Opera `Lee Soon-Shin` and `Whang Jin-Ii`

General Lee Soon-Shin, who saved the people from the national crisis.

Whang Jin-Ii, who had loved men of talents of her days. Two operas, which made `the representative man and woman of Korea` known to the world, will perform in Korea.

`Whang Jin-Ii` (composer Lee Young-Cho), which will be performed by the Korea Opera Group at the Opera House of the Seoul Art Center on 7 p.m. from 13th to 16th. `Whang Jin-Ii` was premiered at the Seoul Art Center in 1999, in Beijing last June, and in Tokyo last April. It made a Chosun woman’s `unconstrained spirit` broadly known to the world.

Nihon Keizai Shimbun highly praised Opera `Whang Jin-Ii` referring it as `sensual and joyous music, subtle and appealing main character, and well-balanced direction` under the title of `healthy co-existence of art and publicity`. Chinese and other Japan’s media also praised the high completion level of the opera. An outing to the opera by the Emperor Akihito and Empress became a topic of talk in Japan.

There was a little change in terms of the stage setting to increase the sound effect in Seoul performance. The team of `Kim Jung-Soo-conductor’ and `Lee Jang-Ho-director` will maintain. Prime Philharmonic Orchestra and the Ahnyang City Choir will join the opera. Kim Yoo-Sung and Shin Ji-Wha, who were praised for their performance in Japan, will play the role of Whang Jin-Ii, Kim Myung-Ji and Lee Seong-Jong for the role of Jee Jok Sunsa, Lee Chan-Gu and Kang Moo-Rim for the role of Lee Sa-Jong, Yu Seong-Gong for the role of Byuckgaesoo, and Lee Chil-Sung for the role of Whadam.

Ticket price ranges from 20,000 won to 80,000 won

02-587-1950

`Lee Soon-Shin` will be performed by the Sunggok Opera Group at the Sejong Center for Performing Arts on 7 p.m. from 8th to 10th. `Lee Soon-Shin` was performed at the Rome Opera Theater in Italy last December. Il Quotidiano praised it saying that ``although it is rare for the new opera to succeed in Rome, this opera was successful. It kept the balance between the new and the traditional by applying a special subject and the contemporary music to the opera.`` Sunggok Opera Group performed the same titled opera in 1998. However, new composers -Italian Jiuzepe Machuka, Nichola Samale- will participate in `Lee Soon-Shin`. Especially Machuka participated in the script writing. In fact, `Lee Soon-Shin` is a new opera. Participants are; conductor Samale, who is co-composer, director Jang Soo-Dong, Park Chi-Woon, Jun Joo-Bae, and Lee Jung-Yong for the role of Lee Soon-Shin, Kim In-Hae, Gil Han-Na, and Jung Byong-Wha for the role of wife of Lee Soon-Shin. Ticket price ranges from 10,000 won to 70,000 won. 02-3478-2096,7

Yoo Yoon-Jong gustav@donga.com