By Lee Hyo-won
Venezuela’s revolutionary El Sistema shook up the international classical music scene as of late, and now, with icons like Lang Lang creating new waves, Asia is deemed a hot treasure trove.
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra has been growing voraciously under the wing of Maestro Chung Myung-whun and became Thursday the first Asian ensemble to sign a long-term recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. The revered label, which is part of Universal Music Group, expects the upcoming albums to become top sellers.
“I will predict that (Seoul Philharmonic’s recordings) will be among our top selling orchestras in the world,” Costa Pilavachi, senior vice president, classical artists & repertoire, of Universal Music Group International, told reporters in Seoul, Thursday.
The project marks not only new possibilities for the local orchestra but also reflects global trends in classical music.
“The future growth of classical music will come much more from Asia ― from Korea, from China and other countries in this region ― than from Europe,” said Pilavachi. “It’s extremely important for Deutsche Grammophon to become a truly global label, not just a European label, and this (contract with the Seoul Philharmonic) is a very important step in that direction.”
Under the baton of its music director the maestro, the Seoul Philharmonic will record two albums annually for the next five years to amass a collection of 10 recordings. The label has signed on world-class artists from Karajan to Chung, but rarely does it recruit an orchestra, let alone an Asian one, for such long-term endeavors.
“Our contracts are mainly with conductors so this is a rather special case,” said Pilavachi. In recent years the only orchestra the label introduced through Deustche Grammophon is the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, “another new world orchestra,” he said.
The vice-head explained that Deutsche Grammophon looked to the Korean group for a number of reasons. “It starts with our maestro (Chung) whom we know well and admire and respect very much. It’s a question of the very fast improvement of the orchestra; it’s a question of the increasing importance of Korea as a musical force in the world; and all of this happening at the same time. We felt instinctively that it was the right time to do this... it was a very quick and easy decision.”
Chung, who has been heading the orchestra since 2005, had vowed to make the Seoul Philharmonic a leading ensemble in Asia within five years and in the world within 10. “Forty years ago when I was studying at Juilliard in New York, the consensus was that Korean musicians are talented individually but don’t work together, and that there was no top tier orchestra. This project is the fruition of great teamwork,” said Chung.
The Seoul Philharmonic’s recordings will be promoted in the 45 countries where Universal Music is based as well as other locations through partners. As much as the project marks a milestone for Asia’s music scene, Dave Tam and Yvonne Yuen, the heads of Universal Music Group China and South East Asia, respectively, attended the press event.
Under the auspices of artistic advisor-producer Michael Fine, the Seoul Philharmonic has already completed recording Maestro Chung’s signature repertoire of Ravel, Debussy and Mahler (Symphonies 1 and 2). This year the group will challenge Tchaikovsky 6th, Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” and Mahler 9.
How ready is the orchestra to compete against other premier ensembles? Chung said he felt confident, in spite of the orchestra’s imperfections, and shared an anecdote: “A few days after I won the Tchaikovsky Competition at age 21, and I was given the opportunity to take part in a recording but I refused to do it, feeling I wasn’t ready for it. Thirty years down the road, I agree with my mother that it was a mistake to turn the chance down. The recording company had seen something in me, and similarly, Deutsche Grammophon has confidence in us.”
Chung, whose tenure is supposed to end at the end of the year, said he will remain onboard as long as he proves to be helpful.
Orchestra to carry on Japan tour
The Seoul Philharmonic will follow through with its upcoming tour across Japan in May, amid cancelled events in the earthquake-stricken country.
“We are currently continuing preparations for the tour in May. As far as there are no serious health risks for our orchestra members, we will carry on with the tour, to console Japanese earthquake victims with music,” said the Seoul Philharmonic’s CEO Kim Joo-ho.
The ensemble, which held a special concert in Seoul last month for earthquake victims, is slated to begin with an open rehearsal at Tokyo’s Showa University on May 9. Maestro Chung will continue conducting the performances at Santori Hall on May 10, followed by Osaka’s Symphony Hall on May 11 and Toyama’s Obad Hall on May 12.
The program features Debussy’s “La Mer,” Ravel’s “La Valse” and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 “Pathetique.” For more information, visit www.seoulphil.co.kr (Korean and English).
Meanwhile, maestro Chung is leading the ensemble in the Korea National Opera’s rendition of “Simon Boccanegra” at Seoul Arts Center through Sunday. The Verdi opera in three acts marked Chung’s opera conducting debut with the New York Met in 1986, and is also a rare occasion for local opera fans to watch a production featuring the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. For more information, call (02) 586-5282.