Korea Presentation or Travel: Aria of soul embroidered on silk —

The original opera, 'Yeonseo', which tells of a heart-burning love that has burned for 200 years, is now on stage. The opera tells the story of Dosil and Areuk, who meet and part three times. Their destined love will show the audience a love beyond ordinary love. In addition, the set designs capture various faces of the city of Seoul throughout history, which you will fall in love with.

'Yeonseo' was jointly produced by Seoul Metropolitan City and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts to promote the culture of Seoul and provide good quality cultural content to more people.

Opera, a composite art of the West, was introduced in Korea just 60 years ago. In 1940, the Joseon Opera Company staged 'Heungbu and Nolbu', a concert-type performance; thus, it is not credited as being the first opera performance in Korea. The very first opera performance in Korea was 'La Traviata' by Gukje Opera Company in 1948. The date when the first opera was performed has been designated as 'the Day of Opera in Korea' in 2011. The first original opera was 'Daechunhyangjeon’ (the story of Chunhyang) written by Hyun Je-Myeong and performed in 1950. Since then, original opera pieces have been produced based on traditional stories or the stories of heroes well known to the public.

What makes 'Yeonseo' an original opera is the fact that the writer created new characters and stories from scratch. The writer, Jo Gwang-Hwa, is also a director who works in the fields of theater and musical. He has directed musicals, such as 'The Organ in My Heart' and 'Namhansanseong', before and wrote the script for the musical 'Seopyeonje'. 'Yeonseo', however, was his first foray into opera, and unlike with musicals, the emphasis on the music in an opera is to act as the foundation for the entire performance. In order to fine tune the music, he spent a very long time with Mr. Park Se-won, the conductor of the Seoul Metropolitan Opera.

The music in 'Yeonseo' is not authentic traditional music but applies the traditional Korean scale called 'gyemyeonjo', which is similar to the minor in Western music. The music seeks to embrace the emotions and words of the characters. It is music that aims toward the present and future of Korean music, not its past.

'Yeonseo' tells of a 200 year long love affair and a man who is willing to lay down his life for the love of a woman. Throughout the story, the sets change between Hanyang, Gyeongseong, and Seoul, in accordance with the time period. The set for the first act is Hanyang in the Joseon Dynasty. A servant in a silk store, Areuk falls in love with a gisaeng (Korean geisha), Dosil, the reigning beauty of the day, at first sight. However, there are many men who have desires for her. Eventually, Jaepil, who has spent his entire fortune to buy her love, drags Dosil into a fire. Areuk jumps into the fire to save Dosil's life by covering her with a silk love letter (yeonseo). However, he is enveloped in flames and is burnt to death.

The second act takes place in Gyeongseong under Japanese colonial rule. With modern girls and modern boys striding down the street, there appears, in an old antique store, the incomplete silk love letter that has now become the subject of numerous stories. Dosil, reborn as a singer, is trying to ignore Jaepil's persistent efforts to win her heart. Jaepil is a rich old man who is sponsoring her. The owner of the antique store approaches her and tells her the secret of the love letter. While reading the silk love letter, Dosil and her love from a past life, Areuk, meet in her beautiful aria. Cruel destiny, however, pulls the couple apart again.

The third act takes place in Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul. Dosil, now a fashion designer, is preparing for a fashion show. While adjusting a silk dress, Dosil realizes the legend of the silk love letter and meets her fated love, Areuk, in the region between fantasy and reality. The spirit of Areuk finally completes the silk love letter. As the legend has foretold that the one who completes the silk love letter must die, Dosil passes away. Her spirit and Areuk's spirit soar in to the sky wrapped in the silk love letter.

'Yeonseo' illustrates how Hanyang has changed in relation to Gwanghwamun Plaza and Gyeongseong in relation to Seoul. The set of Hanyang with Gwanghwamun and Yukjo street, the Gyeongseong set complete with the Japanese Governor-General of Korea building, and the splendidly lit Seoul set evoke nostalgic memories of old Seoul. In addition, the colorful clothes of the gisaengs, the fashions of the modern girls and boys, the trams, the Governor-General of Korea, the night view of Seoul, and a fantastic Seoul festival add to the vibrancy of the opera.

In addition, the opera draws more attention and expectation with its far-out characters, Dosil, a femme fatale beauty, Areuk, a man of noble and pure love for one woman, and Jaepil, a villain of the sad fate, and young-generation singers who will lead the future of Korean opera.