A maestro`s ordeal

Some people say that they like maestro Chung Myung-whun`s music but not him. The personal warmth of two Korean musicians living in Paris, France – Chung and pianist Kun-woo Paik – is often compared. If Paik has a score of 100, Chung has…well, it is up to the reader`s imagination. Still, no one would disagree that Chung is a conductor whose music is well worth squeezing some time out of one`s tight schedule to listen to. Chung offered to resign on Wednesday from music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), claiming that he had been a victim of "persecution intolerable in a civilized society," referring to his friction with Park Hyun-jung, the former CEO of the SPO.

A day earlier, the board of SPO directors put Chung`s contract renewal on hold, following media reports that the police and the prosecution had detected evidence that his wife had ordered Chung`s secretary to spread rumors that Park harassed her employees. Chung`s loss of the board`s confidence is, in part, attributable to the involvement by his family members and relatives. His wife is a sister-in-law of violinist Chung Kyung-wha, a member of the Chung trio. It is said that the wife took advantage of her unique influence stemming from her family relations to act as Chungs` manager and that relatives of the Chung family took care of the musicians` collateral businesses.

Arguably, two of the most successful East Asian musical maestros are Seiji Ozawa of Japan and Chung of South Korea. While Ozawa`s music is elegant but too focused on details, Chung`s music is bolder and structurally stronger. However, Ozawa can be seen more successful than Chung as a conductor. Of course, Ozawa has the backing from Japan, a classical music powerhouse, while Chung has not had the luxury of such national support. Ozawa`s personal charm is also hard to find on Chung.

In a sense, Chung has been unfairly framed by the former SPO chief. Originally, the SPO`s trouble started between Park and the SPO staff. However, Park skillfully shifted the frame to friction between her and the SPO music director, turning what started as a human rights issue for the SPO staff into an issue of Chung`s inappropriate behavior. At any rate, Chung`s departure is an unfortunate event for Chung, the SPO and fans of his music.

pisong@donga.com