[Inside Chodong] 'Corona Healing' Found in Classical Music

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Two months ago, a sign was posted in the underground passage connecting Haebangchon and Gyeongridan-gil in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

"Yongsan-gu provides 24-hour classical music broadcasting in the underground passage to prevent crime and create a safe walking environment."

Classical music is said to have psychological calming effects by alleviating destructive impulses due to its symmetrical beauty. Perhaps because psychological stability is needed for everyone these days due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), two major classical music festivals in Korea have just concluded: the Seoul Arts Center's "Symphony Festival" and the Lotte Cultural Foundation's "Classic Revolution."

The Symphony Festival, which began in 1989 and is now in its 31st year, is the largest and most prestigious classical music festival in Korea. Since 2000, it has been sponsored by the Hanwha Group. Hanwha Group holds the longest and largest sponsorship record in the classical music genre. Even this year, when the situation became difficult due to COVID-19, Hanwha Group continued to sponsor the Symphony Festival without fail.

Classic Revolution is a classical music festival newly launched this year by the Lotte Cultural Foundation, modeled after world-renowned classical music festivals such as the Salzburg Festival in Austria and the BBC Proms in the UK. Lotte Group has also been dedicated to promoting classical music since opening the Lotte Concert Hall, the first private classical music hall, in August 2016.

The Symphony Festival opened on July 28 and ended on August 10, while Classic Revolution started on August 17 and ended on August 30. The Symphony Festival, which is usually held every April, was postponed due to COVID-19, providing classical music enthusiasts with a happy festival period lasting about a month. Coincidentally, social distancing in the metropolitan area was raised to Level 2 between the end of the Symphony Festival and the start of Classic Revolution. Most performances of the Symphony Festival, held before the Level 2 upgrade, sold out early. This was thanks to the half-capacity seating policy and the high demand from classical music lovers who were starved for music. Towards the end, there was even a ticket scramble.

[Photo by Seoul Arts Center]

Interior view of Lotte Concert Hall.

On the other hand, Classic Revolution was hit hard by the social distancing Level 2 upgrade. With the strengthening of social distancing on August 16, just one day before the opening, there was no time to revise the performance program. As a result, performances by eight orchestras, including the KBS Symphony Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, were canceled, and only half of the planned 16 performances took place.

Unlike the Symphony Festival, Classic Revolution operates under an artistic director system, aiming to present a clear and distinctive character centered on the artistic director. This year’s theme for Classic Revolution was Beethoven. The recital of tenor Kim Seung-jik’s reading of "Heiligenstadt Testament" during the performance on August 23 was impressive. The "Heiligenstadt Testament" is a letter Beethoven wrote to his brothers Karl and Johann in 1802. In the testament, Beethoven wrote that despite his deep despair, music held him up. This stage reflected the intention of Christoph Poppen, the artistic director of Classic Revolution, to showcase both Beethoven’s music and life. However, only about 10% of the seats were filled that day. It is hoped that the second Classic Revolution next year will demonstrate the true value of this new classical music festival with fully packed audiences. Classic Revolution is scheduled to be held every August.

Starting from the 16th, another classical music festival will follow. It is the fifth annual "Mapo M Classic Festival" hosted by the Mapo Cultural Foundation. With 26 groups and over 500 artists participating, various classical performances will be held across Mapo-gu for 11 days until the 26th. The Mapo Cultural Foundation plans to conduct most performances online. Instead, they are determined to deliver emotion and hope during these difficult times using cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and a massive 670-inch LED panel stage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.