|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
| The National Opera Yi Sun-Shin
was created in 1998 to commemorate the 4000-year
anniversary of the death of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin.
The Italian composer, Nicolo Iucolano, composed
the opera in 1997. It was first presented
on the outside stage of The Memorial Shrine
in Asan in 1998. It was presented in seven
cities, including Seoul, up until 1999. The
Italian composers Giuseppe Manzzca and Nicola
Samale recomposed it. It was then presented
in Rome, Italy and Seoul in 2000. Recently,
the composer Agafonnikov Vlandislav completed
it. On Nov. 14, 2003, it was presented in
The Petersburg Baltic theatre in Russia. |
|
 |
|
1993: Opera was planned
1996: The script was completed
1997: The competition was completed
1998: The first presentation was made on the
outside stage of The Memorial Shrine in Asan
on Sep. 19. (Director: Kim Hong-Seung, Conductor:
Gwak Seung)
1998: A special presentation was made on The
Baekje Stadium in Gongju on Sept. 26.
(Director: Kim Hong-Seung, Conductor: Gwak
Seung and Jang Jun-Geun)
A presentation was made in The Tongyeong Culture
Center on Oct. 2 and 3.
(Director: Kim Hong-Seung, Conductor: Gwak
Seung and Jang Jun-Geun)
First corrections in November.
A presentation was made in The Busan Culture
Center on Dec. 2 and 3.
(Director: Yi In-Seung, Conductor: Gwak Seung)
A presentation was made in The Opera Theatre
of The Seoul Arts Center from Nov. 9 to 12.
(Director: Yi In-Seung, Conductor: Gwak Seung)
A presentation was made in The Art Hall of
The Daejeon Expo from Nov. 22 to 23.
(Director: Yi In-Seung, Conductor: Gwak Seung)
Second corrections in March 1999.
A presentation was made on the outdoor stage
of The Sinjeong Lake in Asan on Sep. 18. (Director:
Yu Gyeong-Hwan, Conductor: Yi Byeong-Hyeon)
A presentation was made in The Seoul \national
Theatre from Nov. 20 to 21.
(Director: Yu Gyeong-Hwan, Conductor: Yi Byeong-Hyeon)
Third corrections in March 2000:
|
|
|
| |
Background of The Opera Yi
Sun-Shin |
|
| The opera movement of the Seonggok
Opera Company, with 50 years of history of
the Korean opera, was started in 1990. Since
1999, the Seonggok Opera Company has regularly
presented performances in the local areas
around Chungcheongnam-Do. It produced the
creative opera “Gudeurae” in 1995 and then
entered into Seoul. In Oct. 1995, the opera
“Yi Sun-Shin” was planned and processed while
the “Gudeurae” was presented at the height
of performance. In 1997 Bak Seong-Gi, the
secretary of Ministry of Culture, proposed
the creation of the opera “Yi Sun-Shin” policy.
The governor Shim Dae-Pyeong of Chungcheongnam-Do
promised to support the opera “Yi Sun-Shin”.
At the moment when the promotion plan was
nearly brought to naught, the mayor of Asan
Yi Gil-Yeong became the catalyst. With each
stage in difficult conditions, the opera Yi
Sun-Shin could be firstly presented in the
special stage in Memorial Shrine in Asan,
Chungcheongnam-Do in Sep. 17, 1998 as one
of commemoration projects for the 400 years’
anniversary of the death of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin
with the support and love from a number of
people. The opera was presented in Gongju,
Tongyeong, Busan, Seoul and Daejeon until
December. Fortunately, the year 1998 was the
400-year anniversary that the opera was created
in Europe |
|
|
|
With sorrow about the failure
of the opera “Gudeurae” in Japan in 1996,
I wrote an opera and tried to find a composer
in Italy during the winter of 1996. The opera
title was “Yi Sun-Shin.” When I returning
to Korea, the governor of Chungcheongnam-Do
Shim Dae-Pyeong recommended me to create the
opera “Yi Sun-Shin” by chance. I didn’t have
sufficient time but I decided to write the
script, on the basis of my experience producing
opera for six years and writing scripts in
1995, anyways. The prosecutor Song Min-Ho,
who was the director of Gongju Branch of Daejeon
Regional Public Prosecutors’ Office at that
time, joined our project at that time. When
the script was completed, we couldn’t go further
because of expensive translations cost. Fortunately
the script for free by Mr. and Mrs. Lee Jeung-Hee
Crema. Mr. Lee Jeung-Hee Crema is an ambassador
who resided in Italy.
In 1996, the script was delivered to the composer
Nicolo Iucolano. Professor Alberta Valentini
of Frosinone Conservatori in Italy introduced
him. Nicolo Iucolano made a contract with
me provided that he composed the Korean opera
while learning the traditional scales of Korea.
Iucolano studied Korean music in the Yeongjeon
National Classical Music Institute in Daejeon,
Korea by my invitation in 1997. He learned
about Korean dances from professor Jo Gyeong-Suk
in the Gongju Culture College. He also visited
the Memorial Shrine and the Folk Village in
Yongin several times.
I frequently visited Italy for this project
and talked with the composer a lot. Iucolano
changed the script and composed at his discretion.
I was like he was infringing on our agreement
when he returned to Italy. It disturbed my
plan. I couldn’t help writing a new script.
It wasn’t easy. After the first presentation
in the outdoor stage in the Memorial Shrine
on Sep. 19, 1998, the performances in: Gongju,
Tongyeong, Busan, Seoul and Daejeon were completed
without any serious problems. To support the
insufficient costs of the performance, I tried
to secure investments from companies I faced
some serious difficulties due to the economic
crisis visiting us. This was like the Japanese
invasion 400 years ago. I was sad because
of the criticism pointing out just something
to be satisfied. I was surprised with the
interruptions and jealousy from close parties.
When I found such jealousy or interruption,
I always remembered Admiral Yi Sun-Shin. I
decided to devote myself on the project with
the mindset that all would be explained by
the history.
|
|
|
|
| I learned a lot of things as
the composer through the opera “Admiral Yi
Sun-Shin.” I was interested in articles about
the opera in the oriental culture, especially
Korea. I had a lot of curiosity about Korea.
I had a great opportunity when professor Baek
Gi-Hyeon requested a composition for the opera
about Admiral Yi. I have poured one year of
my life into learning about the life of Admiral
Yi and his war diary since then.
This great man attracted me. He was faithful
to his parents, very honest and was an exemplary
person to all people. He was excellent with
military strategies and had a thoroughly
consistent military spirit. He also had
a definite spirit of benevolence and a generous
power of understanding. I lived with him
for a year. I also spent a year with Won
Gyun. Even with his great potentials he
disappeared without deploying his all abilities
because of selfishness and jealousy. The
opera deals with the history of Korea prior
to and during the Japanese invasion between
1592 and 1598. The Japanese history is introduced
to a certain extent through the introduction
of Admiral Hideyoshi. He integrated Japan,
the Japanese invaders and his megalomania.
His belief that he became the God to some
extent was a unique characteristic of prominent
leaders. China is also mentioned through
the character Yi Yeong-Nam. He was frequently
mentioned in “The War Diary” of Admiral
Yi. The characteristics of Yi Yeong-Nam
were changed by the influence of Admiral
Yi. He was at first conceited and aggressive
but then he gradually expressed respect
to Admiral Yi. In the final chapter of the
opera, it was Yi Yeong-Nam who actually
made an impressive address for the hero.
This opera describes in detail the lives
of the Korean people in terms of history.
From the description on the general folk
music, which is chapter I: “The Village,”
to a detailed description of the royal court
disclosing the continuous conflicts, the
king changed his position from one political
party to the other, which is act I: “The
Royal Court”. I described Yi Yeong-Nam as
an indecisive person who couldn’t decide
what to do in any situations. King Seonjo,
similar to other royal families in the history,
carried out active roles and enjoyed life.
Yu Seong-Ryeong and Yi Hang-Bok, the main
supporters of Admiral Yi, represented the
gentry and devoted themselves to the country.
The wife of Admiral Yi, Mrs. Bang, was an
active woman with an elegant personality.
She demonstrated a strong personality devoting
herself in support of her husband’s goals.
This role is made in the soprano lirico
or agilita. The soprano filled with light
and is very bright. Smooth expressions are
also used. This role is difficult for a
soprano singer, so the tones were made to
fit to the voice of a typical Korean woman.
The baritone for Admiral Yi appropriately
expresses a distinguished tone, a high range
and a mezzo voce. The singing and dancing
girl sings the enthusiastic love with poems
written by female poets at that time during
the royal court parties. She plays a personal
drama rather than a recital. She expresses
the profound truth of love in our life as
compared with the armchair theorist having
the Confucian ideology at that time.
This opera generally describes and interprets
the progressive spirit of the culture and
society of Korea. The use of: traditional
Korean instruments by the European Symphony
Orchestra, typical Korean rhythms, applications
of the Japanese scale that accompany the
Japanese in the opera, the intensive use
of repetition in the 5-scale major and minor
keys and the use of the application in the
5-scale multiple musical measures rather
than the traditional harmony of Europe,
make the opera “Admiral Yi Sun-Shin” special
and unique.
I thought about the level of Korean music
for one year. I don’t use the principles
of Korean music to achieve an exquisite
effect using the decorations. I applied
the basic characteristics of traditional
Korean music in order to develop them from
the inside and its foundation. Nevertheless,
some people will recognize its styles and
passages of Italy.
I mentioned the traditional Korean themes
that are identified in several scenes in
the opera while the Joseon Dynasty and the
King reigned over the country. I concentrated
on several dramatic cases linking the mental
identity of the characters and difficult
themes to each character. All the characters,
from the simple roles to the critical roles,
are described in real and live appearances.
Such an adventure will prove the courage
and ability of professor Baek Gi-Hyeon,
an enthusiastic supporter and a master of
the opera project in detail. Our continuous
advances, in the holistic point of view,
will sufficiently support the reasons why
the artistic meeting between Korea and Italy
is required.
In terms of culture both Italy and Korea
are very close in reality even though the
artistic meeting will vary. The occidental
culture can find out a new creative force
source to escape from the risk of residing
in an intellectual custom throughout this
meeting. The oriental culture obtains a
new cultural tools that is used in consideration
of the artistic relics thousands of years
ago.
It is essential to acknowledge Admiral Yi
to the world with the 400-year anniversary
of his death. A story about a great man
like him in history is the story of all
people. I can’t properly express my delight
in composing the music for the words, the
poems and the thoughts of Admiral Yi. The
high quality pearl is not exquisite or chic;
the pearl accurately describing the history
is very attractive. With the end, I advanced
and set my goal to the truth.
I would like to express my special thanks
to Maurizio Liotau, a professor of Korean
language and literature in the Naples Oriental
Culture Study College, for the discussion
helping me to understand the theme of the
opera,
Nicolo Iucolano.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
