Beethoven's 'Fate' Performance... Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Tickets Sold Out Early

Lotte Concert Hall on the 24th-25th
Clara Jumi Kang to Collaborate on 'Bruch'

Tickets for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's (Seoul Phil) upcoming regular concerts on the 24th and 25th, featuring Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 "Fate," have sold out early.

Yap Van Zweden, the music director of Seoul Phil, will personally conduct the performance of "Fate," with violinist Clara Jumi Kang as the soloist. The concert will be held at the Lotte Concert Hall.

Yap Pan Tsubeden [Photo by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra]

The first piece to be performed that day is Tchaikovsky's Italian Capriccio. In the fall of 1878, Tchaikovsky, wounded by a failed marriage and leaving behind his position as a professor at the Moscow Conservatory, traveled to Italy. Inspired by Italy's dazzling sun, fresh air, and rich artistic heritage, he composed this piece. After completing the sketches in Rome in 1880, he finished the work in Kamenka, Saint Petersburg, and it premiered in Moscow in December of the same year under the baton of Nikolai Rubinstein. This work is unusually bright and lively among Tchaikovsky's compositions. It features brilliant trumpet fanfares and lively, ornate Italian melodies, with heavy and somber themes interwoven, culminating in a passionate and thrilling climax.

Following this, Clara Jumi Kang will return to the Seoul Phil regular concert stage after seven years. Kang will perform Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 as a soloist.

Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 is one of the representative works of the "German Romantic Violin Concerto," standing alongside works by Mendelssohn and Brahms. It is a masterpiece that showcases rich passion, bittersweet lyricism, proud narrative flow, and grand dramatic climaxes, allowing listeners to appreciate its sweet melodies and the soloist's brilliant technique. Bruch's unique melodic beauty, which blends German emotionality and national color into romantic melodies, and the dramatic structure of the piece are especially captivating.

Clara Joo Mi Kang [Photo by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra]

The second half of the concert will feature the famous Beethoven Symphony No. 5 "Fate." Music director Van Zweden is particularly anticipated for his outstanding interpretation of this symphony.

"Fate" is a masterpiece among Beethoven's symphonies, demonstrating solid construction and meticulous development. It premiered in December 1808 in Vienna under Beethoven's own baton. The symphony reflects Beethoven's intense life journey, having faced numerous hardships such as social barriers, hearing loss, and political turmoil. Its message of overcoming tragic fate and moving toward victory is deeply impressive.