By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Concertgoers welcomed the new spring season at the annual ``Spring Music Festival,'' hosted by The Korea Times Saturday at the Seoul Arts Center. Charismatic musicians like Jang Sa-ik led the musical festivity, adding warmth to the already sunny afternoon.
Some 2,400 people, including foreign envoys from South Africa, Greece, Tunisia, Costa Rica and Hungary, filled the Concert Hall, even some of the chorus seats behind the stage. The Seoul Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Lee Jin-kwon, opened the show with the highlight of Dvorak's Ninth Symphony, also known as the ``New World.''
Soloists Kim Dae-hwan and Joo Young-mok took the stage for the first movements of the Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto (E minor Op. 64) and Chopin's Piano Concert No. 1, respectively. ``Bravos'' sounded after tenor Kim Jong-ho gave thoroughly pleasant performances of ``Mulmangcho'' (Forget-Me-Not) and ``Ah! Leve-toi soleil'' from the opera ``Romeo et Juliette.''
``The concert is wonderful,'' Adolfo Carafi Melero, Chilean ambassador to Seoul, told The Korea Times during intermission. ``I especially enjoyed the first piece by Dvorak. It's called the `New World' Symphony because Dvorak composed it for America. The New York Philharmonic played it in Pyongyang (last month), so it was lovely to hear it in Seoul,'' he said.
The second half of the show took on a more contemporary beat, featuring scores from beloved musicals ``Phantom of the Opera,'' ``Jekyll and Hyde'' and ``My Fair Lady.'' Popera singer Lim Jae-chung made a dramatic entrance as the masked ``opera ghost,'' while musical actress Kim Moon-joo wooed the crowd with ``I Could Have Danced All Night.''
But it was soriggun or traditional vocalist Jang Sa-ik who completely stole the limelight. With a powerful voice and unassuming stage presence, the star singer showed the true power of soft charisma. The 59-year-old's soulful tunes resounded the hall in his emotionally gripping renditions of ``Father'' and ``Wild Rose.''
Remaining true to his pansori or traditional Korean opera, roots, he inspired laughter with his comic narrations and engaged the audience to clap and laugh along with ``My Love is Far Away.''
In response to the explosive ovation, Jang skipped what would have been several curtain calls and gave an encore. He sang ``Spring Rain,'' in tune with the concert theme. When the crowd asked for another encore, he wrapped up the performance saying, ``May your life bloom this year, and read the good newspaper.'' The Korea Times hosted the annual event to celebrate its 58th anniversary, which falls on Nov. 1.
``(Jang Sa-ik) was amazing,'' said Aida Al-Maaina, wife of the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates. ``He completely changed the ambiance… Concerts are usually very formal and kind of snobbish, but he involved the audience and it was very funny and enjoyable,'' she said.
Jang, who only made his debut at age 46, is a national star known for combining pansori with elements of jazz and pop. He recently performed in the United States to console those shaken by the Virginia Tech shooting.
Curtains closed to the Seoul Symphony's zestful medley of popular classical works that had the audience clapping to the beat. Afterward, concertgoers enjoyed the sunny late afternoon by the ``singing water fountain'' outside the concert hall.
Israel's Ambassador Yigal B. Caspi said he also enjoyed it very much and expressed thanks to The Korea Times for the invitation.