Kim Sun-wook, RCO disappoint By Kwaak Je-yup The hype for Wednesday’s concert was so high that it attracted even A-list movie stars like Jung Woo-sung and Lee Jung-jae on top of the city’s usual classical music aficionados and upper crust. But the audience received much less than they were promised. Putting together one of the country’s most talented young pianists with arguably the world’s greatest orchestra today may have looked like a surefire formula, but the performance — even under the baton of maestro Chung Myung-whun — was a disappointment. Neither pianist Kim Sun-wook nor the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest) deserved the lengthy ovations they received that evening and they seemed to know it. Kim, 26, was in general overly robust with Beethoven’s third piano concerto Op. 37. His clean tone was a delight, but it was used too consistently until the end of the first movement. An unfortunate mobile phone ringtone echoing from the choir section ruined his cadenza. Things improved with the following Largo and Rondo-allegro movements, but he needed toFeb 26, 2012
K-pop stars make overdue returnsBy Noh Hyun-gi Currently, K-pop programs are filled with new faces such as Sunny Hill, or B.A.P., but that is about to change. Many groups are returning to the stage here in the coming weeks after wrapping up their schedule abroad or dedicating their time to new albums. Boy band Big Bang will climb out of its incident-filled slump with the mini album “Blue” on Feb. 29. The song “Blue” was the first of the seven-track album to be released Wednesday. The list of the entire album is released, but YG Entertainment, the groupagency, labeled every song of the album except for the intro as “title track.” “Usually only one song is designated to represent an album. This time, we wanted to give equal weight to all the songs that the band worked very hard for,” said an official at YG. How this approach will affect the five-member band’s schedule is undecided. “We are still figuring out how to execute this plan. The goal is to give the fans as much opportunities as possible to fully enjoy all songs.” Last year was a tough one for the K-pop group. In November, G-Dragon, the leader, Feb 24, 2012
Director attributes Dutch orchestra’s success to confidence among playersThe music director of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) on Tuesday attributed the ensemble's rise to be one of the world's top orchestras to its members coming together to produce a cohesive sound similar to a chamber orchestra. "We have a tradition of really being an orchestra that plays like a chamber music ensemble, of listening to each other," Joel Ethan Fried, music director of the Amsterdam-based orchestra, said during a news conference in Seoul. Musicians have to listen very carefully because it's not easy for them to hear each other on the stage of a large music hall, he said. "Where another orchestra might be 120 rock stars, there are 120 chamber musicians (in our orchestra). And when a musician comes into the orchestra, he or she quickly learns how to play with the sound of our orchestra," he said. Having its own concert hall is another secret of RCO's strength, the director noted. "We have the privilege of playing most of our concerts in a concert hall which is among the world's three to five best halls in the world with really wonderful sound in the Feb 21, 2012
Korean, French orchestras to hold joint performance in ParisRenowned Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun said Tuesday the French orchestra that he leads will have a joint performance with a North Korean orchestra in Paris next month. "North Korea's Unhasu Orchestra and the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Brahms' symphony No. 1 together at the Salle Pleyel theater in Paris on March 14 at the invitation of the French side," Chung told a news conference in Seoul. He said the decision was made during his meeting with North Korean musicians early this week on the sidelines of his Asian performance tour in Beijing. The meeting, however, failed to arrange a much anticipated joint orchestra performance between the two Koreas, according to Chung who doubles as conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. During the meeting, the maestro said he proposed a joint performance between the Seoul metropolitan orchestra and the North's Unhasu, but the North turned down the proposal citing "frosty political relations" with the South. Still, the planned performance is meaningful in that it involves musicians of three nations - thFeb 21, 2012
Maestro meets N. Koreans to discuss joint performanceA renowned South orean conductor met with North Korean musicians earlier this week to discuss staging a joint performance of orchestras of the two Koreas in Pyongyang, officials said Monday. "Chung Myung-whun, who leads the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, had consultations with North Korean officials in Beijing on Sunday," an official at Seoul's Unification Ministry said. An official with the Seoul metropolitan orchestra also confirmed the news. "We understand Chung met with officials of North's Korean music research institute to follow up to opinions exchanged during his visit to Pyongyang in September," the official said. The joint concert, if realized, would be the first joint orchestra performance between the two Koreas in a decade. On Wednesday, Chung said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency that there will be good news regarding the performance, raising prospects for the historic event. The two Koreas' philharmonic orchestras held a joint concert in Seoul in August 2000, two months after a landmark summit between their leaders. In 2002, the two Koreas again Feb 20, 2012
Indie pop, jazz, new-age to hit Seoul By Noh Hyun-gi The coming weeks are filled with chances to see musicians from overseas. Spanning from alternative rock to new age piano music, the line up of concerts will delight many local fans. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart (TPOBPAH), rising stars in the indie pop scene will be heating things up at V-Hall in Hongdae, Seoul on Feb. 21. With Kip Berman on lead vocals and guitar, the four-piece band from New York will offer a melodic indie sound representative of the genre. Their self-titled debut album from 2009 received wide acclaim from various media such as the New York Times, Pitchfork and NME. For those who like British bands such as The Stone Roses, The Cure, and The Smiths, TPOBPAH will offer the unadulterated sound. On their first visit to Korea, they will be performing tracks from their newest album “Belong” which will be released in Korea this month. Tickets are available for 69,000 won online (http://ticket.interpark.co.kr) or 75,000 won at the door. A hundred special packages that include a ticket for the show as well as a c.d. copy of “BeloFeb 17, 2012
’Music Island’ to push limits of K-popBy Noh Hyun-gi JEJU — With Sunny from Girls’ Generation as host on a stage on Jeju Island, “Music Island,” an upcoming K-pop program, has many grandiose objectives. One is to “prove that K-pop idols can sing,” said Kim Chang-woo, the SBS MTV director in charge of the new show. “‘Music Island’ will offer a genuine musical experience to the viewers, much like a mini-concert, where four to five artists will fly to Jeju Island for every episode to perform together and share their stories,” said Kim at a press conference at the Jeju Grand Hotel on Tuesday. The filming of the first two episodes at Tamna Hall of the International Convention Center in Seogwipo, on the same day showed that perhaps the noble ideas are a bit of a stretch given the packed schedule and vocal capabilities of K-pop stars. The venue and format is unique among K-pop shows. The guest stars on the first episode — IU, Jung Yup, Sunny Hill, B.A.P, and Rainbow — sat with Sunny at the right of the stage and stayed until the end. On other music programs such as “Ingi-gayo” on SBS and “M!CounFeb 15, 2012
Suh Hai-kyung‘s take on Tchaikovsky By Do Je-hae Suh Hai-kyung recently became one of a handful of pianists to have completed a recording of the full cycle of Thaikovsky’s works for orchestra and piano. One Jan. 27, Deutsche Grammophon released two CDs of Suh’s interpretations of Tchaikovsky’s three piano concerti and a fantasy for orchestra and piano. Today, the Russian composer is mostly known for his symphonies and ballet music. But for piano lovers, Tchaikovsky is defined by his first piano concerto, completed in 1875. His compositions for the piano may not be as prolific as some other famous Russian composers like Scriabin, Prokofiev or Rachmaninov. Because of this one concerto, Tchaikovsky is one of the most important composers for pianists. Suh’s recordings also unique, as Tchaikovsky’s three piano concertos are rarely played or recorded in a full cycle, unlike those composed by Beethoven, Brahms or Chopin. “She is the first female pianist ever to record all of Tchaikovskys masterpieces for piano and orchestra,” Kelly Chung of Universal Music said. “What makes this recording special is thaFeb 8, 2012By Do Je-hae
SPO launches chamber music seriesBy Do Je-hae The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) will launch a chamber music series with a recital by Wayne Lin, the orchestra’s associate concertmaster Friday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The Chinese-American Lin will present a mixture of modern and classical pieces in a program that will also include the premiere of Sirin Nah’s Sulamith for Violin and Piano, commissioned especially for the SPO. This will be the violinist’s first local recital. “Our chamber music project is aimed at generating more public interest in the genre and elevating the status of our musicians,” said Kim Jin-young, a PR official for the SPO. “Under this initiative, we have organized solo recitals by our key musicians.” Since joining the ensemble, Li has emerged as one of the star members, particularly thorough chamber music. He has received international recognition for his performances as a soloist and as a chamber and orchestral musician. Prior to his arrival in Seoul, he served as concertmaster of the New Haven Symphony and was also a member of the Sejong Soloists, fFeb 7, 2012By Do Je-hae
Album reviewJay Park ‘New Breed’ (UNIVERSAL MUSIC) Why we recommend it: Though a few tracks offer something new, for the most part, the album is recommended for Jay Park’s fans. Recommended track: “Clap” One and a half stars out of four Jay Park, the former member of a popular boy band 2PM, has released his first full-length album, “New Breed.” The 15-track CD includes five songs from a mini album “New Breed Part 1” put out in December 2011. Undoubtedly, Park has the smooth moves and crooning voice. However, his vocal range is limited and requires savvy producing to make listening to multiple tracks enjoyable. Unfortunately, half of the numbers on “New Breed” are indistinguishable from one another. The long list of featured artists – Dynamic Duo, Tiger J.K., Dok2, and so on– offers a break from Park’s monotone voice. The title track “Know Your Name” is a dance song that highlights the flatness of Park’s vocals. The cliche lines such as “even when the night ends, lets continue this” do not help. Often the lyrics sounds awkwardly manipulated to fit the fFeb 7, 2012