Korean Opera 'Cheoyong' debuts in Europe

The Korean original opera 'Cheoyong' made its European debut on Sunday in the home of classical music.

On this day, 'Cheoyong' met with a local audience at the Opéra-Comique theater in Paris, France. Founded in 1714, the Opéra-Comique is a historic theater where famous works such as ‘Carmen’ have premiered. The National Opera of Korea, National Chorus of Korea, and Korean Symphony Orchestra organized the performance to celebrate the Paris Olympics, which will open next month.

The performance provided subtitles in both Korean and French simultaneously on the screen. “It's a suspenseful drama, and the direction and singing are impressive,” said renowned author Bernard Werber, who watched the performance.

Commissioned and premiered by the National Opera of Korea in 1986, 'Cheoyong' is based on an ancient tale from Silla. It tells the story of Cheoyong, the son of the Great Jade Emperor, who descends to earth to prevent the Emperor's decision to destroy Silla. However, he falls in love with a Silla woman named Gasil, which corrupts him. The opera is a fusion of traditional Korean music and Western musical techniques.

On Tuesday and Thursday, they will also perform at The Berlin Philharmonic in Berlin, Germany, and the Golden Hall of Musikverein in Vienna, Austria, respectively. “We will showcase the power of K-Classic on the world stage,” said Min In-gi, artistic director of the National Chorus of Korea.


Jeong-Soo Hong hong@donga.com