[Review] Her Velvety, Pure High Notes Give You Solace and Love
[Review] Her Velvety, Pure High Notes Give You Solace and Love
  • Jeoungsoon Son
  • 승인 2021.10.01 01:42
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  Soprano Son Gaseul, who has been acclaimed for her “creamy, crystal-clear high notes” and “flame-like, spellbinding power” by domestic and European critics, gave her recital at IBK Chamber Hall, Seoul Arts Center, on September 19, at 8:00 PM. Throughout the evening, the soprano was accompanied by the pianist, Chung Hojung, who had served as the official accompanist for the London Woodside Oratorio Solo Competitions, the Ravinia Festival, and the Seoul International Music Competitions.

  Son was noticed after winning the Dong-A competition while studying at Seoul National University. After graduating from SNU, she moved to Europe to pursue her studying and graduated from the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Berlin, Germany, the Maastricht Academy of Music (Conservatorium Maastricht), Dutch (Solo Singing/Opera Training Postgraduate Program), and the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Lied/Oratorio Master’s Program).

  At age 23, Son made her successful operatic debut as Violetta in La Traviata at the Festival de Peralada in Spain. She performed Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, whose role requires the high-level techniques of the coloratura soprano, the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, whose role requires the bel canto technique, Elvira in I puritani, and Gilda in Rigoletto in a variety of opera venues including: the Weikersheim Opera Festival, the Eastern Thuringian National Theater, the Theater Koblenz, the Theater Freiburg, the Meiningen State Theater, Stadttheater Ingolstadt, Landestheater Eisenach, and Stadttheater Fürth in Germany; the Haute Normandie Rouen Theater in France; the Wiener Musikverein in Austria; the Opera Royal de Wallonie in Belgium and the Alden Biesen Festival; the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Theater Hague, the Theater Rotterdam, and the Theater Heerlen in Netherlands; and the Slaska Theater in Poland. Especially for her performances as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and Gilda in Rigoletto, she received favorable reviews: “Son captivates the audiences with her stratospheric full-bodied resonances, flawless techniques, radiant acting ability equally matched to her musical skills, and her flexible and splendid upper notes.”

  In addition to her operatic career, Son has also enchanted the audiences with her magnificent, powerful instrument in a series of concerts including: the Gala Bel Canto with Munich Symphony Orchestra at the Munich Residence Heracles Hall, the Federal State Rhine Festival and the New Year’s Concert with the German Rhine Philharmonic Orchestra, the Verdi Gala Concert in the Bruges Royal City Theater in Belgium, and the Summer Festival with the German Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic Orchestra. Also, she sang the soprano solo parts of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands.

  The curtain went up: Son appeared on stage in an autumn-skyish dress and opened the night with Henry Purcell(1659-1695)’s “Music for a while.” Her musical journey began in England with the consoling message that the healing power of music let people forget, if for a while, about their pain and sufferings from the plague.

  With her next song, she took the audiences on her journey to Italy, allowing us to enjoy boating on the waves of Possillipo at summer night (“La Nuits d’ete a Possillipo” by Gaetano Donizetti(1797-1848)). Subsequently, she took us to Germany, the great man of letters, Goethe’s country, and to Austria, Schubert and Wolf’s country, leading us to meet with Ganymed, the beautiful boy in the dreamlike myth (“Ganymed” by Schubert(1797-1828) and “Ganymed” by Hugo Wolf(1860-1903)). Finally, she guided us to the horizon of the Russian continent through the dark, full-bodied, and misty music of Sergei Rachmaninoff(1873-1943).

  A coloratura soprano is a particular style of singing that includes the most ornamental arrangement of upper notes and the highest-level of vocal techniques we may expect from a female soprano singer. Son’s pure, elegant coloratura voice sounded exactly like the voice from Heaven.

  After the intermission, Son was back on stage, this time in a vivid red dress, and began the night’s second half with Ferando Obradors(1897-1945)’s passionate Spanish folk songs, “Classical Spanish Songs.” And then she sang Erik Satie(1866-1912)’s romantic phrases, which took the audiences immediately to a cabaret in Paris, easing their mind and body with a glass of wine. In the grand finale, she sang Jules Massenet(1842-1912)’s aria “Je marche sur tous les chemins” from Manon.

  Son’s performances were seamless and touching, and the audiences responded with a big round of applause at the end of every song. Her encore, Brahms’ “Lullaby,” sounded so relaxing like a mother’s hug that it felt like any baby hearing her singing would surely fall asleep any minute soon. Throughout the ninety-minute-program, her matured and masterful vocal registers and acting skills gave me the chills. Jeon Chanil, the film critic and president of the Culture and Contents Criticism Association of Korea, said, “I have watched Son’s performances quite a few times, and this was the best I’ve ever seen. It was an undeniably perfect recital. I dare to say, she even outdid Jo Sumi.”

  Above all else, the night’s recital was none other than a romantic journey full of passion and love, which gave warm solace to the weary who were suffering from estranged relationships.

    Son studied under the professors Charles Spencer, Mya Besselink, Hubert Delamboye, and Brenda Mitchell. She sang the role of the Queen of the Night in the special production of The Magic Flute with the Korea National Opera and Seoul Arts Center, and undertook the same part in the special production with Busan Cultural Center. She sang Carmina Burana with the National Chorus of Korea, and served as the soprano soloist in the performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Jeju Philharmonic Orchestra. She also performed Violetta in La Traviata and Gilda in Rigoletto with Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra, and keeps making a series of appearances in a variety of productions. Son currently teaches at Kookmin University (as an adjunct professor), Seoul National University, Seoul Arts High School, Yewon School, and Sunhwa Arts High School. I am looking forward to the next step of her journey.

 

 


Jeoungsoon Son / Translated by Jae-eun Yi

 

* 《Cultura》 2021 October (Vol. 88) *


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