KF뉴스레터-An Evening at the Bolshoi

An Evening at the Bolshoi

It is said that if you have not seen the Bolshoi Theater, then you have not seen Russia. Artists who have performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater often regard it as such an honor that they are known to hold 10th and 20th anniversary celebrations of their Bolshoi debut. Indeed, it is a dream come true for ballerinas, soloists, opera singers, and directors to perform at the Bolshoi.

The Bolshoi Theater is the pride and glory of the Russian people, and it was here that a performance of Korean and Russian music and dance was presented on September 30 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Russia.This year,there have been a number of 10th anniversary celebrations to mark the establishment of formal ties between Korea
and eastern European nations, several of which were organized by the Korea Foundation. The Bolshoi concert, however, was special in that it was a joint effort by Korea and Russia, and because it was held on a stage that has an unrivalled reputation in the world of performing arts.

The performance was jointly sponsored by the Korea Foundation and the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts. The Foundation handled the arrangements with the Russian side,while the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts dispatched a troupe of 26 performers to Moscow for the event. The first segment of the concert featured five pieces: sujecheon (court music), salpuri (exorcist dance), cheongseonggok (flute solo), gagok (traditional song), and samulnori (percussion music).

The second segment featured performances by the Bolshoi's orchestra, ballet
troupe, solo singers, and choir. For Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini," Prof. Lim Chongpil from the Korean National University of Arts accompanied the orchestra and ballet troupe on piano. Bae Joo-yoon, the only Korean member of the Bolshoi Ballet, showed off her refined skills by performing in the "Carnival in Venice."

On September 25,before the Moscow concert, a performance of Korean music and dance was presented at Gorky Theater in Vladivostok,the first time that a Korean performing arts performance has been staged in Russia? Maritime Province. The program featured eight works: sujecheon, chunaengjeon (court dance), gayageum sanjo (melodies on a12-ed zither), daechwita (court music), eollak (traditional songs), salpuri,
cheongseonggok, and samulnori.

It is easy to see that Russia is a country where the performing arts are highly developed just by looking at the scale of their theaters. The name "Bolshoi" means "Grand" or "Stately," which so aptly describes the Bolshoi Theater. The sheer number of people involved is astonishing: an orchestra of 200 members, a choir of 170, a ballet troupe of 250, a chamber orchestra of 100, and a youth choir of 30, as well as another 50 soloists and 400 stage staff who put on some 280 performances a year. The ballet and opera troupes boast a standing repertoire of 25 works each.

But more impressive than these numbers is the passionate appreciation of the Russian audiences. Devoted art lovers include not only ordinary citizens of Moscow but also street vagrants who all seem to have their own favorite works and take the time to wear their best boots when they go to see a performance.

This attitude is in sharp contrast to the situation in Seoul, where the sound of a cell phone invariably interrupts a performance at least once or twice in the course of an evening. The Gorky Theater in Vladivostok, too, is so large that it has a cloakroom that can store 900 coats. Here, all the seats are placed on the second floor, above the noise of the first floor and lobby, which shows that the theater was designed to provide the best possible viewing and listening conditions.

In both Vladivostok and Moscow, the most popular of the Korean performances was without a doubt the samulnori piece, which was even more impressive since it followed slower works, though the vibrant energy and dazzling movements on their own were more than enough to captivate the Russian audiences. The applause and cheering were especially enthusiastic when the performers rapidly spun and gyrated about the stage. Samulnori was also popular because it is already well known among young Russians and there
are even samulnori clubs at the Far Eastern State University and Moscow State University.

In Vladivostok, I was able to watch the practice session of a samulnori club made up of fourth- and fifth-generation Koreans and Russian university students. As such, it seems only natural that the samulnori performances were so well received.

At the Bolshoi concert, the most impressive work of the second half of program was the ballet performed to the music of Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini" The tempo was extremely fast, setting a pace that dancers would have found difficult to follow, but Prof. Lim Chongpil expertly played the role of mediator between the slower demands of the dancers and the
fast pace set by the orchestra.

When the extraordinary 20-minute work of music and dance came to an end, the audience burst into hearty applause for the lead dancer, Nikolai siskaridze, and Prof. Lim, who had managed to achieve such an amazing harmony.
Having been involved in all the details of planning,I was obliged to view the performance from backstage.

Although I regretted not having the opportunity to enjoy it from the audience? view point,it was fascinating to see what went on behind the scenes. I came
away with a new respect and sympathy for the dancers who performed with such elegance on stage and then panted so breathlessly behind the curtain.

There is a saying that the quality of a performance is determined behind the scenes and backstage, and at the Bolshoi there were many people working in perfect unison under a strict and detailed division of tasks. Although rather embarrassing to admit, the Korean backstage team consisted of only three people, one each for lighting, stage setting, and sound. For this reason, the first half of the program was somewhat less polished than the second.

The need for more technical staff seems to come up every time a Korean
performance is presented overseas, but as yet there is little recognition of the importance of this problem.One thing I learned on this trip was that though originality may be a prerequisite for art, the quality of performances is determined by the level of perfection attained. The artistic beauty of the Bolshoi is the result of dedicated training on the part of all members and staff along with the total harmony achieved in acting, music,dance, lighting, and stage setting. This high level of refinement is what inspires the passionate responses of audiences.

In this respect,though Koreans like to say that "that which is most Korean is also the most international,"this is not the only condition that is necessary for the successful introduction of Korean culture overseas.

Performances need to have something uniquely Korean to be presented on the international stage, but that alone will not gain the recognition of people of other cultures. The introduction of Korean performing arts overseas should be accompanied by active experimentation and efforts to adapt works to the stage conditions of other countries in order to best express the essence of the work
and raise it to a level of perfection.

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An Evening at the Bolshoi

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An Evening at the Bolshoi

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