The Korea Herald

Summer evenings with Beethoven sonatas

MusicJun 18, 2012

Classical artists explore dramatic and passionate life of BeethovenThere is apparently no specific reason why many classical artists have chosen Beethoven sonatas for their recitals and recordings this year. Starting with pianist Kim Sun-wook’s two-year-long project to perform all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, the so-called “Beethoven fever” continued with rookie Lim Hyun-jung releasing her debut album of 30 sonatas by the great German composer. “Beethoven’s life was full of challenges but, a
Yeowoorack fest kicks off its third edition

TheaterJun 18, 2012

Gugak-themed theater fest features Lee Ja-ram, Yang Bang-eonOur music is here, our music is here.Yeowoorak, which is an abbreviation for the Korean sentence “Yeogi Woori Eeumagee Itda,” meaning “our music (gugak) is here,” is kicking off its third edition with some of today’s most acclaimed artists.The gugak-themed festival is directed by Korean-Japanese pianist Yang Bang-eon this year. A total of 13 artistic groups are participating ― comprised of both gugak artists and musicians from other mus
Japanese physicists crack box office code

FilmJun 18, 2012

PARIS (AFP) ― Unlikely candidates for box office stardom, a team of Japanese physicists may soon be in high demand with moviemakers after devising a formula to predict how successful a film is likely to be.The team from Tottori University devised a set of mathematical models that measure how much money was spent on advertising before a movie is released, over what period of time, and how much talk the film generated in social media.Using the models, they predicted the popularity of a variety of
KBS series collects best animation award Shanghai TV Festival

TelevisionJun 18, 2012

An animated series for kids by KBS TV has won the Best Animation Award at the Shanghai Television Festival, the broadcaster said Monday.The animated program titled “Kioka” is aimed at a preschool audience. The series follows Kioka, a curious and confident girl who brings her imagination to life through a magical snow globe. “The program does not follow a narrative structure. The characters are thrown into a given situation, and they cooperate, recognize one another’s ideas and skills, and are co
The Gaga saga

MusicJun 18, 2012

The recent Lady Gaga brouhaha in Indonesia has been seen as a conflict between Muslim conservatives and the decadence of the West, represented by the music and stage antics of the American female performer.No one, however, seemed to notice that in the midst of this fierce battle dangdut got caught in the crossfire. (Dangdut is a genre of Indonesian popular music that is partly derived from Malay, Arabic, and Hindustani music.)The disappointment over the gig cancellation was so great that support
Radiohead mourns crew member’s death

MusicJun 18, 2012

British rock band Radiohead said Sunday it was “shattered” by the death of one of its crew members in a stage collapse in Toronto.Scott Johnson, 33, of Doncaster, England, was killed Saturday in the accident prior to the band’s concert at Downsview Park. Three other stage workers were injured.“We have all been shattered by the loss of Scott Johnson, our friend and colleague,” the band said in a st
Ten Tenors of Australia to perform in Seoul

MusicJun 17, 2012

The Ten Tenors, dubbed the “Hero of Popera,” will perform at Sejong Center in central Seoul on Monday and Tuesday, marking the group’s third appearance before South Korean audiences following shows in 2008 and 2009.The Ten Tenors (also known as TTT or “The TEN”) is an Australian musical group that has toured worldwide. In a typical set, the group performs Queen standards including “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “The Show Must Go On,” in addition to tracks from a Meat Loaf medley, AC/DC and many more. T
UNESCO designations focus on ‘preservation’

TheaterJun 17, 2012

Secretary-general of UNESCO Korea speaks on various conflictsincluding Arirang Prize controversyIn October of 2009, the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea officially announced it would abolish the UNESCO-Arirang Prize, terminating its funding for the prize. The award, first established in 2001, was created to honor individuals or groups who protect spaces or forms of traditional cultural expression, that are listed in the UNESCO “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanit
‘Amazing Spider-Man’: Action-packed journey of self-discovery

FilmJun 17, 2012

“The Amazing Spider-Man,” the latest addition to the Spider-Man franchise, is not just about an action hero and large-scale computer graphics on 3-D screen, according to its director Mark Webb.Speaking at a press conference last Thursday at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Seoul joined by Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield, Garfield’s on- and off-screen love interest Emma Stone, actor Riys Ifans who plays the villain The Lizard, and producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach, Webb said the action film is also a
K-pop groups to hold concerts at Yeosu Expo

MusicJun 17, 2012

YEOSU -- Dozens of K-pop groups and popular singers will hold a series of separate concerts at the World Expo here starting this week, organizers said Sunday. The move is part of efforts by organizers to increase the number of visitors to the quadrennial fair, which opened on May 12 for a 93-day run. A four-member boy band 2AM will hold its concert at the Expo venue on Tuesday, followed by
Stage collapses before Radiohead concert; 1 dead

MusicJun 17, 2012

Toronto (AP) -- A massive stage collapse hours before a Radiohead concert was to begin Saturday left one person dead and three others injured, officials said.Emergency Medical Services deputy commander David Viljakainen said a man who was trapped under the rubble was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said he was in his mid-30s.A 45-year-old man was hospitalized with a head injury and two oth
Box Office

FilmJun 15, 2012

Deranged (Yeongasi) (Korea)Opening July 5Thriller. Directed by Park Jeong-woo. Jae-hyuk (Kim Myeong-min) is an ordinary man in his 40s who works for a medical supplies company. One day, a number of dead bodies are found floating on the Han River. The public is even more shocked when they find out the men and women jumped into the water as if they were on drugs, as seen on CCTV footage. Experts discover there is an outbreak of fatal virus-infected horsehair worms. Once infected by the deadly para
Eyelike

MusicJun 15, 2012

Emeli Sande stuns with her debutEmeli Sande “Our Version of Events” (Capitol)For at least the next year or so, every U.K. female singer who has a soulful voice and favors ballads has to deal with an unenviable fate -- being compared with fellow Brit Adele.That’s what Emeli Sande is facing with her debut, “Our Version of Events.” It doesn’t help that Emeli Sande’s real name is Adele -- she started using her middle name when the current queen of pop became a sensation. Also like Adele, Sande has s
Gerwig takes her chatty charms into action with ‘Lola Versus’

FilmJun 15, 2012

“Lola Versus” is a conventionally unconventional romance in the modern mode, a comedy alternating between cute and crude and packing a heaping helping of self-affirmation into its 84 minutes.It’s got that “Where have I seen this before?” familiarity even as it updates an old formula with snappy and saucy one-liners.But best of all, it has Greta Gerwig, indie-film’s blonde-next-door. Gerwig (“Greenberg,” “No Strings Attached”) brings that hapless and unhappy neediness thing she does so well to Lo
Ulala Session to set up its own agency

Jun 15, 2012

Ulala Session, the winner of the country’s hit TV talent show “Superstar K3,” decided to establish its own company to pursue its music, according to CJ E&M.According to the cable channel which produced the show and the group’s first mini album, the quartet will launch its own Ulala Company, despite love calls from major entertainment agencies.The quartet, which consists of leader Yim Yoon-taek, Kim Myung-hoon, Park Seung-il and Park Kwang-sun, rose to fame after winning on the reality talent sho