Director Choi Sangho: "'Tristan and Isolde' Will Be a New Milestone for Korean Opera"

National Opera Company and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra to Present Korea’s First Full Staging
December 4?7 at Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater
Van Zweden: "As Excited as a Child in a Candy Store"

"I am confident that this will become a milestone that elevates the standard of Korean opera to the next level." (Choi Sangho, Director of the National Opera Company)

"When I received the proposal from the National Opera Company to perform Wagner's 'Tristan and Isolde,' I thought it was tremendous. I was extremely pleased and happy." (Jaap van Zweden, Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra)

Choi Sangho, Director of the National Opera Company, and Jaap van Zweden, Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, shared their overwhelming anticipation for the upcoming performance of Richard Wagner's (1813-1883) masterpiece "Tristan and Isolde" at a press conference held on the 17th at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The National Opera Company and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will present the first-ever full-length Korean performance of "Tristan and Isolde" at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center from December 4 to 7. This three-act opera has a running time of 4 hours and 30 minutes, and with two intermissions, the total performance time reaches 5 hours and 40 minutes. For this reason, even the weekday performances on the 4th and 5th will begin at 3 p.m.

"Tristan and Isolde" was performed by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Myung-Whun Chung in 2012. However, that was a concert opera focused on presenting the main arias, and this will be the first time a fully staged opera version is performed in Korea. Jung Jae-Wal, CEO of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, stated, "Since it was a concert opera 13 years ago, this is essentially the first time the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is taking on a full opera since the foundation was established in 2005."

Yap Pan Tsubeden, Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, explained the opera "Tristan and Isolde," which will be performed next month at the Seoul Arts Center, during a press conference held on the 17th at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by National Opera Company]

Wagner is regarded as one of the most influential figures in opera history, alongside Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), who was born the same year. There are even dedicated groups of enthusiasts known as Verdians and Wagnerians.

Since officially taking up his post as Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, van Zweden has shown his passion for Wagner's music, performing "Die Walk?re" at his first subscription concert in February last year. He said, "Tristan and Isolde is a new challenge for me," but added, "Just thinking about performing Wagner's works makes me as excited as a child in a candy store."

Van Zweden compared the allure of Wagner's music to a drug, meaning it is almost impossible to escape its grip. "Wagner's music feels as if it is strangling you, as if the music will not let us go. If you listen to Wagner today, you can't even imagine listening to Brahms tomorrow or Mozart the day after. Once you fall into Wagner's music, you wake up thinking about Wagner, you dream about Wagner, and you end up living all day immersed in his music."

Director Choi Sangho described the significance of "Tristan and Isolde" as an opera, calling it "a masterpiece considered the pinnacle of Wagner's artistry." He explained, "It is a tragic narrative about falling in love with the person who killed one's fianc?, and it is especially notable for the birth of the so-called 'Tristan chord,' which marks the beginning of modern music." He added, "Among Wagner's works, this piece in particular demands an extraordinary level of concentration and musical and technical skill. I believe this performance is an important signal that the Korean performing arts scene is ready to take on the profound music and philosophical world of Wagner."

Soprano Katherine Foster, who will play the role of Isolde in Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde," which will have its Korean premiere as a full-length performance at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center from the 4th to the 7th of next month, shared her thoughts at a press conference held on the 17th at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Photo by National Opera Company

The role of Tristan will be performed by tenors Stuart Skelton and Brian Register, while the role of Isolde will be performed by sopranos Katherine Foster and Liska Byisova. Skelton and Foster attended the press conference that day.

This is Skelton's second visit to Korea, following his performance in "Die Walk?re" with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in February last year. Skelton is recognized as a heldentenor (heroic tenor). A heldentenor is a singer specializing in Wagnerian opera, possessing a powerful and resonant voice capable of soaring above a massive and majestic orchestra.

Foster, visiting Korea for the first time, is also recognized as a Wagner specialist. She has appeared for 11 consecutive years at Germany's renowned Bayreuth Festival, and for 10 of those years, she performed the role of Br?nnhilde in Wagner's other grand opera, "The Ring of the Nibelung."

"Tristan and Isolde" is known for the immense physical and mental demands it places on the principal singers, to the extent that it is considered impossible to perform on consecutive days.

Music Director van Zweden emphasized this point, noting that different singers will take on the lead roles each day, and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra must adapt its performance accordingly. He said, "It may be challenging to adjust the performance to different Tristans and Isoldes each day, but an excellent orchestra must have the flexibility to play in harmony with the singers' voices."