The most anticipated opera of the year ends in cheers, but complaints about the venue linger


The music was beautiful, as was the performance by the star opera singers of the much talked-about outdoor opera “La Boheme.”

Angela Gheorghui and Vittorio Grigolo proved their overflowing talent and deeply touched the audience with the arias of the opera’s two tragic lovers. A seasoned performance by Gheorghui, who played Mimi for the last 20 years around the world, well supported Grigolo. 

The 34-year-old tenor nicknamed “Little Pavarotti” earned an instant response from the Korean audience ― despite it being his first performance in Korea ― with his portrayal of the poor young poet Rodolfo, who is blinded by love.

Maybe he is everything that Korean audiences look for in an opera star: a witty, vivacious and energetic tenor.

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra led by maestro Chung Myung-whun also deserved high praise.

The stage setting and costumes were well made to portray not only the young artists living in the Latin quarters in mid-19th century Paris but also the working-class life of the time.

The problem was the venue.

The Amphitheater at Yonsei University in Seoul was definitely was not suitable for opera, particularly for this kind of high-end show. That it was the first opera production at the venue, designed for students’ activities, and that the production company pushed for the plan despite the high risks, was disappointing.

Nadine Duffaut, producer of the opera, said in a previous interview that the amphitheater, surrounded by a forest, perfectly shuts out traffic noise and the stage’s marble floor would help the acoustics. But no, the venue surrounded by the forest only left the audience members suffering from continuous attacks from thousands of bugs.

The acoustics of the venue failed to dramatize the beautiful sound produced both by the singers and the orchestra. This was perhaps the reason why the elegant voice of Gheorghui was pushed back by the powerful vocal by Grigolo. The sound was not big enough to reach the audience at the back. The stage from a 250,000 won ($220) S-seat looked miniscule. The audience had to rely on subtitles to understand the storytelling because it was nearly impossible to catch the movements of the opera actors.

Many in the audience kept complaining about inconveniences: a lack of toilets, unprepared staff, and even security guards dressed in black suits practically forcing people to turn off their smartphones.

The audience also had to sit on stone stairs for nearly three hours. Cheap cushions or mats to make such painful perches more comfortable were not available, even for those who had paid 450,000 won for an R-seat. Some were disappointed at how others who bought last-minute tickets at knock-down prices through online markets were sitting next to them.

Despite complaints, it is obvious that the opera offered something special for the audience. “This was something that I never experienced before. It was really nice to appreciate the high-quality performance in an open space. It was surreal,” said Lee Jung-eun, a 32-year-old from Busan.

The performance was definitely unforgettable, but has failed to open the door for the open air operas in Korea. ADL, which produced the opera, is likely to suffer a huge loss as it had to cancel two of the four shows scheduled. It was a beautiful but imprudent attempt by the company to bring in a new type of performance to Korea despite the risks.

However, it seems unlikely that there will be another opera performance of this kind for some time. A pricey lesson learned.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)