[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The Seongnam Cultural Foundation will perform the comic opera The Barber of Seville at 5 p.m. on the 8th at the Seongnam Arts Center Concert Hall. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Seongnam Cultural Foundation plans to open only 10% of the total seats in the venue and will simultaneously live stream the performance on Naver TV so that many viewers can join online.
The Barber of Seville is the second production in the brand-new concert series "Opera Garden" introduced this year by the Seongnam Cultural Foundation. The "Opera Garden" series maintains the traditional opera format but simplifies the stage, props, and costumes to focus on singing and acting, making opera more accessible and enjoyable for the audience. Last month, the foundation presented The Marriage of Figaro as the first work in the series via online live streaming. Following The Barber of Seville, the series will include The Masked Ball and Romeo and Juliet, totaling four productions this year.
The Barber of Seville is considered the greatest masterpiece by Gioachino Rossini, a leading Italian Romantic composer, and is one of the most popular comic operas worldwide. It is the first part of the "Figaro Trilogy" written by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais and covers the story preceding The Marriage of Figaro.
Set in 18th-century Seville, the story depicts the young Count Almaviva, who falls in love with the beautiful Rosina and follows her to Seville. With the help of the town’s jack-of-all-trades Figaro, Almaviva outwits Rosina’s elderly guardian and greedy doctor Bartolo, who covets her fortune, ultimately winning her love in a delightful romantic comedy full of laughter and wit. Notably, arias such as "Largo al factotum" ("I am the town’s jack-of-all-trades") and "Una voce poco fa" ("Just now I heard that voice") vividly express the characters’ personalities.
The stage will feature many vocalists actively performing in Korea’s opera scene. Baritone Kim Jong-pyo will play Figaro, tenor Kang Dong-myeong will portray the young Count Almaviva who loves Rosina, and mezzo-soprano Kim Jeong-mi will take on the role of the spirited and charming heroine Rosina. Bass baritone Seong Seung-min will perform as Bartolo, Rosina’s guardian who covets her inheritance; bass Lee Hyung-wook will play Basilio, Rosina’s music teacher; and soprano Yoo Ji-eun will appear as Berta, Bartolo’s maid.
Additionally, Hong Seok-won, the first Korean to serve as principal conductor at a European opera house, will conduct the performance. The renowned Korean Baroque music ensemble Camerata Antiqua Seoul will provide the orchestral accompaniment, and JTBC anchor Lee Jeong-heon will host the event.
The Seongnam Cultural Foundation will strictly adhere to COVID-19 prevention guidelines, including social distancing between seats, temperature checks, electronic health questionnaires using QR codes, and mandatory mask-wearing.
The foundation resumed operations at the performance venue on the 1st after a five-month hiatus. Going forward, it plans to gradually increase seating capacity from 10% to about 45%, applying social distancing between seats. Some planned performances will be held both in-person and live-streamed online, continuing to provide contactless cultural and artistic services alongside normal offline operations. The Seongnam Arts Center’s flagship brand concert, the "2020 Matinee Concert," will be held on the 6th and 20th at 11 a.m., available both in-person and simultaneously on Naver TV.
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