Imposed Piece

The Queen Elisabeth Competition is a prestigious music contest alternately held for young violinists, pianists and singers in Brussels. Imposed Piece follows the 12 finalists at the 2015 violin competition. In addition to a well-known violin concerto, they also have to perform a work composed specially for the competition’s finale. They practice for eight days in complete isolation—they even have to turn over their phones—in a chapel surrounded by nature. Then there's the run-through with conductor Marin Alsop and rehearsals with the National Orchestra of Belgium. The beautifully shot and calmly edited film follows the competitors as they help one another, have breakfast together, experience doubts and practice incredibly hard for their compulsory (imposed) piece, which in 2015 was Aussi peu que les nuages by the Swiss composer Michael Jarrell—a difficult piece "with lots of notes and a very fast tempo." One South Korean violinist gets a pain in her arm from the eight-hour practice schedule, while another competitor admits that her legs always shake when they call her to the stage. Then, when the jury chairman announces the three winners, a confusing situation gives rise to even more tension.