Baroque specialists to recreate sound of the times

Imagine a music concert in the 18th century, before the time of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky or Mahler. The melody lines, chords and concert venue atmosphere were different ― it was only after the 19th century that ordinary people began to enjoy performances at large concert halls. Before that, classical music was for high society. Above all, musical instruments were a little different. Two Baroque music specialists are visiting Korea with their interpretations of Baroque music and instruments.  The f

Feb. 25, 2013

Nordic Cool comes to Kennedy Center

WASHINGTON (AP) ― For the next month, the Kennedy Center will glow each night with blue light and shimmers of green, depicting the northern lights and signaling what has taken over its theaters and galleries inside.The cultural center has become an international museum and showplace for Northern European cultures with “Nordic Cool,’’ a festival that runs through March 17. It features music, theater and dance, as well as exhibitions, film, literature and cuisine.Light designer Jesper Kongshaug of

Feb. 25, 2013

K-pop stars Psy, JYJ to perform at presidential inauguration ceremony

Music performances will add to the celebratory mood of the presidential inauguration ceremony on Monday. Singers, musicians and comedians will perform before thousands of people invited to the inauguration ceremony in the morning. K-pop sensation Psy and boy group JYJ will be among the entertainers who will help fire up the festive mood.  Soprano Sumi Jo will also take the center stage, singing the national anthem with baritone Choi Hyun-soo during the event at which Park Geun-hye will be sworn

Feb. 24, 2013

Master of abstract painting dies at 66

Lee Doo-shik, the country’s most respected abstract painter and a professor at Hongik University, passed away Saturday morning of a heart attack. He was 66. Lee, who was to retire from his teaching post at the end of February, was last seen in public on Friday when he attended an exhibition dedicated to him at the Hongki Museum of Art. He told the press, “I hate to leave the professorship but at the same time I am excited to try new things from scratch. I think the fact that collectors liked my

Feb. 24, 2013

Exhibition to feature Seoul’s city walls

Seoul has been the center of Koreans’ lives since the establishment of the Joseon Kingdom (1391-1910). And the 18,627-meter Seoul City Wall has guarded the cosmopolitan area for more than 600 years through countless periods of hardship.  Built for stabilizationThe founder of Joseon, King Taejo (1392-1398), had to stabilize the kingdom, which was still reeling from the fall of the previous state, Goryeo (918-1392), based in Gaeseng, now in North Korea. Based on Feng Shui principles, the wall set

Feb. 24, 2013

Blast from the past

Sixty-five-year-old antique collector Lee Seong-wook is a regular visitor to the Itaewon antique furniture street. Lee, who has been collecting antiques as a hobby since he was a young man, said the story that each piece told drew him to the antiques. “I can have a silent conversation with them. I am attracted to the story of each piece and its rarity,” said Lee, who was shopping at the Antique Village Gulliver, one of the antique shops in the foreigner-dense district of downtown Seoul. On the o

Feb. 22, 2013

Calendar

Pop music“10cm: Fine Thank You and You?”: The acoustic indie duo 10cm will be putting on a solo concert promoting their recently released second album, “Fine Thank You and You?” The duo debuted in 2010 with the title track “Good Night” and made a name for themselves thanks to their unique acoustic sounds. 10cm won “This Year’s Discovery Award” at the 2010 Mnet Asian Music Awards and the “Best Pop Single Award” at the Korean Music Awards a year later. The “Fine Thank You and You?” performance wil

Feb. 22, 2013

Spring picnic package at Grand Hyatt Seoul

The hotel launched its “Spring Picnic Packages” in celebration of the arrival of the new season from March 1 to June 30. The package includes Grand Room accommodation, a picnic set including fresh sandwiches for two people from the Deli, specially designed for a spring walk on Namsan Mountain. Guests are also invited to enjoy complimentary use of the hotel’s gym and indoor swimming pool during their stay, along with a 50 percent discount on the sauna. The picnic package is available only on week

Feb. 22, 2013

Changing cityscape: Giving old buildings a new look

Seoul’s cityscape represents the rapid economic growth of Korea. The city exhibits various architectural scenes from high-rise office buildings, massive apartment complexes and retail spaces to buildings from both old and modern days. While some trendy streets of Seoul such as Garosu-gil and Hongdae give off a sophisticated ambience, most of the small streets, defined by narrow pedestrian walks with mundane or showy buildings, constitute an ugly side of the city. “There are many old buildings an

Feb. 21, 2013

Museum shows Seoul’s old face, warts and all

Seoul must be one of the most dynamic cities in the world with its nooks and crannies changing every day. “Whenever I come to Seoul, I am surprised by how much it has changed. You don’t see the same shops, buildings and sometimes, the hills, roads and streams anymore,” said Kim Jong-nye, a U.S. resident who visits Korea every two or three years.A report on the changing face of Seoul was released by the Seoul Museum of History earlier this week, highlighting the everyday lives of ordinary people

Feb. 21, 2013

‘Twilight’ author Meyer plots another trilogy

MIAMI (AP) ― Stephenie Meyer’s “The Host’’ doesn’t have much in common with her Twilight series, except maybe the potential for a franchise.Meyer is working on a sequel to the 2008 novel she began writing as an escape from the editing of “Eclipse,’’ the third book in the Twilight vampire saga. And now that it too has reached the big screen, she’s got more books in mind.“Once you’ve created characters that have life to them, unless you kill them all, you know where their stories go. You’re always

Feb. 21, 2013

Life-giving land: Tidal flats are haven for marine creatures

The winter season of the northern port of Doripo of Muan County, South Jeolla Province, is one of the busiest times for mullet fishing. Mullet from the mudflats of Muan is a local delicacy that was offered at the king’s table during the Joseon period (1392-1910). The Muan tidal flat, home to the mullet and other marine life, is the first tidal flat registered as a national park in Korea as well as being on the Ramsar Wetlands list. Extensive mudflats stretch out from the southwestern coast of th

Feb. 20, 2013

How to fend off sexual harassers in crowded buses or subways (5)

A man is approaching a woman as shown in picture 1.It is very important to make room between you and the harasser in this situation.Stare and give a warning look at the opponent while watching the opponent’s movement.To make room between the opponent and yourself, widen your stance by moving your leg furthest from the opponent. Next put the hand closest to the opponent on your hip to create an angle that your elbow is close to so you are able to block the harasser as shown in picture 2. The hand

Feb. 20, 2013

Internet ― boon or bane for concert industry?

When renowned violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill and pianist Lim Dong-hyek started playing on Dec. 12 at 9 p.m., it wasn’t just the some 100 people at the concert hall of NHN headquarters in Gyeonggi Province listening. There were more than 30,000 others paying attention to Rachmaninoff, Schubert, Bach and some famous film scores through Naver, the nation’s largest portal site. The artists were performing for the Naver music section, which holds concerts on its own and broadcasts them live on the w

Feb. 19, 2013

Museum enriched by the culture and legacy of Tibetan art

The following is part of a series exploring unique museums, collections and the passionate collectors behind them. ― Ed.Buddhism as a religious practice has been deeply rooted in the lives of Tibetans. And although Bn is the ancient religion of Tibet, over the years it has slowly diminished and replaced largely by Tibetan Buddhism. The heavy influence of Buddhism in the country has spilled over into the world of art and can be clearly seen in various pieces of traditional Tibetan art.Hahn Kwang-

Feb. 19, 2013