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Soprano Sumi Jo performs with the Honolulu Symphony.
Korean soprano delights at anniversary concert
By Ruth O. Bingham
Special to the Star-BulletinHONOLULU does not often have the opportunity to hear vocalists the caliber of Korean soprano Sumi Jo. She performed last night with the Honolulu Symphony before a very enthusiastic crowd that included a strong showing by Hawaii's Korean community. The concert commemorated the 96th anniversary of Korean immigration to Hawaii.
Sumi Jo's voice is a delight. It is a lovely, light, clear voice, warmer than the typical coloratura, but higher than the typical lyric soprano.As with most singers, the extremes of her large range are weaker than the middle: Her lowest notes lose strength and her highest notes thin out and become edgy.
Jo has excellent technique, with generally very good placement and intonation, even in rapid, florid passages. In "Fruehlings-stimme," for example, Strauss (Johann, not Richard) treats the voice like a violin, composing abundant leaps and trills, all of which Jo polished off beautifully. As with many young singers, some technical passages were reminiscent of singing exercises: beautiful of tone and placement but lacking in drama. Jo revealed a wide range of timbres and colors.
Jo's enunciation was best in Korean and Italian: Although born in Korea, she now studies and resides in Italy. Her French and German, however, were somewhat difficult to understand.
Not so her presence, which crossed language barriers. Jo has clearly performed Rossini's "Una voce poco fa" and Offenbach's "Doll Song" on stage: Her portrayal was markedly more dramatic and believable than in Adam's "Ah, vous dirai-je maman." Her "winding down" as a doll was physically and musically effective, eliciting laughter.
The duet cadenza in Adam's "Ah, vous dirai-je maman" with flautist Susan McGinn was unfortunately less effective. They did not "speak" to one another as partners. Jo and conductor Samuel Wong did, however, work together well. Wong maintained an excellent balance between vocalist and orchestra, a not inconsiderable feat with a light voice, and worked well with his soloist, watching, following, balancing - in short, showing Jo to her best advantage.
The orchestral overtures retained the light opera style suited to Jo's voice: Rossini's "William Tell," with a lovely solo by cellist Gregory Dubay, and Donizetti's "Don Pasquale."
The evening's climax was unquestionably the three Korean songs of the second half, the anonymous "Seja, Seja," Kom Don Jin's "Kagopa" and Cho Dunam's "Seonguja." The songs were less florid than the Western arias, but more lyrical and musically rich. They suited Jo's voice perfectly and Jo performed them with a resonance that cannot be learned. Her singing was at its deepest and most heartfelt, drawing tears from many.
Jo's final two high notes in "Seja, Seja" shimmered, pianissimo, through the auditorium, sending chills down backs. Jin's "Kagopa," a nostalgic yearning to return home, tugged at many a heart, but Dunam's "Seonguja" was a heartbreaker. Jo's interpretation had maturity, depth and an inner drama that needed no translation.
