 World-renowned composer-pianist Steve Barakatt will give two concerts on Nov. 28 at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Seoul. The highlight of the event will be his new symphony ``Lullaby,'' which is the anthem for UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children's rights. / Courtesy of Credia |
Staff Reporter
Steve Barakatt's atmospheric music is sort of like a teabag ― it seeps into the local cultural fabric without notice but almost always leaves a deep stain. Though he has sold over 3 million albums worldwide, not all South Koreans may know his name ― but most will recognize his compositions from a TV commercial, film score or even the elevator of a department store.
``My music touched the Korean people, but it was a longtime process. I see this in a positive way, where music is part of daily life, for something specific but also meant for diverse uses to create an ambiance… Like the first kiss or love letters, something positive,'' the Quebec native told The Korea Times earlier this month in Seoul. He was in town to take part in the World Knowledge Forum and will return next month to give a concert.
The 36-year-old will present to fans not only his hit piano pieces such as ``Rainbow Bridge'' and ``The Whistler's Song,'' but also his latest and most ambitious project ― a new symphony that will be the anthem for UNICEF.
``It was my biggest challenge, combining my two passions ― music and UNICEF,'' he said. In 2007, Barakatt and his wife, Olympic gymnast Elena Grosheva, became the first couple to be jointly appointed as Canadian ambassadors.
The composer spent almost a year on the piece. It will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and will premiere on Nov. 20, the International Day of the Child.
He had wondered why UNICEF didn't have an anthem and was encouraged by the organization to write one. He was inspired by Harry Belafonte, the American entertainer and social activist behind the making of Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie's ``We Are the World.'' ``The anthem will be a reinvention of what `We Are the World' did in the 1980s," he explained.
But his choral symphony will be ``more universal,'' said Barakatt. "It's a lullaby without words.''
``What is the most significant gesture we can make to a child? We can provide food, shelter, etc. but the most important is singing a lullaby, giving the sensation that you are there. You can do this no matter how rich or poor you are.''
The composer enthusiastically pulled out his laptop to share an incomplete version of the music video for ``Lullaby.'' The four-minute piece featured sweeping symphonic melodies and atmospheric vocals by various singers, all counterpointed by a very modern-sounding drum loop. The music was accompanied by a montage of photos of children from different corners of the globe.
"The best musicians are singing for the children,'' he said, smiling.
But the project entailed more than jotting down notes; Barakatt cancelled his other musical engagements in order to bring together more than 250 artists from around the world, including Korea's Maestro Chung Myung-whun, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and popular violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill.
"No one thought it was possible to do something like this, to bring together all these stars," he said. "The logistics was beyond imagination. But people were as generous as I thought and really shared my vision for the project.''
For the anthem's premiere, Barakatt is planning another extraordinary event: to stage the piece in five continents in a single day. All he needs is someone to sponsor a private jet plane, he said grinning.
``I felt my life was designed to do a project like this,'' he said. As much as Barakatt's career culminates with the new symphony, it will be a turning point for his future endeavors.
``I hope to reinvent the entire concept of a symphony," he said. Though a classically trained pianist who made his solo debut with an orchestra in his teens, he also ventured into other genres ranging from jazz to rock and pop, and is best known in Korea as a New Age artist. Yet he always comes back to the classics.
``I still think the symphony is the most powerful communication tool to bring an emotional response. That's why I chose the symphony for the anthem, because it's like painting with unlimited colors.''
However, it is also a little outmoded. "The symphony is really so beautiful but it can be boring like a museum or a black-and-white movie. We must, of course, keep traditions and respect it but we must synchronize with our era.''
The musician explained it is necessary to cater to the modern concept of time and space. ``A 15-minute movement was short in the old days but now even five minutes feels long,'' he said, adding that he also wants to transform the concert setting itself to encourage more interaction between the audience and performers.
``My music is all about struggling to create something new. If we don't create, we don't exist.''
Barkatt will give two concerts on Nov. 28 (Saturday), at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets cost 30,000-100,000 won. Call 1577-5266.
hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr
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