National Opera Company, Britten's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Premieres in Korea

November 11-14 at Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater
Based on Shakespeare's play of the same name
Delightful chaos in the fairy world
Myth Kim Dong-wan's opera stage debut

The National Opera Company will premiere the opera "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by British composer Benjamin Britten (1913?1976) for the first time in Korea from the 11th to the 14th at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center.

Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is based on Shakespeare's play of the same name. It is composed of three acts and premiered in the UK in 1960. It is a rare English-language opera.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" depicts the commotion that takes place in a fairy forest ruled by Oberon, the king of the fairies, and his wife Titania. The story unfolds when Hermia, a maiden of Athens, flees to the fairy forest with her lover Lysander. Hermia defies her father's wish for her to marry Demetrius and escapes to the fairy forest with Lysander. Demetrius and Helena, who loves Demetrius, follow them into the fairy forest.

Oberon instructs the fairy Puck to deliver the juice of a love flower to help Hermia's unrequited love for Demetrius. When the juice is applied to someone's eyes, they fall in love with the first person they see upon waking. Oberon orders Puck to apply the juice to Demetrius, but Puck mistakenly applies it to Lysander, complicating the lovers' relationships. Meanwhile, Oberon and Titania are in the midst of a marital quarrel, so Oberon instructs Puck to also apply the love flower juice to Titania's eyes to exploit her weakness.

The opera "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is praised for its faithful adaptation of Shakespeare's original work. Shakespeare portrayed Oberon and Titania not as divine beings but as a couple having a quarrel, a common sight in everyday life. Britten intentionally focused the work on these two characters, making their marital quarrel the central theme of the story.

In this production, Oberon and Titania are depicted more as a realistic elderly couple than as fairies. They live in a forest cabin and argue at the kitchen table. However, Oberon transforms from an old man into a 19th-century English gentleman, and Puck demonstrates his magical ability to replicate himself as a goblin, maintaining the fantastical elements of the work. The magical forest they inhabit continuously changes as if enchanted, reflecting the characters' thoughts.

Another attraction of this performance is the opportunity to see vocalists of various voice types. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a rare work featuring a countertenor as the lead. The role of Oberon, the king of the fairies, is performed by countertenors James Lang and Jang Jeong-gwon. This is James Lang's eighth time performing the role of Oberon. Jang Jeong-gwon is active on European stages, mainly in Germany and the UK.

Kim Dong-wan of the group Shinhwa makes his opera stage debut as Puck. Kim Dong-wan will bring liveliness and lightness to the production by playing the mischievous character Puck. Tenor Kim Hyo-jong plays Lysander, baritone Choi Byung-hyuk plays Demetrius, mezzo-soprano Jung Ju-yeon plays Hermia, and soprano Choi Yoon-jung plays Helena.

The performance on the 13th at 3 p.m. will be live-streamed online through the National Opera Company's streaming service KnomaOpera and Naver TV.

Meanwhile, the National Opera Company has launched the "2024 National Opera Company Regular Performance Package." The ticket package includes the Korean premiere "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "City of Death," "Tannh?user," and "The Western Lady," which was first performed in Korea in 2021 and is being staged again this year. A 30% discount is offered when purchasing tickets for all four productions (R and S seats). Tickets are available on the Interpark Ticket website until the 10th.

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