"Emotion of a Novel Like Music": Bernard Werber's New Work Presented Through Classical Music

Participation in the Hic et Nunc! Music Festival
Taking the Stage at Seoul Arts Center Next Month
Reading Excerpts from the Novel "Land of Chimera"
"I Am Very Fond of Classical Music
Writing While Listening to Debussy and Bach"

"I am very fond of Claude Debussy's 'Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.' Because my mother was a piano teacher, I grew up surrounded by music from an early age."

French novelist Bernard Werber, who professes a love for classical music, shared these thoughts during an online press conference on July 1. Werber is scheduled to visit Korea next month to commemorate the publication of his new book, "Land of Chimera." He will introduce "Land of Chimera" at the classical music festival "Hic et Nunc! Music Festival."

The "Hic et Nunc! Music Festival" is a classical music festival organized by the chamber ensemble Sejong Soloists. It began in 2017 and marks its eighth edition this year. "Hic et Nunc!" is Latin for "Here and Now!" This year's festival will open on August 22 and run through September 5, featuring ten events, including concerts and lectures, at venues such as the Seoul Arts Center, Ewha Womans University, and Sojeonseolim in Cheongdam-dong.

On August 27, Werber will take the stage at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall for the "Era of Chimera" event, where he will read excerpts from his novel "Land of Chimera." On the same stage, composer Kim Taeksoo's "Chimera Suite," inspired by the novel, will have its world premiere.

Bernard Werber [Photo by Sejong Soloists (c) Roberto Frankenberg]

Werber said that he is extremely fond of classical music and that this event is very meaningful to him. He also shared that when he was 11 years old, he experienced Stendhal syndrome after listening to Vivaldi's piccolo concerto?a moment that left a profound impact on him. Stendhal syndrome refers to the phenomenon of being deeply moved, both mentally and physically, in front of a great work of art. "At the time, I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I felt shivers. Wanting to recreate that feeling, I even learned to play the piccolo."

Music is a tool that helps Werber concentrate when writing novels. He usually writes while listening to music in cafes. "When I listen to music through headphones, I become completely separated from the world around me and can immerse myself in my own space. I listen to a variety of genres, including rock and pop, but classical music is especially good for writing because it has no lyrics and is not aggressive."

Werber said that he often listens to the music of French composers Erik Satie and Debussy. In particular, he repeatedly listened to "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" while writing his novel "Thanatonauts." He also listens to a lot of Bach, explaining that while writing "Land of Chimera," he frequently listened to Bach's "Aria" and "Goldberg Variations," and that both Bach and the Goldberg Variations are mentioned in the novel.

"Land of Chimera" is set in an era after the Third World War, where a scientist named Alice Chimera creates three new species by hybridizing human and animal DNA. Regarding these new species, Werber explained that there are three types: "Aerial," a hybrid of human and bat with wings; "Nautic," a hybrid of human and dolphin capable of long dives; and "Digger," a hybrid of human and mole that can live underground. He added that the winged Aerials have no arms, saying, "It is a form where one (wings) is added, but another (arms) is lost, restoring balance."

Through his new novel, Werber said, "I wanted to convey the message that we must create a new humanity that no longer repeats the cycle of violence." He continued, "We must change our consciousness," adding, "At present, it seems there are many ways humanity could go down a bad path, and personally, I am very concerned about our democracy."

Regarding Kim Taeksoo's "Chimera Suite," Werber explained that each new hybrid species from the novel is represented by a different instrument: guitar, flute, and violin. He said that each piece of music connects like a sentence to form a story, and that he was very pleased with the result.