As I have mentioned before, the "Chunhyangjeon" is one of Korea s most iconic epic stories, and has been adapted more than a dozen times on cinema. Shin Sang-ok s version was one of the first films in color cinemascope in Korean cinema, along with Hong Seong-ki s version of the same story, which also screened the same year, Seong Chun-hyang, Choi Eun-hee, Do Kum-bong, Han Eun-jin, Heo Jang-kang, Hong Seong-ki, Kim Jin-kyu, Lee Hyung-pyo, Lee Ye-chun, Shin Sang-ok
Korean traditional tale Chunhyangjeon told as comic opera
Posted : 2021-05-10 09:14
By Park Ji-won
Poster for opera The Chunhyang / Seoul Arts CenterOpera has not been one of the most popular stage performances in Korea. Of course, performances of Grammy-winning renowned soprano Jo Su-mi quickly sell out, but very few music lovers who have ordinarily enjoyed classical music choose to consume the genre, while still many prefer popular musicals, plays or traditional performances. However, the romantic comedy opera The Chunhyang aims to target a wide range of people by presenting the operatic version of a Korean traditional folk tale familiar to many and featuring skilled opera singers.
2020/12/18
The Chunhyangjeon is one of Korea s most iconic stories. Although its author and date of composition are unknown, it most likely originated as a work of pansori (probably from Chunhyangga ,the most famous pansori), a form of musical storytelling involving song and percussion, and was later adapted into prose during the reign of either King Sukjong (r. 1674–1720) or King Yeongjo (r. 1724–1776). Considering the importance of the source material, it is not surprise that it has been adapted more than a dozen times (16 probably) on cinema, with this, 1961 version by
Shin Sang-ok s own adaptation of the same story, which was screened at the same time.