264, That One Star (Kim Sungjae) Daegu 2024 Rho Seonghoon, An Il-yang, Yi Yunkyoung, Lee Chungman

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: 264, That One Star   
• Composer: Kim Sungjae  
• Libretto: Kim Hana    Libretto Text, Libretto Index
• Venue & Opera Company: Daegu Opera, South Korea  
• Recorded: October 19, 2024
• Type: Staged Opera Live
• Singers: Rho Seonghoon, An Il-yang, Yi Yunkyoung, Lee Chungman, Kim Bora, Kim Myungkyu, Lee Seungmin
• Conductor: Lee Dongsin  
• Orchestra: Daegu International Opera Orchestra  
• Chorus: Daegu Opera Choir  
• Stage Director: Pyo Hyunjin  
• Stage Designer: Park Eunhye  
• Costume Designer: Yoo Miyang  
• Lighting Designer: Han Heesoo  

Information about the Recording

• Published by: OperaVision  
• Date Published: 2024  
• Format: Streaming
• Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
• Subtitles: yessubs, ensubs, othersubs  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

‘264’ is a prisoner number and the pen name of Yi Won-rok, a Korean independence poet. In resistance to the Japanese colonial period, 264 was an active figure in the independence movement from his childhood, a poet striving to awaken the national spirit, and a husband seeking to keep his family together. Before his death, imprisoned and tortured, 264 escapes the pain by recalling his spiritual friend ‘S,’ whose story he begins to tell. 264 tries to look back on his life to discover the star he sought.

264, That One Star is a new Korean opera created and produced by the Daegu Opera House. The voice in poetry of the Korean independence movement during the Japanese colonial period, his real name was Yi Won-rok; his prison number, 264 (pronounced as ‘Yi Yuk-sa’ in Korean) served as his pen name. The opera portrays his life, highlighting his roles as a husband, poet, and independence activist. With the help of the Camerata Creative Opera Research Association at the Daegu Opera House, this project has progressed — from planning to concert performances — to now, 3 years down the line, reaching a full-length staged premiere, shared globally via OperaVision.

STORY
Act I

A man is referred to as prisoner number 264, pronounced as ‘Yi Yuk-sa’ in Korean. He is tortured every day under Japanese colonial rule. To escape the pain, he recalls his soulmate S and reflects on his past before the death. He remembers the massive deaths of Koreans during the Kanto Massacre (1923) while studying in Japan. This tragic event ignites his strong desire for independence.

Act II

On his wedding day, the young man Yi Won-rok (264’s real name) is obsessed with thoughts of independence and is not interested in marriage. When his bride, An Il-yang, confidently confronts him, he is unexpectedly attracted to her courage, and they happily marry. However, their happiness is short-lived, as Won-rok decides to join the Righteous Army and leaves for Manchuria to fight for independence.

Act III

Having joined the Righteous Army, 264 engages in independence activities alongside his comrade Yun Se-ju. During a mission, they are captured by Japanese forces and Yun Se-ju dies. 264 firmly grows in his belief in the liberation of his homeland.

Inside the Daegu Police Station, Sergeant Go tortures 264 to extract information about the independence movement. Enduring horrific pain, 264 stays defiant and does not give in. His wife, An Il-yang, comes to visit him, and realises how weak he has become from the torture, she cannot help but cry.

Act IV

As 264 reflects on his life, he senses death approaching, and his soulmate S warns him. Past egos of 264 come to bid him a cheerful farewell. He has been a poet, an independence activist, a husband and father. He wonders whether the things he has done will last like a small star. He begins to write his final poem, Wilderness. Waiting for the joy of a future independent nation, he becomes a star.

Quoted from OperaVision

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