Seung-Won Oh writes Bosch Requiem: Korean death ritual in western jacket

Last year, Greek-Dutch Calliope Tsoupaki composed the Bosch Requiem. This year, Korean-born Seung-Won Oh signs on for this traditional kick-off of November Music. Just as Tsoupaki gratefully draws on the musical traditions of her homeland, Oh also harks back to her Korean roots. The title YeonDo refers to a death ritual by which Catholic Koreans bid farewell to their loved ones. The play will have its premiere at the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center in 's Hertogenbosch on 6 November.

The literal translation of YeonDo is 'Purgatory Prayer', I learn from Seung-Won Oh just under a month before its world premiere. 'It is a group chant for the dead, whose souls are still in the vestibule of heaven. The text consists of Psalms and the Litany of all Saints, which is sung to Korean rhythms and tones.' She combines these in her new piece with elements of the Latin Requiem Mass. In this way, she once again bridges East and West.

Western-oriented

That Oh (b 1969) seeks inspiration in the music and customs of her native country, by the way, is less obvious than it seems. Born in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, she grew up in a strongly Western-oriented society. Like her famous predecessor Isang Yun (1917-1995), she initially composed in a Western-modernist idiom.

This was developed after World War II during the famous/infamous Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt. Iconoclasts like Stockhausen and Boulez did away with triads and recognisable rhythms. After this, so-called 'serialism' was considered the nec plus ultra of composing. Anyone who wanted to count in the new music could not escape the dictates of this mainly prohibition-based method of composition. -Didn't matter whether you lived in Asia, Europe or America.

Oh studied at Ewha Womans University and continued her studies in the United States in 1996. 'It wasn't until I came to the Netherlands five years later to take lessons with Louis Andriessen that I began to relate to my cultural background,' she says. 'That was purely because people asked about it. I didn't grow up with Korean music, but was educated entirely Western.'

Catholic Korea

When she delved into traditional Korean music after all, it turned out to be an enriching experience. 'It was pleasant and even comforting to look for my roots. I turned out to be able to use a lot of things in my contemporary music, but don't consciously strive to bring East and West together. That happens automatically, because I have internalised that culture by now.'

This is how YeonDo to a Catholic Korean death ritual. But, ho, Catholics in Korea? 'Certainly,' says Oh. 'Korea has more Christians than Buddhists. Catholicism was introduced in the 18th century during the powerful Josean Dinasty. This adhered to neo-Confucianism, including the strict caste system. The Christian belief that every human being is equal before God therefore posed a great threat.' Despite attempts to eradicate the new-fangled faith, Catholicism persisted. South Korea today has 11 per cent Catholics, the largest percentage in any Asian country.

Korean death ritual

Oh too was born a Catholic, she is still practising. 'In my youth, I used to sing YeonDo along during the annual ceremonies my family used to commemorate our ancestors. The chant is meant for the dead and their relatives. As soon as someone dies, churchgoers gather at the home of the deceased. They stay with the family to help them through the difficult time.'

This farewell ritual lasts about three days. 'It starts on the day of death and continues until the funeral. During this period, people walk in and out and sing YeonDo, hoping that the dead person will go to heaven as soon as possible. As mentioned earlier, the lyrics are taken from the Psalms and the Litany of all the saints. Sung in Korean, that is.'

Latin death mass

The Latin Requiem Mass is named after the opening line: 'Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine', give them eternal rest, Lord. Oh: 'I must confess that I know the Requiem only as a musical fact. Although the liturgical text appeals to me, I have never attended such a Latin mass of the dead.' She does not have a favourite Requiem. Nor has she listened to the Requiems that predecessors such as Calliope Tsoupaki, Kate Moore and Anthony Fiumara composed commissioned by November Music. 'I deliberately avoided that, I didn't want to be influenced.'

YeonDo is set for the New European Ensemble, the choir Cappella Pratensis and the alto Helena Rasker. It comprises three movements of about 20 minutes each. Do not expect whirling polyphonic passages in which choir, ensemble and soloist compete for attention. Rather, the various entities are used alternately, in a kind of question-and-answer game that emphasises the ritual atmosphere. This is reinforced by a four-member percussion ensemble that is almost constantly speaking.

Ritual

Visitors are led into the hall with slow beats on a jing, a large Korean gong. After this introduction, the New European Ensemble sings a Korean prayer unison and in recitative style; the Korean symbols are below their notes. Cappella Pratensis then sings the well-known 'De profundus' from Psalm 129.

The alto concludes this first movement with a prayer, together with the ensemble and percussion quartet. Oh: 'She begs God for mercy with several verses from the Requiem, sung in the Korean language. "Give them eternal rest, oh Lord and let eternal light illuminate them, Amen." The soloist represents the voice of us all.'

The percussion quartet leads us through the composition like a priest. 'It symbolises the funeral procession,' Oh explains. Only at two moments in the middle movement are the percussionists silent. Then the choir sings a cappella 'Deus Deus Meus' from Psalm 62 and 'Averte faciam tuam' from Psalm 50. Only in the third and final movement do we hear the soloist, choir and ensemble simultaneously, in 'Ascension' and 'Lux Aeterna'.

In this part, the audience is also invited to participate themselves. Halfway through, they are allowed to rattle bells together with the percussionists. Oh: 'This is a moment for the consolation of dead souls.' Participating oneself enhances the sacred atmosphere and increases the involvement of the listener, who can remember their own loved ones.

YeonDo concludes with a fourth prayer and epilogue, performed by the percussion quartet and ensemble. 'I deliberately left out the singing voices here,' says Oh. 'The music culminates in a sea of sounds, representing how spirits freely ascend to heaven.'

Postscript 4 November. Due to the new corona measures on 3 November, November Music has cancelled the entire festival. So it will not be experienced via livestreams either. An incredible bummer!