Seoul Philharmonic to Commemorate Liberation Day
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) will give two concerts this week. Following the fifth serial concert featuring classical masterpieces Tuesday, maestro Chung Myung-whun will lead the ensemble for a festive event Thursday commemorating the eve of Korea's Liberation Day (Aug. 15), which this year falls on a Friday.
The ``Masterpiece Series'' on Tuesday will be the fifth in a seven-part concert introducing the staple masterworks of classical music literature. The program presents Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 and Dvorak's ``New World'' Symphony No. 9.
German violinist Frank Peter Zimmerman will take the stage for the Beethoven piece, known as the ``emperor'' of violin concertos. Due to its massive length (42 minutes) and scale, the concerto failed to be regularly staged until the breakthrough performance in 1844 with Mendelssohn at the baton and 12-year-old Joseph Joachim on the violin.
Dvorak's ``From the New World'' appeared on the Seoul concert stage numerous times this year, including the New York Philharmonic's historic inter-Korean tour in February and the Montreal Symphony's visit in April. Now, local concertgoers can hear a rendition by Chung. The conductor's interpretation of Dvorak is much loved through his recordings, including Symphonies Nos. 3 and 7 with the Vienna Philharmonic (Deutsche-Grammophon).
Tickets for the concert at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts cost 10,000-100,000 won. There will be an additional performance Wednesday at Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Complex, northern Gyeonggi Province. Tickets cost 50,000-90,000 won and 20,000 won for chorus seats. Call (02) 3700-6300.
Liberation Day Fest
The SPO will grace Seoul Plaza for the 63rd anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan in 1945. Western classics and Korean favorites will symbolize South Korea's trials and tribulations, dynamic development and hopes for the future.
Dvorak's 9th Symphony will resound once again to symbolize the launch of the modern Korean state in 1948 toward a ``New World.'' Soprano Kim Young-mi and members of the Seoul Metropolitan Chorus and Grande Opera Chorus will take the stage for the patriotism-inspiring ``Hebrew Slave Chorus'' from Verdi's opera ``Nabucco.''
Another of Verdi's famous arias, ``Peace, My Lord'' from ``The Force of Destiny,'' will speak of peace while Choi Young-seop's classic ``Longing for Geumgangsan (Mt. Geumgang)'' will express the sorrows of a divided nation.
Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, which boasts a most towering and passionate symphonic architecture, and Kang Jun-il's rhythmic, emotionally charged samulnori (Korean percussion quartet) concerto ``Madang'' will represent Korea's growth. Renowned artist Lee Kwang-soo and his samulnori band will appear for the latter piece.
In the second half of the outdoor concert, ``Symphonic Fantasy Korea'' by the late Ahn Eak-tai (1906-65) will resonate. Aegukga, or the Korean national anthem, stems from this piece by the celebrated composer and conductor who led groups like the Berlin Philharmonic before returning home in 1955 to helm the SPO for a decade until his death.
The concert will begin at 8 p.m. and is free of charge. Seats will be given out on a first come, first serve basis. Located near exits 5 and 6 of Seoul City Hall station, subway line 2.