[K-CLASSIC] Interview with bass singer "Enjoying opera easily"

 

Yoon Hee Seop, a bass singer from Germany(Photo courtesy of Gloria Opera)

Do you like opera?

Opera is a representative comprehensive art.
Opera is also the most expensive art genre.
Some even call opera "the lowest cost-effectiveness art in the world."

Opera has a high wall even for classical enthusiasts.
Classical lovers say, "The end of listening to classical music is opera."
Nevertheless, there are many opera enthusiasts in the world.
Are the charms that we don't know hidden like treasures in opera?

I interviewed an opera singer after a long time.

bass singer Yoon Hee-seop returned home last year after nearly 20 years in Europe. The country where he was mainly active was Germany. He has a splendid career, including an exclusive soloist at the Hamburg National Theater in Germany and an exclusive soloist at the Casel National Theater. He is a veteran of more than 1,000 opera performances.

He has already been asked to appear in operas since he started his domestic activities. Recently, he appeared in Mozart's "Magic Flute" (played by Jarastro) at the Daegu Opera House in April. In June, Verdi's opera "Rigoletto" meets the audience with "Sparapuchile."

One of the differences between opera and musicals is that the role is determined according to the vocalist's part. For example, any actor can take on the Phantom of the Opera. However, in the case of opera, Rigoletto is set as a baritone, and the Duke of Mantua is set as a tenor.
In this regard, Sparapuchile, who plays the bass, is a very familiar character to Yoon Hee-seop. He appeared in "Rigoletto" for two seasons before returning to Korea.

Yoon Hee Seop, a bass singer from Germany(Photo courtesy of Gloria Opera)

● Yoon Hee-seop's advice: How to enjoy opera

Opera is a representative genre of comprehensive art.
First of all, there is the music of masters produced by solo, chorus, and orchestra.
In addition to performances such as dance and acrobatics, lighting and stage equipment are added to complete the "world's most perfect artwork."

However, enjoying opera is not as easy as you think. The long performance time, which takes several hours, is also a burden to modern people. The biggest reason is that opera singers sing and speak in native languages such as Italy and Germany. So, among classical lovers, there is even a saying that "the last stop of listening to classical music is opera."

However, Yoon's advice was different.
"What surprised me about singing the magic flute in Daegu was that the level of Korean audiences has increased greatly."
Many operas try to lower the wall of the original language. Therefore, singers often sing in the original language, but their lines are often in the local language. It is to help the audience understand and empathize. But this time it wasn't. Both the song and the lines were native.

"I finished Zarastro's long lines and the audience was so happy and clapping. At that moment, I was surprised, "Oh, what is this?" The audience was familiar with this work."

On the know-how to enjoy opera, Yoon advised two things.
One is to understand the contents of the opera before visiting the concert hall. As with all artworks, opera is a genre that can be seen and heard as much as you know.
The second is casting. As with this "Rigoletto," opera is usually co-casted by two to three people in one role. Different vocalists have different interpretations and expressions of characters.
If you find this fun, you become an opera fan without realizing it. In addition, even if it is the same work, it varies surprisingly depending on the director.

● The essence of music is harmony

These days, classical vocalists are not only obsessed with classical music.
What does Yoon Hee-seop, who has experienced more than 1,000 opera performances, think about this?

"Germany has a clear distinction between classical music and other genres. But isn't the times changing now? The public likes that kind of music. I am also ready to approach new music with an open mind if I have a chance."

Yoon talked about the 'essence of music'. The essence of music he thinks is that "everyone who listens to music and does music should be happy and enjoyable." "The word harmony itself is harmony," he said.
He asked back, "Isn't the job of a musician a job that people who do music like and are happy with?"