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“Tosca” is one of the operas to be featured in the Seoul Opera Ensemble’s gala concert celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Italian composer Giacammo Puccini (1858-1924), Saturday at Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Complex, Gyeonggi Province. / Courtesy of Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Complex |
 By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
This year celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Giacammo Puccini, the Italian composer who gave the world pieces that have become staples of the standard operatic repertoire. For Korea, 2008 also marks the 60th year since opera was first introduced here in 1948.
One of Puccini's classics, ``Turandot,'' was recently staged here by the Beijing Opera Group, and other major production companies will also pay homage to the maestro.
Puccini was born into a musical family in Lucca in 1858. He grew up singing in choirs and went on to create masterpieces. He died in 1924 but his works, which reappear time and time again onstage all over the world, live on.
Viva Puccini
``Beautiful melodies, narrative and music go hand in hand in Puccini's dramatic composition technique. That moves modern people,'' explained Jang Su-dong, artistic director of the Seoul Opera Ensemble. ``Puccini always stressed the importance of harmonizing with the audience and not being too far ahead. So he was sometimes criticized as a pop composer.
``But his works depict touching melodies from the heart of the human soul, and have influenced not only modern opera but musicals as well and endure to this day,'' he said.
Saturday, the Seoul Opera Group celebrates Puccini's birthday with ``Viva Puccini'' at Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Complex in southern Gyeonggi Province.
The gala concert features famous arias from eight classic operas: ``Manon Lescaut,'' ``La Boheme,'' ``Tosca,'' ``La Rondine,'' ``Suor Angelica,'' ``Gianni Schicchi,'' ``Madame Butterfly'' and ``Turandot.''
It brings together the nation's ``Pucciniamos'' (Puccini lovers) including prima donna Kim In-hye, dramatic tenor Kang Mu-rim, tenor Lee Chan-gu and lyrical soprano Lee Chun-hyae who all have critically acclaimed performances in full opera productions such as ``La Boheme.'' Renowned tenor Jang Shin-kwon, an award-winning singer trained in Italy, will appear as the maestro himself and give a narration.
Pianist Lee Young-min, a Puccini specialist who is accompanist in residence at the Enrico Caruso International Competition and jury member of Italy's Argo International Piano Competition, will also take part in the show.
The stage will be filled with ornate costumes and decor from the original operas ― creations by artistic director Jang Su-dong, who has staged rare productions of Puccini's early works including ``Edgar.''
The concert begins 7:30 p.m., Saturday. Tickets cost from 15,000 won to 50,000 won. Call (02) 741-7389. Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Complex is connected to Jeongbalsan station on the northern end of subway line 3.
Tosca
With support from Italy's Puccini Foundation, the International Opera Theater brings a star-studded performance of ``Tosca'' to the Seongnam Art Center, Gyeonggi Province, from June 6-8. The cast includes sopranos Antonia Cifrone and Orfeo Zanettie ― both stars of the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, Italy ― and world-renowned Korean baritone Ko Sung-hyun.
The International Opera Theater is reputed for specializing in Puccini's operas and is the only domestic troupe to have staged all of the Italian master's works. It was also the first Korean opera group to be invited to take part in the Puccini Festival by the Puccini Foundation in 2004 and 2005.
``Tosca'' was supposedly Puccini's favorite piece. Based on Victorien Sardou's drama, it is about star-crossed lovers Floria Tosca and Mario Cavaradossi who are separated by the lustful Baron Scarpia.
The opera will be subtitled in Italian and Korean. Tickets cost 50,000 won to 200,000 won. Call (02) 518-0144. Seongnam Arts Center is about half an hour from central Seoul by car, located near exit 1 of Imae station on the Bundang subway line.
hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr
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