'Classic Revolution' festival to bathe Lotte Concert Hall in sounds of famed composers

Classic Revolution 2024, the annual classical music festival hosted by the Lotte Foundation of Arts, has in store rare performances of works by famed composers like Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Shostakovich and Beethoven.

Choi Soo-yeoul is shown here conducting at a concert. The conductor is set to perform with the Hankyung Arte Philharmonic on Sept. 9. [LOTTE FOUNDATION OF ARTS]

Classic Revolution 2024, the annual classical music festival hosted by the Lotte Foundation of Arts, has in store rare performances of works by famed composers like Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Shostakovich and Beethoven.

It is set to take place from Sept. 7 to 11 at the Lotte Concert Hall in Songpa District, southern Seoul, with a total of five performances. The fifth edition this year has made some tweaks.

It’s the first time the Classic Revolution is being held in September, as it used to be held during the hot summer months.

While the previous four editions each shed light on a specific composer, such as Beethoven in 2020 and Bernstein in 2023, this year's event is branching out and will be filled with works chosen specially by the participating conductors. The organizers explained that the shift intends for the festival to center on its performers rather than the composers.

Choi Hee-chuhn is shown here conducting at a concert. The conductor is set to perform with the Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra on Sept. 8. [LOTTE FOUNDATION OF ARTS]

Conductor Choi Hee-chuhn, who will helm the Sept. 8 show with the Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra's performance of Beethoven, likens classical music performances to “building a house upon a house.” The composer’s original intention is the first layer, and then the conductor’s reinterpretation is naturally stacked on top of it, he says.

Choi Soo-yeoul with the Hankyung Arte Philharmonic made the bold decision of giving just a single performance of Liszt’s “Faust Symphony” on Sept. 9, and despite it being a difficult one, he is determined that the show must go on.

Here’s what each composer had to say regarding their upcoming performances during separate press interviews on Monday at the Lotte Concert Hall.

Tickets for Classic Revolution 2024 range from 50,000 won ($37) to 110,000 won and can be purchased on Interpark Ticket or by calling Lotte Concert Hall (1544-7744).

Conductor Choi Hee-chuhn speaks during a press interview for the upcoming Classic Revolution 2024 at the Lotte Concert Hall in southern Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

Choi Hee-chuhn His upcoming show features Beethoven’s overture for “Fidelio,” “Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37” and “Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36.”

The conductor particularly calls the second symphony a highly underrated piece, in response to classical aficionados who may be puzzled as to why Choi did not select the legendary fifth symphony instead.

In contrast to other Beethoven symphonies, this one was composed when Beethoven’s deafness became more severe.

“Losing the capability to hear is disastrous to any human being, but imagine if it were a musician, whose literal job is to listen in order to play,” Choi said. “Beethoven knew he could never be cured, but he did not give up his life as a musician. He wanted to overcome his disability, which he proved through this symphony piece.”

It’s why the second symphony tends to evoke more positive energy, the exact feeling that Choi wants to give to his audience.

If anything, Beethoven is a life mentor to Choi, as he taught him to get the better of his own hardships through the power of music. Choi is now planning to study Brahms next.

“His repertoires are not easy,” Choi said. “But we’ll get through them one by one.”

Conductor Choi Soo-yeoul speaks during a press interview for the upcoming Classic Revolution 2024 at the Lotte Concert Hall in southern Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

Choi Soo-yeoul For some reason, Choi is a conductor who frequently takes the road less traveled. He worked with a robotic AI conductor last year and now, his most challenging task will be to perform Liszt’s “Faust Symphony.” It’s only been played maybe once or twice in Korea and is seldom played overseas as well.

Choi thinks it’s because he’s constantly enraptured by curiosity. The symphony is based on the drama written by Johan Wolfgang von Goethe, “Faust,” centering on three characters: Faust, Gretchen and Mephistopheles. The play is infamous for being a difficult read and widely analyzed with multiple interpretations.

“Luckily, Liszt’s version focuses on depicting the personalities of the three characters musically, rather than the plot, which made it easier to simplify the story of 'Faust,'” Choi said.

His performance will utilize the Lotte Concert Hall’s pipe organs toward the end of the 70-minute piece.

And while most show organizers would not be happy with a classical music performance that short, Choi was insistent because he considers himself an audience member with a short attention span.

“To me, as a musician, it’s not about the actual time of a concert, but how long it feels,” he said. “With ‘Faust Symphony’ I thought one piece would be enough.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]