Summer Filled With Accessible Classical Music PerformancesBy Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter If you are unfamiliar with classical music and feel that the genre is only for intellectuals, this summer offers a variety of opportunities to break free from the prejudice. In an attempt to get one step closer to potential audiences, The National Opera of Korea holds its second segment of ``My First Opera’’ series Aug. 21-26 at the Towol Theater of the Seoul Arts Center. The program consists of two one-act operas, one comical and the other tragic. Targeting the prejudice that opera is expensive and difficult to enjoy, the concert _ during which Giacomo Puccini’s ``Gianni Schicchi’’ and Pietro Mascagni’s ``Cavalleria rusticana’’ will be staged _ costs 10,000 won to 50,000 won, with a 50 percent discount for children and juveniles. For more information, visit www.sac.or.kr. The Euro-Asian Philharmonic Orchestra, meanwhile, stages a unique performance combining ``Peter and the Wolf,’’ Sergei Prokofiev’s famous composition for children and the namesake animation, Aug. 7-9 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The concert is comJul 18, 2007
OCS to Play at PentaportBy Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter British band Ocean Colour Scene is expected to play at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival July 27-29. The band will likely be included in the last-minute announcement of the final line-up for the annual summer festival. While the festival Web site (www.pentaportrock.com) does not yet show the band’s participation, an official at Yellow Nine, in charge of the Pentaport line-up, confirmed that the band agreed to play Saturday, July 28, on the Big Top Stage. Only the flight from Japan, where Ocean Colour Scene will play at Fuji Rock the day before, remains to be arranged because the previous reservation was cancelled due to overbooking. Ocean Colour Scene, often considered part of the lively Britpop scene that surfaced during the mid-1990s, were once noted by Oasis leader Noel Gallagher as ``the second best band in Britain.’’ But the band maintained a certain distance from popular mainstream musical trends, while scoring numerous hit singles including the 1996 breakthrough ``The Riverboat Song’’ and ``Up on the Downside,’’ the band’s most well-Jul 18, 2007
m-flo to Perform in Seoul in AugustBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Japanese hip-hop duo m-flo will give fans a taste of its fresh brand of hip-hop with a concert-party at the Seoul Walkerhill Hotel on Aug. 17 and 18. The ``m-flo loves Korea & We love m-flo'' concert is part of the group's 2007 Cosmicolor tour, which started in Japan last month. M-flo, composed of Japanese DJ Taku Takahashi and Japanese-Korean rapper Verbal, is one of the most popular and influential hip-hop groups in Japan. The concert starts at 8 p.m., Aug. 17 at Kayagum Hall at the Seoul Walkerhill Hotel. Japanese R&B singers such as Emyli, Yoshika, Emi Hinouchi, Ryohei, and Lisa will perform during the concert. From 10 p.m. until 3 a.m., the concert turns into a summer night party featuring Korean singers Whee Sung and Alex from Clazziquai. Whee Sung had already collaborated with m-flo on ``I'm Da 1,'' from the ``Beat Space Nine'' album, while Alex was featured in ``Love Me After 12am,'' from the ``Cosmicolor'' album. M-flo is known for creating a unique style of hip-hop with Japanese pop music. Taku and Verbal met as stuJul 18, 2007
Album ReviewsNew Power Tango ``Moonlight'' SonyBMG This album offers a totally new taste of tango, tinged with powerful electric flavors. The 10-track album is a mixture of various rhythms, styles and genres _ all of which have never been done before. The new tango rendition, composed and produced by keyboardist and composer Christian Ale, seems to sound closer to jazz or acid jazz. The opener, ``Buenos Aires Moonlight'' creates strong upbeat rhythms and a melancholic and dramatic atmosphere. ``Dreamz'' sounds sweet, cozy and very soothing while ``Acid Rain'' blends acid jazz with tango. The final track is a trance version of ``Inspiracion,'' the biggest hit from maestro Luis Rubinstein, remixed by Star Noise. -Chung Ah-young Jul 17, 2007
Maestro Chung Brings Asia Philharmonic to Korea, JapanBy Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter In August 2006, the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra made a comeback after a six-year hiatus due to financial difficulties. After the performance in Seoul, Maestro conductor and pianist Chung Myung-whun cheerfully made each member of the orchestra stand up and applaud along with audiences. ``What I felt was special while conducting this orchestra was that I could sense that a serious alternative orchestra was budding for the future, as musicians based in America and Europe mingled with excellent young musicians of Asia,'' Chung said. ``Let us Asian nations move toward a peaceful and lovely world through music. Wouldn't it be a heaven if we could connect with each other through music?'' Chung had floated the idea of the Asia Philharmonic as early as the mid 1990s, hoping to make it into a leading regional orchestra like the Vienna Philharmonic represents Europe. While the Asia Philharmonic members manage to gather only once a year like a festival orchestra, Chung hopes that it will become permanent by 2010. This year, the orchestra takes one stJul 17, 2007
Nine Inch Nails to Rock SeoulBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Nine Inch Nails, a popular industrial rock band, will perform in Seoul for the first time at Olympic Hall, Olympic Park on Sept. 11. Rock fans have been eagerly awaiting the band's first concert in Seoul, which is part of its 2007 summer world tour. Fans should expect an explosive concert from the group. Their concerts are known for exciting visual effects, intense energy and often end with smashed musical instruments. They will perform new tracks from their latest album ``Year Zero.'' Trent Reznor, the group's frontman, is one of the leading figures in industrial and alternative rock music. Reznor formed Nine Inch Nails in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988 and since then he has been the group's lead singer, songwriter and producer. He has remained the group's only official member, assembling bands to back up his music in the studio and in concerts. For the world tour, the band features Aaron North on guitar, Jeordie White on bass, Alessandro Cortini on keyboards, and Josh Freese on drums. The group achieved mainstream success in Jul 17, 2007
Album ReviewsChemical Brothers `We Are the Night’ EMI It is hard to expect something significantly new from these iconic initiators of the mid-90s electronic music breakthrough. But chances are also slim that their latest offering will turn out entirely disappointing. Indeed, featuring the voices of rising British and American stars from the band Klaxons to Ali Love and Willy Mason, the tracks offer masterly diversity of dance-floor beats as well as atmospheric psychedelia. The first single-cut ``Do It Again’’ is amusing, fantasy-invoking ``Saturate’’ and almost lyrical ``The Pills Won’t Help You Now’’ are especially impressive. The album is a perfect warm-up for fans awaiting the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, the first day of which will be headlined by the Chems. -Seo Dong-shin Jul 10, 2007
Festival in Mountains Beckons Classical Music LoversBy Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter PyeongChang lost its bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics to Russia's Sochi, but all is not lost for the county's ambitions to step out of the cultural backwater and grow into an international arena. The Fourth Great Mountains International Music Festival, which combines classical music performances of top-notch musicians from around the world with classes and competition programs for international young talent, will take place from Aug. 3-26. Largely based in YongPyong Resort, nestled in the scenic resort area of Gangwon Province, the three-week annual festival will include about 50 performance programs, some scores of which will be performed for the first time in Korea or even in the world. This year's festival, held under the title ``Visionary,'' promises expansion in both scope and quality in comparison to last year, which was downsized due to flood damage in the mountainous area. World-class musicians to perform this year include cellists Aldo Parisot, Jian Wang and Chung Myung-wha, violinist Kyoko Takezawa and violist Richard YongjaJul 10, 2007
Summer’s Big Four Concerts in TownBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Top K-pop and hip-hop stars will gather for the ``Summer Big 4 Concerts,'' on July 21 and 22. Promising to be one of the biggest musical events this summer, ``Summer Big 4 Concerts'' will be held at the Olympic Gymnasium, Olympic Park. On July 21, the Exciting Star concert will feature performances by four of the most exciting hip-hop performers namely, Drunken Tiger, T Yoon Mi-rae, Dynamic Duo and Epik High. Drunken Tiger, also known as Tiger JK, is one of the leading members of the Korean hip-hop scene. T, who released her solo album earlier this year, is considered a brilliant female rapper and R&B artist. Dynamic Duo has just released their new album ``Enlightened.'' Epik High is one of the popular groups in Korea, with recent hits like ``Fan'' and ``Love Love Love.'' The Fantastic Star concert features SG Wannabe, Seeya, Yangpa and new group FT Island on July 22. These four artists are known for their powerful ballads and forceful voices. Jul 3, 2007
Album ReviewsBeastie Boys `The Mix-Up' EMI If you're looking for the Beastie Boys' irreverent rap and punk music, you won't find it in their new album. ``The Mix-Up'' is an all-instrumental album, the group's latest since 2004's ``To the 5 Boroughs.'' The Beastie Boys seemed to have deliberately stayed away from their punk roots, and opted to showcase their diverse musical influences. The songs have a distinctive funk-rock beat, starting with the laid-back ``B for My Name'' and ``Suco De Tangerina.'' The album shows just how far the Beastie Boys have come from their first album ``Licensed to Ill'' in 1986. -Cathy Rose A. Garcia Jul 3, 2007