Relax Vol. 1: Smooth Classics

Various Artists (Sony BMG)

Not another classical compilation, you may think. But this 3-CD album is perfect for any urbanite wanting to sit back with beautiful, relaxing music.Each disc contains carefully chosen pieces by outstanding musicians including Lorin Maazel and the L.A. Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra among others.

The first CD features standards like Pachelbel's ``Canon in D major'' and the adagio movements of Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto and Rodrigo's ``Concierto de Aranjuez.''Disc 2 is all about dreamy relaxation with Massenet's ``Meditation'' (Thais) while disc 3 is light and jovial, with Elgar's ``Chanson de matin.''

Books Map Out Korean Film History

Two books offer comprehensive retrospectives of Korean cinema: the Korean Film Archive brings ``Korean Film History'' while the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) offers ``Korean Cinema From Origins to Renaissance.'' Both offer 100 years of film history in 10 chapters, decade by decade.

Film specialist Jung Jong-hwa provides a short but all-inclusive anthology in ``Korean Film History'' (271 pp., 8,000 won). It's a nice pocketbook for Koreans and is filled with movie stills and posters as well as antique photos and newspapers clips. You can flip through it and skim the yellow boxes that summarize trends such as ``Korea's first film director'' and ``Actresses of the 1960s.''

``Korean Cinema From Origins to Renaissance,'' edited by Kim Mee-hyun, is available in both Korean and English. The latter is the ultimate ``bible'' of Korean cinema for non-Korean speakers, as it includes all the standardized names of films, filmmakers, actors and significant terms in both English and Korean. The drawbacks, however, are its hefty price ($65), weight and length (477 pp.). It's great for those who are seriously committed to knowing all the facts and figures. But good news is that the KOFIC Web site (http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/) provides free, downloadable excerpts from the book (each of the 10 chapters summarized in essay format).

The Beginning

It is generally agreed that motion pictures were first introduced here as early as 1897, when shorts were played for Japanese residents. The chronicles of Elias Burton Holmes, an American traveler, reveal that movies were being shown around 1901. Called ``moving photos,'' films were an imported luxury, and in 1919 as many as 218 were brought in. Early homegrown works largely comprised of kino-dramas, or theatrical productions that featured screenings of outdoor scenery as backdrops.

Japanese Colonialsm

As Korea was under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945), art had political undertones. In 1924, Park Seung-pil, owner of Dansungsa Theater (which, now a part of Cinus multiplex theater chain, still stands today in Jongno 3-ga), made a breakthrough with ``The Story of Jang-hwa and Hong-ryeon,'' the first ``purely Korean feature film.'' It was a response to the hit Japanese-Korean work, ``The Story of Chun-hyang,'' and the two competed for audiences at theaters.

There was more organized resistance against imperialism, such as the Korea Artista Proleta Federatio (KAPF). Founded in 1925, the group produced its own films. While KAPF was weakly funded and failed to make a great impact, it marks a significant effort in Korean history and Korean cinema.

Above is a rare photo from the set of ``Arirang'' (1926), the most representative piece from Korea's silent film era. Directed by superstar Na Woon-kyu, it was an ambitious project starring some 800 extras. It was Korea's first ``blockbuster'' but unfortunately, the original film is long lost. /Courtesy of Korean Film Archive

Soon, sound films were introduced but Korean cinema faced regulations by the Japanese government. There were also co-productions of propaganda movies. After 1945, there were a host of ``liberation films'' celebrating Korea's independence. Then with the outbreak of the Korean War (1950-53), filmmakers concentrated on documentaries.

War and More

Post-war Korea was poverty stricken, but it was also a time of revival and boom. Melodramas and comedies were all the rage and film studios sprang up. Chungmuro in central Seoul became home to filmmakers, becoming the Hollywood of Korea. The 1960s are usually called the Golden Age of Korean cinema, with representative directors like Shin Sang-ok and his wife and actress Choi Eun-hee making one hit after another.

The '70s and '80s, however, were woeful times, with the strict regulations under the Yunshin regime and censorship of military rule, respectively. Yet these were also times of many firsts, with awards at international film festivals and the direct distribution of Hollywood films.In the early 1990s, local romantic comedies swept box offices while the Screen Quota System ― obligating theaters to show Korean movies for a minimum period ― was enforced to protect domestic films.

Birth of the Blockbuster

In 1998, Korea's ``first blockbuster'' ``Shiri'' (aka. ``Swiri'') ― a North Korean spy story combining action, melodrama and suspense ― sent a shockwave through the industry. With the establishment of multiplex theaters, the number of screenings across the country tripled. Box office smashes drawing over 13 million people (Korea has a population of about 49 million) like ``The Host'' took flight, also faring well abroad.

Hallyu

In addition to the already institutionalized Korean TV soaps, ``hallyu'' (Korean Wave) stars paved the way to box office hits in Japan, China and other Asian countries. For subtitle-phobic American audiences, Hollywood bought the remake rights for some 25 homegrown hits. One example is ``The Lake House'' starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock based on ``Il Mare'' with Jun Ji-hyun. Jun (aka. Gianna Jun), who appears in Hollywood's upcoming ``Blood: The Last Vampire.''

More stars are making their way beyond Asia into the American entertainment capital, notably actors Kim Yun-jin (ABC's ``Lost''), Jang Dong-kun (``Laundry Warrior'' produced by Barrie M. Osborne), Lee Byung-hun (``I Come With the Rain'' opposite Josh Hartnett) and pop star Rain (``Speed Racer'' by the Wachowski brothers) among others.

Today

The Korean film industry, while gaining international reputation however, stands on shaky grounds. It saw an unnatural vertical growth as chaebol or large conglomerates heavily invested, withdrew then came back. Big monster production companies control the distribution of major movies, while those made by small- or medium-size firms find it hard to squeeze in.

But there is a leeway, as Mary K. Evjen Olsen, executive director of corporate marketing at Dreamville Entertain said in a Korea Times column. Hyun Jin Cinema, a medium-sized production company, made a smart move to team up with Japanese and American partners for the upcoming gangster movie ``Streets of Dreams,'' starring Robert De Niro, Andy Garcia and Korea's Choi Min-soo. (>> April 2008 update - Choi's Hollywood debut got cancelled due to an assault allegation)

As Korean movies and cineastes make their way near and far, there is room for improvement. Archiving and restoration of classic films are big ongoing projects for the Korean Film Archive. But there is also a serious lack of support for a decent cinematheque. While KOFIC provides a set standard, the omnipresence of irregular Romanization of Korean titles and names is still a problem. It is hoped that Korean cinema gets past these growing pains.

(http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/)

Read about the Korean Film Museum, which maps out 100 years of Korean film history.

Kent Nagano Explores Modern History With Beethoven

For some people, Beethoven may be old history, but for others, he is more alive than ever. Renowned conductor Kent Nagano and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal (OSM, Montreal Symphony Orchestra) bring ``Beethoven: Ideals of the French Revolution’’ (Analekta), a new album that illuminates the Rwanda crisis in 1994 through Beethoven’s music.

``(When) people ask who is your favorite contemporary composer, I usually give three names: Beethoven, Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach,’’ Nagano told reporters last week during his first visit to Korea. The OSM gave two memorable concerts _ the first time in 11 years.

``Somehow (their) music has a meaning in challenges we face in 2008. Sometimes there’s a danger that these great pieces are played so often they feel routine,’’ he said. ``It’s important for (musicians) and the public to look for context and various illuminations of Beethoven’s music,’’ said the Japanese-American conductor about his first recording with the OSM.

He shared how the project came about. ``The night before my daughter saw a Hollywood movie called `Beethoven’ (about a dog whose name is Beethoven) and that evening on TV, I saw an advertisement for an automobile and the background music was Beethoven’s 5th _ I was furious. I asked the question, we should all ask ourselves, what is Beethoven? Is Beethoven a brand name? Or a marketing tool? Soundtrack? Or box office guarantee?

``I felt we should construct our project in Montreal a little bit differently,’’ he said.. ``Beethoven was very aware of current events. He knew the modern ideas of the French Revolution: principles of democracy, freedom and equality and the right to express yourself,’’ he said.

In addition to the 5th Symphony, the 2-CD album includes ``The General,’’ an entirely new interpretation of Beethoven’s ``Egmont,’’ itself based on a poem by Goethe. It is a piece for orchestra with soprano, choir and narrator.

```Egmont’ is usually performed in one of two ways: either as musical excerpts or with some fragments of Goethe played. Both of course are not ideal because the music was written to accompany a theatrical drama,’’ he said.

``The themes in the Goethe play are very contemporary: cultural misunderstanding, conflicting of class, international tensions, war, oppression and corruption. Of course these themes are here today on the first page of the Herald Tribune; they’re part of our world today. This is why instead of taking the original Goethe play, we took a recent episode of history,’’ he said. And so, the track features a new theater piece by Paul Griffiths about the Rwanda crisis in 1994.

``Our hope is that listeners will experience Beethoven’s 5th (Symphony) with `Egmont,’ that one has a contact with a passion of Beethoven’s time, because we can feel that what lies within Beethoven’s music is what surrounds us today,’’ he said.

``Beethoven: Ideals of the French Revolution’’ is currently available in CD stores.

OSM Performs With Nagano in Seoul

Conductor Kent Nagano, left, artistic director of the Orchestre Symphonic de Montreal, and violinist Choi Ye-eun appear at a press conference in Seoul Thursday. The Canadian orchestra gave a concert in Korea for the first time in 11 years Friday and gives its second performance featuring a solo by Choi at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Saturday afternoon. /Yonhap

The Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal (OSM, Montreal Symphony Orchestra), helmed by conductor Kent Nagano, performed in Korea for the first time in 11 years Friday. The Canadian ensemble, turning 75 years old next year, celebrates its North American roots and European inspiration in a special tour of South Korea and Japan.

OSM gives its second concert 5 p.m., Saturday, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in northern Seoul.

``Korea has a long history of thousands of years, and 75 is really a short period of time. Also hwere I live part time in Europe, 75 years is really recent history. But for America, this is very old,’’ the conductor told reporters at a press meeting Thursday in his first visit to the country.

``During these 75 years, we’ve had good fortune to have many interesting and strong artistic voices in our music directorship,’’ said Nagano, who succeeds maestros Zubin Mehta and Charles Dutois among others as artistic director of the OSM.

On Friday, the OSM gave festive performances of the French and German masters, with Berlioz’s ``Symphony Fantastique,’’ the prelude from Wagner’s opera ``Tristan and Isolde’’ and Ravel’s ``Bolero.’’

The program reflects the musical history of both Nagano and the OSM. The 57-year-old, a native of California, has served as music director of Opera de Lyon in France and principal conductor/artistic director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester in Berlin, Germany. ``(The OSM has) the technical brilliance we usually associate with North American orchestras… yet they have the sensitivity and aesthetics of a European orchestra,’’ said the conductor.

Following Dutois’ tenure, the OSM took on a strong French color, and Nagano said he spent the past two years introducing a more diverse repertoire, particularly the German literature of Beethoven, Wagner and Strauss.

The Nagano-helmed OSM is also known for premiering contemporary works, notably the award-winning opera ``Alice in Wonderland’’ by Chin Unsuk (aka. Unsuk Chin) last year and ``Rocana’’ by the Korean composer last month in Montreal and New York.

``My friendship with Unsuk Chin is a special one,’’ he said, adding that he has ``great admiration for her music.’’ ``She is one of the most talented composers of her time.’’ He joked that while great talent doesn’t always guarantee a good personality, Chin has the ``special bonus’’ of being a ``great person,’’ drawing laughs from the room. He also said he felt ``guilty because I asked so many new pieces from Ms. Chin.’’ Next week, Nagano will be performing ``Rocana’’ with the Chicago Symphony.

Saturday, the OSM will revive nature-inspired music: Debussy’s ``La Mer,’’ Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and Strauss’ ``Ein Alpensinfonie’’ (An Alpine Symphony). Promising young violinist Choi Ye-eun will appear as soloist.

``I’m very honored to play with such a great ensemble in my home country,’’ said the 19-year-old, who currently studies in Berlin with the support of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation. This is her second time playing with the OSM. The first was when she was 15, as the youngest ever winner of the 2003 Montreal International Musical Competition.

``We really met for the first time yesterday when we rehearsed yesterday,’’ said Nagano about meeting Choi, though the two had crossed paths last month in Bavaria. ``I must say the rehearsal was a very joyous one and we were all very delightful,’’ he said, adding that Choi’s teacher Ana Chumachenko also taught the OSM’s concertmaster.

As for the future direction of the orchestra, Nagano said he will focus on trying to realize its great musical potential and illuminate its special character, which he described as being ``a strong, colorful personality.’’

Tickets cost 10,000-200,000 won. Call (02) 6303-1919 for inquiries and 1588-7890 or 1544-1555 for reservations.

The OSM’s performance is the 10th of the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation’s World Orchestra series following the New York Philharmonic’s historic tour of the two Koreas in February. In November, the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Simon Rattle, will perform.

>>Read my interview with violinist Choi Ye-eun

Violinist Choi Ye-eun's Blooming Musicality

This is the seventh in a series of interviews with the next generation of classical musicians - Korea Times

``I couldn’t put it down,’’ Choi Ye-eun told The Korea Times about playing the violin for the first time at age seven. ``The violin felt alive. It was like a friend,’’ said the 19-year-old, a rising young star in Korea and Germany. /Courtesy of Choi Ye-eun

Violinist Choi Ye-eun is the very image of a flower. When the smiling, petite 19-year-old met with The Korea Times, she was pretty in pink and constantly fiddling the rose sitting before her on the table. But her powerful stage presence is far from dainty and frail _ she’s more like a strong and vibrant sunflower. Deeply rooted in fertile lands, she lets nature take its course, allowing her pure love and passion for music naturally guide her growth.

``I never consciously thought, `I am going to become someone,’ nor did I systematically participate in competitions. It all came quite naturally,’’ said Choi. One of the most promising talents to emerge from Korea and Germany in recent years, she was named one of the ``Emerging Artists of 2007’’ by the American Symphony Orchestra League.

After studying under Kim Nam-yun, Choi currently works with Ana Chumachenko in Munich with the support of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation. The violinist is in town to appear as soloist for the Kent Nagano-helmed Montreal Symphony Orchestra this weekend.

This will be her second time performing with the Canadian orchestra. The first was when she was 15, as the youngest ever winner of the 2003 Montreal International Musical Competition. This was not long after winning second prizes at the 2002 Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians and the 2003 Leopold-Mozart concours.

``I love the stage, and thought of competitions as just another chance to be onstage,’’ said Choi, who debuted at the age of 10 with the Seoul Philharmonic. ``I chose to enter concours based on the repertoire. If I enter a competition, the preliminary rounds are like recitals where I can play beautiful concertos.’’

Born in Seoul, Choi grew up in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. She began playing the violin at the relatively late age of seven. She had been playing the piano since five, but instantly fell in love with the violin.

``I couldn’t put it down. It was playtime for me. I’d hurry finishing up my schoolwork so I could play with the violin,’’ she smiled. ``I never felt the piano ‘spoke’ to me, but the violin felt alive. It was like a friend,’’ said Choi, who never left her ``best friend’’ unguarded that day at the buffet lunch. The Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation’s Free Instrument Bank sponsors Choi’s Giuseppe Guadagnini.

Unlike many parents who zealously push talented children to practice on end, Choi’s family was, initially, not fully supportive. Her father, an engineer at Samsung Group, and mother, a former schoolteacher, were avid fans of classical music, but they thought the life of an artist would be too tough.

It was her violin teacher who insisted the eight-year-old Choi pursue music more seriously. ``She declared to my parents that she’d give up if I fail the junior audition for the Korea National University of Arts. But I made it,’’ she said.

Since then, she simply practiced for her own pure joy and also because she loved her teachers so much. Germany became her second home by chance, when a manager from the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation noticed her in a local festival in 2005 and recommended her to Anne-Sophie herself.

``It was a perplexing audition. I was given one month to practice Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Schostakovich concertos as well as Ravel, Beethoven and Debussy sonatas. But at the session I was asked to play Bach,’’ she said. The Foundation awarded the young artist a scholarship and continues to support her.

``After I went to Germany, however, I began to think I should have more concrete plans. But my teacher (Ana Chumanchenko) said life doesn’t work out as planned. You just go with the flow, like a river, occasionally bumping into rocks and taking opportunities that come by.

``My love and passion for music, and pursuing that love and passion, are my energy source,’’ she said, emphasizing the importance of music being an end rather than a means to achieve other things. ``I don’t want to become a commercial artist.

``I want to capture my own character in my music. Art is an expression, and I want to express all that I wish in my music. But what’s more important is to move the audience. I just supply the tools and it’s up to the audience to make their own interpretation,’’ she said.

``Professor Chumanchenko not only teaches me knowledge but directs my emotional and philosophical growth as well. I learn professionalism from Anne-Sophie Mutter, who is perfect in every way, from her looks to her roles as a mother, teacher and fellow musician,’’ she said. ``I wish to become an internationallrs y influential performer who can help those in need and also support young artists like (Mutter).’’

Choi has about two more years left before earning her diploma at Munchen Musik Hochschule. She said she feels at home in Germany, motherland to maestros like Beethoven. ``I love learning German, too. I think the tone and rhythm of German composers’ music are somewhat related with the phrasing of the German language,’’ she said.

The violinist will play with the Montreal Symphony at the Seoul Arts Center on Friday and Saturday. Call (02) 6303-1919. At the end of the month, she will be recording an album with other artists from the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation. She will return to Korea at the end of May to play with the zestful Kumho Asiana Soloists before spending the summer on European stages with Gidon Kremer and Yuri Bashmet.

`The Air I Breathe’ Is Breathtaking

Cinema has seen its fair share of omnibus films about crisscrossing human relationships, but Jieho Lee's ``The Air I Breathe'' is one that deserves special attention. It fathoms human nature and the six degrees of separation, but also offers thrills, chills and fine acting through a star-studded cast. Art film falls in love with Hollywood: what more can you ask for?

Lee shows that a script by an anonymous newcomer, if gripping, can make it big in Hollywood. The Korean-American filmmaker makes his feature film debut with Forest Whitaker, Kevin Bacon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brendan Fraser and even Andy Garcia, who is known for working only with veteran directors. Even Julie Delpy makes a brief appearance.

Inspired by the Korean proverb ``huinoaerak,'' expressed in Chinese characters, the film explores four emotional cornerstones through four characters that personify them: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. As the director said in his own words, ``Air'' unravels like a noir ``Wizard of Oz'' as four individuals embark on a journey of self-discovery.

A fund manager (Whitaker) hears about a fabricated horseracing gamble that will ensure a win. Sick of his monotonous life, he gives it a shot. But things go awry and he ends up owing money ― or his fingers ― to a gangster appropriately called ``Fingers'' (Garcia). Carpe diem, he seems to say, and decides to rob a bank. In the process, he experiences the unexpected ― happiness.

Pleasure is depicted through a hit man (Fraser) working for Fingers. He has never lost a fight because he can see the future. But it's far from being a blessing: unable to change the results, he is a powerless spectator of what's coming. One day, he meets a young woman (Gellar), and his inability to see her future breaks his apathy.

Fingers decides to cash in on the success of a pop star (Gellar) as her new manager. (As an added bonus you get to see the charismatic actor groove to bubbly pop music.) Thrown into a world of coercive violence, the singer discovers comfort ― and painstaking sorrow ― in a helpful hit man.

A doctor (Bacon) has always been in love with Gina (Delpy). One day, Gina is rushed into the emergency room and only a blood transfusion within 24 hours can save her. But it is almost impossible to find a donor with Gina's rare blood type. However, a pop princess might be able to save the love of his life.

This ``hardboiled'' allegory is like an ancient Greek myth told in modern parlance, where gangsters reign instead of the gods. The story's universal appeal is by far its biggest selling point, particularly as charismatic actors give their finest performances.

Garcia pulls off yet another mobster, one that is reprehensible, yet very human. Gellar is absolutely stunning as a soulful young woman, and the other actors work their magic. The stars do not outshine one another but join forces altogether to create one brilliant big bang.

Actual people Lee met while working in Korea inspired this original script. As one story feeds into the next, ``Air'' maps out the spring, summer, fall and winter of the human soul. The emotions are like ``three primary colors, red, blue and yellow. From those three colors you can make all sorts of colors,'' the director recently told reporters in Seoul.

In addition to reaching artistic goals of reflecting on the human condition, he also ingeniously orchestrates pulsating excitement, keeping you on the edge of your seat to the final second.

In theaters April 9.