Seoul Philharmonic concludes Mahler cycle

By Do Je-hae

One of the biggest achievements of conductor Chung Myung-whun with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) is a Mahler symphony cycle, rarely staged in Korea.

It is unlikely that a project of such grand scale is likely to be repeated here in the near future. Being able to deliver all of the Austrian composer's nine symphonies on stage is an agonizing task for any orchestra.

The project started in late summer and closed with a performance of his Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major on Dec. 22.

Combining voice and symphony ― a trademark of Mahler’s symphonic works ― it is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. Because the piece requires huge instrumental and vocal forces, it is known as the “Symphony of a Thousand,” although it is often performed with fewer musicians.

The SPO engaged a choir of 320 and eight solo singers for the performance last Thursday. The orchestra consisted of 150 members, which is larger than the normal size of around 100 for a large-scale symphony ensemble.

Critics and fans have been divided on the SPO's performances of Mahler, with some expressing their discontent with the final one in particular.

Some members of the audience expressed their views on www.goclassic.co.kr, a website for classical music fans, voicing their disappointment particularly with the lack of harmony between the choir, orchestra and soloists due to insufficient rehearsal time.

While there have been some shining moments for the SPO this year, Chung ended the year poorly with an uninspiring performance of Mahler's key symphony and controversy over excessive pay as musical director of the nation’s oldest symphonic orchestra.