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By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Bass Youn Kwangchul invites fans on a ``Winter Journey'' (Winterreisse) with Schubert next month.
Maestro Chung Myung-whun will set aside his baton to play the piano opposite Youn, who, despite the odds, has enhanced his reputation as a ``small giant'' and is one of Austria's NEWS magazine's ``top 50 living vocalists.''
``I had to compete against burly Europeans who had greater stage presence and voice projection. I had no choice but to prove myself through music, in order to overcome my physical disadvantages,'' Youn told reporters during a recent luncheon in Insa-dong, Seoul.
It wasn't easy for an Asian to debut on the international stage, and, standing 1.7 meters, he is rather petite, especially for stentorian operatic roles reserved for the bass.
``I had to try my best to deliver a faithful interpretation of the operatic piece, pay heed to diction and create a pure, beautiful tone,'' he said.
The 44-year-old's talent was discovered by such maestros as Placido Domingo and Daniel Barenboim, and since debuting in Bayreuth, Germany in 1996 Youn has built a staunch reputation as a Wagner specialist in major American and European theaters.
He was thus able to ditch his platform shoes.
``In my early days I often wore platform shoes but they're unhealthy and dangerous, because the stage is often sloped,'' he said.
Instead he poured his energy into studying. In Bayreuth he would delve into such details about Wagner such as whom the composer was dating during the time he wrote the opera.
``Most singers pay attention to their tone and singing but I felt that such background knowledge added to the depth of my singing and acting.
``It's like how an actor who's experienced heartbreak can be more convincing in a role portraying that emotion,'' he said.
``Winter Journey,'' a song cycle for piano and voice was inspired by a set of poems by Wilhelm Muller. The 24 pieces trace the lonely voyage of a brokenhearted young man, and a sense of solitude pervades: ``Before me I see a signpost standing / Fixed before my gaze. / I must travel a road / From which no one ever returned'' (from ``Der Wegweiser'' or ``The Sign Post'').
The singer must perform about 80 minutes' worth of songs without a break, making it a great challenge. But Youn has the experience of singing the entire cycle four or five times in Berlin.
``It was written for the tenor, but the bass sings it in a range lower, giving a darker and more ominous feel,'' he said, adding that he plans to emphasize the fantastic atmosphere of the pieces.
``One receives much help from the stage set, costumes, orchestra and co-stars in an opera but a recital makes one feel like a fish on a cutting board,'' he said. ``I hope to keep an intimate pace with the piano to delve deep into Schubert.''
This is the second time Youn is taking the stage with Chung. The first time was in 1994 in Paris, in ``Simon Boccanegra'' at the Bastille Opera House under the baton of the conductor. ``It's a great honor,'' he said.
Maestro Chung returns as an accompanist in a vocal recital for the first time in three years here, since mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli's performance.
Youn, who recently appeared opposite Placido Domingo in Berlin, will star in ``The Valkyrie'' at La Scala in Milan. He will return to Korea next March as a professor at Seoul National University, College of Music.
``Winter Journey'' will be staged at Incheon Culture & Arts Center on Dec. 19 and at Seoul Arts Center on Dec. 22. Tickets cost 30,000-100,000 won. Call (02) 518-7343.
hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr
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