all walks of opera

Although I enjoy performing and watching performances based on classical music - specifically, orchestral ones - and fond of the opera performances as the audience can be immersed in a perfect combination of drama and art, the first impression of “Die tote Stadt” was somewhat alien, since its composer is well known for composing soundtracks of movie, rather than opera arias. Yet, I was looking forward to this specific performance, since Korngold’s music was highly appreciated by some of the most renowned classical composers and the storyline of the opera seemed interesting as it elaborates on the perplexed mental status of the main character. Fortunately, the performance held in Seoul Arts Center exceeded my expectations. First and foremost, the music itself had a various tone, enabling the audience to experience not just a music that supports the drama, but more of a complete symphony. Therefore, I could feel some kind of catharsis due to the wholeness of orchestral music which helped...

L'Opéra de Daegu mettra en scène le chef-d'œuvre de l'opéra "Andrea Chénier", qui traite de la Révolution française, quatre fois du 17 au 18 et du 24 au 25. L'histoire raconte la courte vie du poète français André Chénier (1762-1794), qui a disparu de la guillotine pendant la Révolution française. Le titre est écrit en italien plutôt qu'en français. André Chénier était un poète qui défendait les principes idéalistes de la Révolution française et un universitaire absorbé par la littérature grecque classique, mais qui a été exécuté comme un traître pour avoir critiqué le règne de terreur dirigé par Robespierre. L'opéra a ajouté des personnages et des histoires virtuels pour créer une production dramatique. Luigi Ilica, le plus grand scénariste de son temps, a écrit le scénario italien en tant qu'œuvre représentative du compositeur italien Umberto Giordano. Il a été créé en 1986 à La Scala, à Milan, et présente une structure d'histoire appartenant...

Korngold's music, influenced by post-romanticism, evokes deep impressions of tragedy, loss and sadness, obsession and madness, and death. This emotional power, combined with the film music form, constantly creates an intense image. The essence of "Die tote Stadt" is revealed in the scenes where singers stop singing. At that moment, the music becomes a mirror that reflects the lost fantasy as well as a mirror that reflects the intimatcy. Accordingly, the stage design was expressed as a kind of mental space that comes and goes unpredictably, like a thought in a painful mind. Rather than the realistic implementation of the place starting from Paul's bedroom and leading to the Bruges Canal, Paul's complex, hallucinatory, and gloomy thoughts were expressed throughout stage design. The stage seemed to emphasize the poetry of illusion, delusion, the power of symbols, and sadness. In directing "Die tote Stadt", stage director Julien Chavaz said that he wanted to...

The Daegu Opera House will stage the masterpiece opera "Andrea Chénier," which deals with the French Revolution, four times from the 17th to the 18th and from the 24th to the 25th.  The story is about the short life of French poet André Chénier (1762–1794), who disappeared from the guillotine in the French Revolution. The title is written in Italian instead of French. André Chénier was a poet who advocated the idealistic principles of the French Revolution and an academic who was engrossed in Greek classical literature, but was executed as a traitor for criticizing the reign of terror led by Robespierre.  The opera added virtual characters and stories to create a dramatic production. Luigi Ilica, the biggest screenwriter of his time, wrote the Italian script as the representative work of Italian composer Umberto Giordano. It premiered in 1986 in La Scala, Milan, and features a story structure belonging to the Verizmo (realism) Opera. The opera insists that one day ahead of th...

The National Opera (Director and Artistic Director Choi Sang-ho) will perform a movie-like opera, "Die tote Stadt", at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center for four days from May 23th until 26th. The performance is based on Georges Rodenbach's novel "Bruges La mort", and the opera was composed by Korngold at the age of 23. It premiered in 1920 but has a strong late-romantic character, and is an opera that has the advantage of its beautiful melody and sound produced by a huge three-way orchestra reminiscent of Richard Strauss. "Die tote Stadt" is the story of Paul who misses his dead wife, Marie. Paul is a person who lives in past memories while storing his wife's hair and other her things. He gets to know Marietta, who looks alike his dead wife, and invites her to his home. Marietta is a dancer of a wandering theater company, who comes to Paul's house and dances seductively. After that, Marie's welcome appears to Paul and demands love...

 ‘La Rondine’ Matinee Metropolitan Opera performance held on April 20th was literally the biggest reason that I bought my round trip flight ticket to New York, only before 34 hours before the departure. Year 2024 turned out to be 100th anniversary after Puccini’s death, and Turandot was on the stage the day when I arrived at New York. Unfortunately, a decent seat price for Turandot was too much for me to afford. Instead, I just decided to enjoy last performance of La Rondine for this season.