First Melody Played on Meaningful Piano

Ri Myon Sang was a composer who left a remarkable trace in the history of the development of Juche-oriented music.

It was not simply because of his talent in music that he could compose masterpieces of national value remembered by the country and people.

As he grew up to be a genuine composer, enjoying a dignified life under the care of the great Party, he could create wonderful masterpieces of the times.

On April ８, １９７８, Ri Myon Sang, who was present at a meeting, received a call from an official of the Party Central Committee to hurry home.

When he got home, his wife, puzzled, asked what was up.

At that moment, a car arrived with a whistle and people entered his house.

A senior official of the Party Central Committee who went with them told Ri Myon Sang the following story.

On the previous day, Chairman Kim Jong Il, who was giving precious instructions to the officials, asked them if it was April ７ that day.

A moment later, the Chairman informed the officials that it was the birthday of the chairman of the Central Committee of the Musicians Union the next day.

The officials were touched to think that the Chairman remembered the birthday of a soldier though he was busy and cared so much for him.

Noting that Ri Myon Sang actively strove to implement the Party’s ideas and lines on arts and literature and made great contributions to the development of the country’s musical art, he suggested sending a new piano to him as a gift on his ７０th birthday.

Hearing the story, Ri Myon Sang and his family members wept tears of excitement.

Ri called to his mind his past of being expelled from school after being branded as a "piano cribber" when he was caught playing the melody he composed for the first time on the school piano by a Japanese police officer.

It was President Kim Il Sung who granted him a piano, which he had longed so much to have.

One day after liberation, the President instructed that composers were having trouble in composing music because they didn’t have a piano and that, though the country was still in a difficult situation, composers had to be provided with pianos and sent him a piano as a gift.

He composed lots of songs with that piano.

He created popular songs by dedicating his passion and wisdom and witnessing the dynamic trend of the times like the fierce Fatherland Liberation War, the postwar reconstruction and socialist construction.

Then, the Chairman sent a new piano to him just like the President did.

Ri Myon Sang stroked the piano in great excitement.

Then, he sat before the piano and played the song he composed "O Mother Party".

A masterpiece reflecting the precious appellation presented to the great Party by the people "mother Party", which no other parties in the world ever had, rang out solemnly.

Indeed, it was the benevolent care of the President and the Chairman that saved the destiny of Ri Myon Sang full of vicissitudes and granted him a dignified life.

Rodong Sinmun