The Korea Foundation and the Norwegian Embassy in Seoul jointly presented the 2012 KF Spring Concert, entitled “The Lyricism of Norway,” on April 17 at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul. A highly acclaimed ensemble, featuring Norway’s violin virtuoso Stephan Barratt-Due, his life and musical partner, violist Chung Soon-mi, and Korean pianist Chong Park (Park Jong-hun), led the audience into the mesmerizing world of Norwegian classical music.

On a fragrant spring evening last April, the LG Arts Center was bustling with a large audience filled with expectations for Norwegian music. Especially worthy of note was the significant number of North Europeans, enough for me to wonder if I was visiting a concert hall in North Europe. From the faces of the audience members, I could sense an eager anticipation to enjoy the classical music of Norway, which is rarely available in Korea.

A Musical Couple’s Empathy and Mutual Respect

The concert began with Stephan Barratt-Due and his wife, Chung Soon-mi, performing “Duplex,” a composition by Norway’s distinguished composer and conductor, Arne Nordheim (1931-2010). Composed at the request of Stephan Barratt-Due and Chung Soon-mi, the piece had the subtitle, “For Two.” It was an ideal selection, through which Barratt-Due and Chung could display their intimate harmony as a husband-and-wife duo.

In the second piece, “Tarantella” by Franz Liszt, pianist Chong Park joined the joined the couple, displaying his masterful techniques, well becoming his reputation as a pianist who have performed the entirety of Liszt’s “12 Etudes d’Execution Transcendante.” To conclude the first part of the program, the three musicians played Grieg’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major, Op. 13,” demonstrating exquisite interaction of the violin and viola with the piano’s melodious tones. The program included works by Norwegian composers as well as Liszt, Handel, and Mozart, enabling the audience to appreciate the unique character of each composer.

The second part presented even more colorful renditions by violin and viola, viola solo, viola and piano, and trio with piano. Violist Chung fully explored the lyricism of Norway with her rendition of “Capriccio for Solo Viola, Op. 55,” by Belgian composer Henri Vieuxtemps. Then the trio performed Bruch’s “Romance for Viola and Piano in F Major, Op. 85,” and for the finale, Mozart’s “Trio in E-flat Major, K. 498 (Kegelstatt).”

Enchanting Lyricism of Norway

The 2012 KF Spring Concert provided a rare opportunity for classical music lovers in Seoul to appreciate the essence of Norwegian music. The harmonious melodies delighted the audience with a fantastic interplay of the violin and viola. Especially, the lilting harmony d by the musician couple, based on their mutual respect and intimate understanding, further enchanted the audience.

Lee Hyeon-suk, a resident of Dongbaek-dong, Gyeonggi Province, who attended the concert with her friend, remarked: “So far, we’ve had very few opportunities to enjoy a joint performance of the violin and viola. The music played by the husband and wife was so harmonious and I was especially pleased because it felt like the violin and viola were talking to me.”

The audience applauded long and loud, shouting “Encore!” endlessly. The trio responded by performing the Norwegian composer Bjarne Brustad’s “Lento” and Shostakovich’s “Praludium.”

Stephan Barratt-Due / Violin

Born to a family with a long musical tradition, Stephen Barratt-Due is regarded as the foremost violinist-cum-professor in Scandinavia. Since his debut in 1981, he has performed actively as a soloist with leading Norwegian orchestras, and participated in numerous concerts and festivals in the United States, Asia, South America, and Europe. From 1990 to 1996, he served as music director for the Kristiansand Chamber Orchestra and the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, and since 1985, as artistic director for the Barratt Due Institute of Music, a prestigious conservatory in Oslo founded by his grandfather. In 2002, the Norwegian king conferred a noble title on him in recognition of his contributions to the promotion and advancement of music in Norway. He received the coveted Lindeman Award in 2007.

Chung Soon-mi / Viola
Since her debut in 1982, Chung Soon-mi has actively performed as a soloist with various Norwegian orchestras, and participated in numerous music festivals, including the Bergen International Festival and chamber music festivals in Oslo, Stavanger, and Kristiansand. She has been active not only in Norway but around Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States. Several well-known composers, such as Arne Nordheim and Olav Anton Thomassen, have dedicated their works to her. She has released albums together with her husband and violinist, Stephen Barratt-Due. She received the Oslo City Culture Award in 1998, and the Lindeman Award in 2007 along with her husband. In 2010, she received the Anders Jahre’s Cultural Award for her contribution to the cultural development of Norway.

Chong Park / Piano

In November 2009, Chong Park performed the entirety of Liszt’s “12 Etudes d’Execution Transcendante” for the first time as a Korean pianist. He has been actively engaged in various fields of music, crossing over into such diverse genres as jazz, tango, and new age, in addition to being a composer and arranger, music album producer, concert organizer, and radio program host. In 2000, he received the grand prize at the San Remo Classico international piano contest; and performed with the San Remo Symphony Orchestra at the Gala Concert and with cellist Vittorio Ceccanti at the Beethoven Concert, respectively, which were both broadcast live across Italy by the country’s public network RAI (Radio Television Italiana). Earning favorable reviews from media critics, such as “amazing individuality, elegant musicality” (The New York Times, Bernard Holland) and “mature and beautiful performance like old wine” (Verona Daily), Chong has performed in concerts and international music festivals in some 50 cities, along with leading Korean and foreign orchestras and musicians.

Choi Kyung-sook,Freelance Writer