Young musicians glow at Pyeongchang music festival

“All Star” performers lived up to their fames. Youth demonstrated the value of youth. The festival was amazing and exciting.

“We have lived happily” was the closing performance of this year’s Pyeongchang Daegwallyeong Music Festival (Music in Pyeongchang), which took place at Alpensia Resort in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province on Saturday. It was an excellent performance that wonderfully harmonized a highly dynamic and precise orchestra, a conductor who enabled them to perform to their full capability, cleverly selected repertoire, and relaxed mood at a highland resort town.

The Pyeongchang Festival Orchestra, who debuted for the first time this year, mostly consists of Korean performers who are affiliated with orchestras in Europe.

The first song Fingal’s Cave by Mendelssohn; the second song, Vladigerov - Violin Concerto No. 1; and the last song Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique had more than one thing in common: this year marks anniversary years of those composers: 210th anniversary of the birth; 120th anniversary of the birth, and the 150th anniversary of the death. They are also highly painterly in nature. Large paintings seem to be unfolding every moment while those songs were performed. It coincided with the theme of this year’s event: "Other stories." The orchestra presented highly detailed ensemble, and painterly mood of the program through systematic colors that perfectly respond to the conductor.

Violin Concerto No. 1 by Bulgaria's top composer and pedagogue Pancho Vladigerov was like the “flagship song” to Svetlin Roussev. Roussev, a Bulgarian-born violinist who is familiar to Koreans due to his role as maestro of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, vividly revived the tough and elastic rhythm, and carnivorism of this music, which was based on folk rhythm. Orchestra decorated dazzlingly on this background.

Pablo Gonzalez, the Designate Principal Conductor of the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra (RTVE), did not display anything strange while playing Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique, just as in the previous songs. He seemed to be engrossed in the freshness and preciseness of the orchestra. Phrases were succinct and concise rather than lingering. Alpensia Music Tent offers rather strong resonation in the middle register, and the performance was in great harmony with this music hall.

After the end of the performance, orchestra members hugged each other, rather than exiting from the stage. They took photos and cheered together onstage. They mingled with some audience members as well. While scorching hot summer weather gripped the nation in low-altitude regions, the site of this music festival was like an evening amid cool temperatures that reminded the concertgoers of the month of September.


gustav@donga.com