Mozart opera to get Korean premiere

With its Turkish harem motif and timeless tale of love, Mozart’s opera “The Abduction from the Seraglio” was set out to be a crowd pleaser. Ever since its premiere, the fantastic tale of love and clashing cultures has intrigued many opera fans and novices alike, firmly establishing itself as one of the most beloved operas in Europe.

A long overdue Korean premiere of the opera is scheduled for April 16 at Seoul Arts Center.

Helming the Korea National Opera production of the 18th-century work is German conductor Andreas Hotz and Korean director Kim Yo-na. 

“Even today, Mozart and his works can be found throughout Europe,” said Hotz during a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center on Wednesday. “‘The Abduction from the Seraglio’ has seen tremendous success in Europe and I am very excited to be able to highlight this side of Mozart to Korea for the first time.”

For Kim, who has been working as an opera director in Europe for the past decade, the upcoming production feels like a fate.

“I really think this is fate,” she said. “The closest theater from my school (in Austria) was the very theater that this production had its first performance. Now more than 200 years since its first showing, being able to bring this production to Seoul just means the world to me.”

Set in 18th-century Turkey under the Ottoman Empire, “The Abduction” follows the tale of Belmonte, a Spanish nobleman, who is separated from the love of his life Konstanze by a gang of pirates. Believing that Konstanze was sold as a slave to a harem, he goes to great lengths to track down his other half in Turkey and free her from the shackles of entrapment.

The glamorous tale of passion, love and romance is said to have been inspired by the composer’s interest and curiosity of the 18th-century European view of orientalism, in particular, the ancient Turkish culture of harem ― a group of women, typically wives from polygynous households and concubines, who remained in closed quarters that were forbidden to be entered by men.

The opera is also regarded as a production that reflects Mozart’s most personal thoughts and experiences, as the character of Konstanze is based on his actual beloved wife, while the character of Belmonte is based on Mozart himself.

“My goal was to take these characters from 200 years ago and recapture their humanity, their hurt, their purity and their sensitivity,” said Kim.

“Mozart created this production during a time when Turkish style was very popular across Europe,” she added. “For this opera production, I really wanted to emphasize a stage presence that portrayed the Turkish style in a more imaginative way, as opposed to trying to focus on historical accuracy. I think that through this opera, people will be able to both visualize and feel the dramatics of the storyline and create an atmosphere that will surpass the audiences’ current imagination of Turkey as a nation.”

Soprano Park Eun-ju will take on the leading role of Konstanze along with Lee Hyon, while the role of Belmonte to be played by tenors Daniel Kim and Kim Dong-won, followed by basses Simon Yang and Martin JS. Ohu as Osmin ― the overseer for the Ottoman Empire Pasha.

“The Abduction from the Seraglio” will run from April 16-19 at the Opera Theater of Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. Tickets can be purchased online at interpark.com with prices ranging from 20,000 won to 80,000 won. For more information, visit www.nationalopera.org.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)