Lotte Concert Hall offers unique afternoon concerts
By Yun Suh-young
The recently opened Lotte Concert Hall will offer afternoon concerts from Friday.
Korea’s first vineyard-style music hall ― and the first classical music hall to open since the Seoul Arts Center in 1988 ― will hold concerts at 2 p.m. on Sept. 23, Oct. 7, 15 and 23, and will continue the series throughout the year.
The concerts are designed for visitors to the Lotte World Mall in Jamsil, eastern Seoul, home of the concert hall.
Friday’s concert features conductor Sung Si-yeon of the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra with Deutsche Radio Philharmonie and Bernhard Leonardy on the concert hall’s unique 5,000-pipe organ.
The program includes Beethoven's "The Creatures of Prometheus" Overture, Op. 43, Saint-Saens' Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 "Organ," and Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68. Saint-Saens' "Organ," the highlight of the performance, is apt to deliver the utmost beauty of the original sound of an organ. The repertoire was previously performed on Aug. 19, during the opening concert by conductor Chung Myung-whun and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Deutsche Radio Philharmonie is a famous European orchestra with which conductor Chung Myung-whun performed. It maintains a close relationship with Korean conductors, including Adriel Kim, who served as associate conductor of the orchestra.
On Oct. 7, a "Homage to Van Gogh" performance will feature Norman Perryman and Sejong Soloists, an orchestra consisting of young Korean musicians.
The program introduces pieces that are themed on Van Gogh's life and works, such as Bach/Stokowski's "Mein Jesu was fur Seelenweh," Ravel's "Tzigane," Augusta Read Thomas' "Murmurs in the Mist of Memory," Debussy's "Clair de Lune," Ponce/Heifetz's "Estrellita," and Paganini's "Variations on Theme” from Rossini’s “Moses.”
Van Gogh's works are particularly inspired by religion and light. Religious music specialist Bach's "Mein Jesu" reminds listeners of Van Gogh's earlier works that were painted when he aspired to become a priest. The ambiguity felt in Van Gogh's works are also felt in Debussy and Ravel's works.
The concert will be unique as it will include live painting with live music. The "kinetic painting" performance will feature artist Norman Perryman's Van Gogh-themed artwork. The artwork shown during the concert will be of the artist's performance in Amsterdam, improvised at the scene with a paint brush and then projected to a screen. The concert hall has two Stewart screens in the front and one in the rear, all of which will simultaneously project the works.
Perryman has previously performed with noted conductors such as Riccardo Chailly, Valery Gergiev and Zubin Mehta.
The concert hall is scheduled to hold more 2 p.m. concerts ― William Christie & Les Arts Florissants on Oct. 15, Sumi Hwang & Ensemble Matheus on Oct. 23, and Concertopera L'elisir d'Amore on Nov. 19.
For more information, visit https://www.lotteconcerthall.com.