Ensemble Ditto Inspires the Young
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Chamber music here, like in other parts of the world, remains an acquired taste, and there are very few sizeable events exclusively devoted to it that can even begin to match those in Europe.
Ironically, Ensemble Ditto -- which wrapped up its two-day festival Sunday at Seoul Arts Center, and continues to tour the country through Friday -- seems to face a different sort of challenge.
With reaching out to a diverse audience being its motto, Ditto has thus far been successful in attracting more than enough attention. It has made the minor genre something of a rock festival with a cult following -- meaning, of course, mostly young female supporters, many of whom are new to classical music. Very few music critics and reporters were seen attending the Seoul shows.
The Mozart-meets-MTV appeal perhaps eclipses its serious musicality.
The chamber group brings together some of the most talented artists based in the United States: violinist Stefan Jackiw, who became known as a child prodigy; Ji-Yong, the youngest pianist represented by premier management group IMG Artists; Avery Fisher-prize winners, double bassist Daxun Zhang and violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill; and talents from major orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic's violinist Johnny Lee, Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal's associate principal cellist Michael Nicolas and the Chicago Lyric Opera orchestra's principal cellist Patrick Jee. Guest artists included pianist Kim Tae-hyung, violist Michael Chang and Japan's star violinist Goto Ryu.
Two of the four concerts this weekend at Seoul Arts Center featuring the core members of Ditto were sold out months in advance.
Jackiw and Ji-Yong opened the Sunday evening program with Beethoven's Romance for Violin and Piano No. 2 in F minor, Op. 50. Jackiw offered more of his rich violinism, which he presented, without fail, with the fervent ardor of a young Romeo. On the other hand, Ji-Yong, who returns to his home country after a long sojourn in the U.S., dazzled by keeping a low stance with an unimposing and fine tempered, though not dispassionate, performance, allowing his colleague to shine in all his virtuosity.
Contrary to the playful impression the pink shirt and skinny jeans-sporting pianist may give in person, on stage, he gave flight to the most elegant, cascading roulades, marked by a certain gravity and weighty diction in the heavy touches he seems to prefer on the Steinway.
Joined by the other members, they worked well as a group and the positive energy translated into the music and in the hall -- some of the members' sometimes too-audible humphs and breathes were easy to ignore -- in Schumann's Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47 and Tchaikovsky's String Sextet in D Minor, Op. 70.
The group serviced fans with two encores, including Ennio Morricone's classic theme from ``Cinema Paradiso,'' and a long autograph session.
The initiation of classical music into mainstream media, from Lang Lang-autographed sneakers to the TV soap ``Beethoven Virus,'' raises many questions. ``Dive into classical music,'' Ditto's slogan reads. Non-classical music fans are getting their feet wet, but will they learn to swim? Will concert organizer and management agency Credia need to replace members in future seasons, when they're past their mid-30s?
But what is for certain is that music speaks for itself and inspires. Saturday afternoon's family-friendly concert attracted many young children who gasped in awe at the video art-embellished music, both inside and outside the concert hall.
``I really hated playing the violin but I want to play now after seeing these really cool `hyeong' (elder brother),'' Chae Seung-bin, a nine-year-old boy who attended the concert with his mother, told The Korea Times.
Ditto will perform a program from the ``Romance'' concert Wednesday at Seongnam Arts Center; Thursday at Sori Arts Center of North Jeolla Province, Jeonju; and Friday at Gyeonggi Arts Center, Suwon. Call 1577-5266.