Die tote Stadt; Seoul Arts Center (2)

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 emphasize the different realities experienced by various protagonists. Although the story is simple, the different ways each character accepts it make this work complex and profound. Hallucination is a sensory experience that seems real to the person experiencing it but is not based on objective reality. Therefore, this opera can be seen as Paul's endless hallucinations, waking nightmares, mixed memories and aspirations. In this uneasy space, the gestures of the performers must shine, so that the power of emotion can be felt through the bodies of Marietta, Paul, and other characters.

The connection between "Die tote Stadt" and other symbolic works, such as "Peleas and Melisand" or "Salome" is also one of the notable features of this performance. These works give the impression of several characters reading long poems. The lighting and props create anxiety, constantly leaving and reappearing in space, and the appearance of people crossing each other describe a nightmare unfolding on stage.

"Die tote Stadt" is a work about death and relationship, and it talks about our existence as humans. This work asks a question in an area close to the subconsciousness. It expresses things through music that words cannot afford. The audience would definitely be able to enjoy all the mysterious and complex charms of two and a half hours of music.

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