watch it with my mother when i return home in august. she’ll be totally stricken by the magic of maestro kang, and that’s what one should take away from the series. the fact that korea has its very own heathcliff—er, byronic hero.

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