'Beethoven Meets Goethe' Performance YouTube Broadcast

Yongsan-gu, February 17 Performance and Filming at Yongsan Art Hall Grand Theater as Part of 2021 Resident Company Development Support Project...Unique Combination of Orchestra, Dance, and Theater Draws Attention

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] A dark stage. A dancer dressed in black (Beethoven) plays the piano alone. But the man, seemingly unable to hear any sound, collapses to the floor in agony. Muses pass by his side but merely brush past him. A man in white clothes (Goethe), watching him from a distance, said:

"People say he is stubborn and cold, but no one knows his inner self. How miserable it is for him to become deaf. How much he fights within himself to protect himself because of it."

Yongsan-gu (District Mayor Seongjang Hyun) streamed the live performance of 'Beethoven Meets Goethe' on the district office's YouTube channel.

This is a unique combination of orchestra, dance, and theater. Four modern dancers take the stage to perform dance and theater based on Beethoven's life, while the Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) continues the music. The entire performance lasts one hour and is divided into four chapters: agony, healing, love, freedom, and victory.

Listeners can enjoy melodies such as Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, 6, and 9, corresponding to each theme.

A district official said, "We newly highlighted Beethoven's great life through Goethe's perspective and language," adding, "The beautiful modern dance and the grand music of the orchestra will delight the ears and eyes of the residents."

The response has been positive. Comments include, "It seems like a performance that helps me understand the vague image of the musician Beethoven better," and "Artists are like an oasis in the desert for us. So wonderful."

This performance is part of the 2021 Resident Theater Company Development Support Project supported by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. The actual performance and filming took place on the 17th of last month at Yongsan Art Hall Grand Theater.

The MPO, responsible for the performance, was founded in 2003 as a pioneer in popularizing classical music. It has maintained its fame through active activities such as performing the complete Beethoven symphonies in 2012 and the complete Tchaikovsky symphonies in 2013.

Since 2015, the district has collaborated with MPO on cultural projects including concerts and lectures. Last year, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, they presented a non-face-to-face performance titled 'Beethoven Comes to Yongsan.'

In April and June, programs titled '10 Vocalists? Singing 100 Years of Korean Art Songs' and 'Listening to Korean Folktales through Symphonic Poems' will continue respectively.

Seongjang Hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, "We held a non-face-to-face performance to comfort residents exhausted by COVID-19 and to support cultural artists facing difficulties," adding, "It will be a great opportunity to understand Beethoven's life and music."

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