e uninitiated. The 2009 Daegu International Opera Festival aims to highlight the accessibility of the medium and the venue, providing world-class shows, as well as engaging activities for all ages.
The Daegu Opera House itself is both sleek and welcoming. The four-story lobby is made entirely of glass and steel, creating a feeling of openness. The theater seats 1,500 and accommodates musical and visual arts genres. Signs are printed in English and Korean, and a helpful staff of English-speaking volunteers, called "Operaphiles" is available on call.
Outside, the Opera Zone area allows participants to take pictures while wearing opera costumes and special makeup. The Back Stage Tour, offered after the show, gives a behind the scenes view of the performance. There are also free concerts organized before and after shows and a clever program called Aria Post, which allows concert-goers to write messages on Opera Festival postcards and post them anywhere in the world.
The festival opened last weekend with a stunning production of Puccini's Turandot, a joint collaboration between the Daegu International Opera Festival Organizing Committee and the Daegu City Opera, also featuring the Daegu City Symphony Orchestra, Daegu City Choir and Daegu City Modern Dance Troupe.
"It was an awesome production," said Caitlyn Murriner, 23, an opera singer and English instructor from Hurricane, West Virginia. "Turandot is a staple in any opera company repertoire, but the artistic director (Kim Sung-bin) managed to make this production unique and fun to watch," she continued.
"It's exciting to see the city of Daegu making opera of this quality available to everyone."
Murriner looks around at the children listening to the open-air concert and the old women taking pictures dressed as famous opera characters. "In this kind of setting, I would love to invite my friends who know next to nothing about opera. This is the perfect introduction," she said.
For a lighter touch, the comedic opera "L'Elisir d'Amore" ("Elixir of Love") is composed by Gaetano Donizetti and features the well-known aria "Una Furtiva Lagrima." It will play on Thursday, Oct. 8 and Friday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 10 at 3 p.m.
From the Karlsruhe National Theater in Germany comes a production of "Der Freischutz" ("The Marksman") by Carl Maria von Weber. Notable works include "Hunter's Chorus." It will be performed on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday Oct. 17 at 3 p.m.
An original Korean opera, "Won's Mother" is based on a story of a mummy excavated in Andong, a letter from his wife found on his chest, and a pair of Mituri shoes. The opera questions the existence of human beings while presenting an affectionate love story between husband and wife. Shows are on Friday Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m.
The final opera is the much-beloved "Carmen" by Georges Bizet, featuring mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Egorgova and Tenor Boiko Zvetanov. This includes the famous aria "Habanera" and the "Toreador Song". There are performances on Thursday, Oct. 29 and Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. After the final performance on Saturday, the Daegu International Opera Festival Awards will bring the festival to a close.
Ticket prices range from 10,000 to 70,000 won. For ticket information, contact the Jiwon Classic at 080-009-7492. Go to www.operafestival.or.kr for more information.
(christianna_lee@yahoo.com)
By Christianna Lee