INTERVIEW | Hera Hyesang Park | "I want to live with good faith in whatever happens in my everyday life"

In conversation with Hera Hyesang Park; 소프라노 박혜상 인터뷰

Online interview on 25 July 2022

Hera Hyesang Park, © Hajin Ahn

There is a time for everything. For soprano Hera Hyesang Park, the summer of 2022 has been a bustling time for further consolidating her fame as one of the most exciting sopranos internationally. She has returned to the Glyndebourne Festival in what is her fourth production there, winning critical acclaim as Susanna in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. Simultaneous to these performances, she also reentered the studio to follow up on her successful Deutsche Grammophon debut album from two years ago. All the while she has been preparing for performances that soon take her to Germany, Mexico, and Columbia. 

Yet as revealed in my conversation with Hera Hyesang Park, these busy schedules did not preclude opportunities for personal reflection. As the soprano underscored, these hectic times presented ways to learn a few things about herself, such as work ethics and the value of lifelong friendships. Our conversation also took a turn to topics of singing operas in various languages, the arduous preparations involved in opera productions, and the development of Korean composers.

As made evident in the last few minutes of our conversation, what was especially telling of Hera Hyesang Park's artistry - in addition to her sheer musical talent - was her idealistic sobriety, namely her readiness for accepting the inevitable forces in life while tirelessly dreaming for a better world. And this exact artistry seemed to be what unites the rich colours and momentum of Hera Hyesang Park's life at present. One supposes that where there is a time for everything, there must always be time for believing in a brighter and warmer world.

Below is a transcript of our conversation (translated from Korean).

[Note. All interviews on the website are approved by the interviewees prior to publication. Please find my interviews with soprano Sumi Jo and mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená here and here. Please find my contribution to Opera Magazine on Korean singers here.]

I.

Young-Jin Hur (YH): Good morning. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you very much for making time today.

Hera Hyesang Park (HHP): Good morning. It's a pleasure to meet you here. Thank you for inviting me to the interview.

YH: Are you well these days?

HHP: Yes, I am very well. In England, I have just completed my performance at the Glyndebourne Festival. I have also completed around 80% of an upcoming album. I am very happy nowadays.

YH: How was your time at the Glyndebourne Festival?

HHP: I had such a happy time there. I performed the Marriage of Figaro there 16 times over the past few months, but after each performance, I regretted that the performance was over too soon. It is quite rare that you perform in a single opera production 16 times. For example, I am used to performing around 10 times per production - and in these performances in the past, each performing evening would give me a sense of bittersweetness. I would normally think to myself, "Ah, another performance goes by, I suppose we move on." In contrast, after each performance at Glyndebourne this year, I wished after each performance that the performance would not finish. This kind of feeling at Glyndebourne was an entirely new experience for me. I vividly recall that on the final performance, the performers all cried before, during, and after the performance. I got along with everyone so well and I was incredibly happy throughout my time there. What a shame that the production is over now!

YH: That is moving. From a technical point of view, can crying throughout a performance in any way hinder the performance quality?

HHP: Not at all. The emotions allowed me to give 200% of myself (YH nods). In terms of the swelling tears themselves, we are trained professionals, of course, so we won't be crying while we sing. But in scenes that ask us to hug each other, we would inaudibly whisper to each other, saying how we don't want this evening to be the last performance - we were all very emotional. In moments like these, you realise that there is a heart-to-heart communion that is part of the magic of being human. In one instant, I saw one of the casts crying backstage after his aria - we proceeded to hug as a group. And after the final curtain call, no one left -we all just stood silently dumb-struck, absorbing the ambience of that unique moment. It was a spiritual moment of magic and awe.

YH: Once you go through such long-lasting productions together, do you become friends for life with all the casts? I can imagine this happening.

HHP: Actually, it's not always the case. Because we all have our own lives and busy schedules, it's not always easy to keep the promise of staying in touch with the other costars in most opera productions. I suppose life often demands us to move from one chapter to another in quick succession. But the experience I had in Glyndebourne is an exception - I think I have made some friends for life.

YH: I am happy to hear that you had such a happy time in the UK over the past few months.

HHP: Thank you.

YH: Still, to perform 16 times must be physically demanding.

HHP: Susanna, the role I sang for in the Marriage of Figaro, has one of the longest playtimes of any character I have ever sung live. In fact, people often say that this role has one of the longest playtimes in the entire operatic repertoire. This means that I spent a very long time on stage singing and acting. However, the character suited me really well. And I wanted to perform well for everyone who made the effort to come to see our performance live. So although there were physical demands in portraying this character, I was able to sing well, without falling ill. As a matter of fact, the role gave me such energy that even after each performance, I felt I could deliver another performance that same evening. I suppose my performance as Susanna was a source of such positive energy that I was able to concurrently take part in my own recording project.

YH: Can you tell me more about how you kept up your opera performances in Glyndebourne while also retaining your own recording project?

HHP: It was an important part of my preparation to balance my live performance and my recording activities. And knowing that people have gathered together with all their preparations and equipment just for the purpose of recording my singing gave me an additional sense of responsibility.

In terms of the schedule, I performed a couple of times in Glyndebourne in the middle of my recording sessions. But because the recording took place in Genoa, Italy and because there were no direct flights between London and Genoa, the schedule was particularly demanding. This meant that I went to bed at 2am after my performance in Glyndebourne, and then I had to get up at 5am to travel to Heathrow or Stansted to take my flight. I had to change my flights either in Amsterdam, Pisa, or Milan. The travelling routes were far from convenient, as this meant that the flight took around seven to eight hours.

Oddly enough, despite these physical demands, the travels did not affect my performance. Quite the contrary, I think these arduous travels, in fact, enhanced my performance. On one occasion, when I returned back to the UK after a long travel to Italy, I felt so invigorated that I put down my bag and immediately dashed outside for an impromptu run. It was sunset and I felt so overwhelmed that I must have run 50 laps around this hill - I shouted and cried. It's not that I cried because I was sad. I think I had to let everything out.

The next day, I performed as Susanna, and a few hours after this performance, I flew back to Italy to continue my recording session. After this session, I returned back to the UK to give the final two performances of the Marriage of Figaro at Glyndebourne. In the penultimate performance at Glyndebourne, I collapsed after the performance - I think there was a sense of relief.

This hectic schedule helped me learn about myself. When you realise that you have to do something and you are determined to carry this out, there is this extra energy that envelops you. I didn't know this was possible before I experienced this first-hand this time. All in all, I felt relieved when everything was over. I was grateful I was able to conclude everything in one piece.

II.

YH: As you said, it was rather challenging for you to take part in your recording project whilst being busy performing. In normal circumstances, what kind of things do you do in between your performance schedules?

HHP: I am often busy preparing for future performances. I often go to lessons, and I study alone. It's also important to eat well.

YH: I understand that you have an upcoming performance in Berlin in September. Does this mean that you have also started preparing for that role during your time in Glyndebourne?

HHP: Yes. I am currently preparing Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore - I will be playing Adina. In October, I will be touring South America, visiting places such as Mexico and Columbia. There, I will be giving recitals and performing in gala concerts. I am also preparing for my performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Little by little, I am preparing for my future schedules.

YH: When you say that you take lessons, what kind of things are you taught? Knowing that you are a professional performing at such a high level, I am curious what kind of help you additionally get.

HHP: I take music lessons. I continue to learn about phrasing, the text, and techniques. I also have language coaches. All these lessons are taught by different teachers. I feel I am continuously sculpting my skills through these lessons.

YH: When you say you have language coaches, is this where you adapt your pronunciation for another language? For instance, I have noticed that you sing a lot of roles in the Italian language.

HHP: Yes, you're right.

YH: Can you speak Italian?

HHP: To a certain degree. I can understand Italian and speak the basics. This is because I learnt Italian the most, compared to other languages. For me, the most difficult language is German.

YH: Is it that you have learnt Italian the most because of your education in opera?

HHP: Yes, that is the case.

YH: I see. I have always admired how opera singers can memorise and sing an entire opera in a language that is not their mother tongue. I am curious about how this process works. Do you actually memorise the entire text of a work that is not based on your mother tongue?

HHP: Oh yes. You have to have the entire text in your head. It's also useful to memorise the texts of various other roles in the production, too. Sometimes, it's a matter of sheer willpower. You must read and study the text repeatedly. In the end, you reap what you sow - the more you invest your time in this task, the more you will get out. I will be honest and say that it is not easy. I think memorising texts is one of the most difficult parts of preparing for an opera.

YH: I can imagine. Do you have your own method of memorising the libretto?

HHP: (Looking around the room) I have thrown most of them away, but I scribble down on small pieces of paper, sometimes in colours, texts that I often get wrong (HHP laughs). (Picking up a few pieces of well-organised stacks of paper) They look like this.

What is especially difficult when singing Italian and German texts is that the same words can have different endings, depending on whether the main subject in the sentence is male or female. So the same word, in Italian, can sometimes end with an 'o' or an 'a', depending on the context. These are minor details, but it's an aspect that I have to work on.

So I bring these notes on my pieces of paper to the rehearsals and learn my part. And during the rehearsal, the language coach will adjust certain accents. All in all, it's a continuous process of making small but sure improvements. Unlike instrumentalists, who can perhaps prepare a performance in solitary, singers, especially in the context of opera performance, require an entire team of people to support each other. Where vocal language is involved, there are so many things to consider, for example, the cultural background of certain lexical expressions. I think this is what makes opera preparation so time and energy-consuming.

YH: This is admirable. An opera's musicality doesn't seem to just stop at singing the right notes. And, of course, there is also the theatre side to an opera, where you have to act.

HHP: Acting is actually quite fun. It's fun to be someone else.

YH: Do you ever have situations where you sing a piece without understanding the text because the text is not in a language you're fluent in?

HHP: Of course, it's important that we understand the text we sing. However, in the initial stages of programming a recital or programming in general, there are times when I am taken by a piece of music purely on its melodic or harmonic beauty. These are situations when even if I do not fully grasp the text, I exclaim to myself, "what is this piece?" For these pieces, I just sing without knowing the text. I look up the text afterwards.

In general, there are songs I like to sing without knowing the songtext. I have this experience with Spanish songs especially. Even if it's a piece that I won't eventually sing and even if it's a piece that isn't a classical piece, there are some truly wonderful traditional Spanish songs I like to listen to. These pieces of music sound a bit like the music you would have commonly encountered in Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, but with a uniquely Spanish rhythm. When I listen to these pieces, I end up mumbling the melody. I then search the songtexts, before being blown away by the songtext.

(both laugh)

YH: This oddly reminds me of my music class back in my Korean high school. For one of our examinations, we had to sing Caro Mio Ben in Italian. After 14 years or so, I can manage to sing sections of the song to a certain degree. But still to this day, I have absolutely no clue what the song is about.

(both laugh)

III.

YH: You've implied earlier that understanding the songtext is very important when it comes to singing. I suppose language is inseparable from singing?

HHP: Yes. Language is integral when it comes to singing. It's so important.

YH: Since you have spent much time in the UK, you must be aware of the English National Opera, or the ENO (HHP nods). As you might already know, all operas are sung in English there, even if the original opera is composed in a different language. I am curious what you think of this tradition, given what you've just said about the close link between language and singing.

HHP: I was once asked to play La Bohème there. Ultimately, I rejected the offer. I rejected the offer exactly for the reason that I had to sing in English.

(both laugh)

YH: I presume the decision was not based on matters of fluency.

HHP: You're right – that wasn’t the case. I can understand why the ENO would do these productions in English. However, I felt it doesn't have to be me who sings in these productions. That's why I told them I won't take part in the production.

I do have the experience of performing Mozart's Magic Flute in English at the Metropolitan Opera. I must say... the experience is quite different from performing it in the original German. When a composer writes an opera, I can't imagine they just compose melodies independent from the text. I am convinced that consonances and vowels of the text become an integral part of the music-writing process.

In fact, consonances often have a sensual quality when sung. And so when the same piece is sung in a different language, this tight song-text relationship gets distorted. For example, there is an aria in the Magic Flute called Ach, Ich Fühl's. The sensual quality inherent in the vocal line when pronouncing Fühl's in the original songtext is lost when I sing in English. In English, Fühl's becomes Feel (HHP sings to emphasise the contrast between the two languages). There are many other examples too. I find the English version a bit awkward.

YH: That's really fascinating. Do you think this could be an issue with the English language? It could be the case that English may have less sensual sounds or pronunciations compared to German or Italian.

HHP: I don't think that is the case. Even if we sing the Magic Flute in Italian, I imagine there would be similar problems.

Essentially, I think this process of singing a piece of music in your own language comes from an outdated tradition. For example, people in the 70s used to sing French pieces in Italian and, vice versa, Italian pieces in French – recordings have preserved this tradition.

In Germany, Berlin's Komische Oper used to - similar to what they are doing at the ENO - sing all opera pieces in German. But this process of translating every piece in your mother tongue is a frame of mind that is perhaps not in line with the spirit of the present time. Nowadays, Komische Oper is transitioning increasingly in the direction of acknowledging the original language and context in which a piece was composed. Therefore, they are no longer single-minded about singing pieces in German only.

Personally speaking, I have sung in various kinds of productions. I have sung in productions using the original language and those that don’t. My experience tells me I'm not hugely enthusiastic about singing a piece using a translated songtext. I feel I am not respecting a composer if I sing their work in a language that is different from its original conception. It's as simple as that.

It's also a matter of translation. Whoever translates these works will try to translate the text to fit the style and context of its original. But I am not entirely convinced.

YH: Are there other examples where you thought certain contemporary productions, independent of their intentions, do not fully represent a piece of work?

HHP: Recently, the Metropolitan Opera staged a production of the Magic Flute aimed at young kids. There, they staged a one-hour cut version of the opera. Even for this production, I felt regretful. After all, the editing meant that so much of Mozart's great music was edited out in the final form of the performance. So even though the intentions were good, I felt the musical value of the experience was diminished.

YH: I understand.

IV.

YH: I would now like to ask you a question about Korean music. In your first Deutsche Grammophon album, I am Hera, you have included a number of pieces by Korean composers. Do you often listen to these kinds of music and perform them too?

HHP: Yes and no. I don't listen to music by Korean composers very often. However, once I listen to such a piece, I listen to it continuously. I do hope that Korean composers will become more well-known.

Currently, there are many Korean composers who compose in a flavour of K-pop and film music. Koreans, after all, are very Romantic people, and the general public favour heavy music like those of Verdi and Puccini and Romantic music like those of Poulenc and Ravel. In these works, there is emotional immediacy.

Comparatively, there aren't many well-known Korean composers who compose in the classical style, a style that suits me. Don’t get me wrong - there are numerous composers in Korea who can write music in this classical style. However, I think the number of composers is a reflection of what the market demands. Thus, because many people are still not very familiar with the classical or baroque style and favour music that is highly Romantic, the number of Korean composers who write in these classical styles is relatively small. So I hope that there will be more Korean composers who can write in the classical style. From my end, I am continuously researching how I can help the development of these compositions from Korean composers.

YH: I hope that you will be able to sing and record these pieces more in the future.

HHP: I hope so too.

YH: Talking of the song culture in Korea, Korea is known for its noraebang (i.e. karaoke) culture. Do you personally go to noraebang often?

HHP: Every time I go to a noraebang, I get the impression that people will throw stones at me. In fact, they do throw things at me, like sweets or snacks.

(both laugh)

YH: I'm a bit confused. Do they throw things at you because you don't sing well?

HHP: They tell me I sing awfully. So when I try to sing a song, they try to stop my attempt in the middle of my singing. I think they have a point, and that’s why I can’t go to noraebang too often – in fact, people have stopped inviting me, too. Because I've trained myself for so long as a classical singer, it's technically very difficult for me to sing in a different voice now. So when I sing pop songs, my voice feels rather forced, even though I would like to sing in that style (HHP imitates a pop style of singing). As a consequence, the songs I sing in noraebang sound weird.

(both laugh)

YH: Now that I know that you don’t go to noraebang with your friends, how do you spend time with friends in your free time?

HHP: (After a pause) Actually, I don’t have many friends. Physically, I am usually too far away from many friends. And because I’ve grown accustomed to spending time on my own, it is rare that I spend time with friends.

With work colleagues whom I meet for various projects across the globe, I often spend time with them exploring cities together. For example, we can go to museums together, go for walks, or chat over coffee. These are often colleagues I meet for the first time. We can build up an amicable relationship, but given our travelling schedules, there is little guarantee that we will meet together frequently in the future. With these colleagues, we can follow each other on Instagram or Facebook – that way, I can see what they are doing in various parts of the world and wish each other the best of luck online.

Once in a while, I can meet friends with whom I can create a stronger bond. And so even though we will eventually exchange our goodbyes soon after you’ve met given our work schedules, we can spend the short time we have doing things like meditation or shopping. I also like to cook, especially Korean food – and so we can spend time together cooking together or I can spend the evening introducing my friends to Korean food. Right now, I am spending some time close to the sea with my friends – and so we spent time swimming in the sea.

YH: I think there is great meaning in sharing simple and everyday things with loved ones.

HHP: I think so too.

YH: As the final question of the interview, I would like to ask a broad question. What are some things you would like to do in the future?

HHP: (Somewhat ponderously) I like this question. I like this question because it makes me think (pauses). Although I cannot think of specific plans, I hope that I would have made even a small contribution to making this place a better world.

And as you said just, the small moments in life are invaluable – I would one day like to leave this world having fully lived these small moments. Such a life would mean that I have lived truthfully. I want to live without grandiose expectations – instead, I want to live with good faith in whatever happens in my everyday life. This means that I will open-mindedly accept every emotion within me, from sadness to happiness.

Ageing and dying are inevitable. One day, I will start getting shorter and one day, I will also find myself full of wrinkles. But if I can live in the way I have just mentioned, I am sure I will be able to die without any regrets. After all, all these things we have around us, including our clothes and other material possessions, are not truly ours – what is just ours is ourselves. And so I would like to nurture what is my very own, which is myself.

I also want to be a good person. I will cultivate the garden within me – this garden will be full of blossoming flowers and my loving attention. Nowadays, I notice that whenever my inner garden is well-kept and full of love, this love is transferred outside and to other people around me. Through this flow of positive energy, I hope that I can make a positive impact on those around me. This is the future I draw for myself. And if I live like this now, I am certain the future will be like this, too.

YH: I agree with you. In addition to the music you create,  I think you are also making this world – as you say – a better world through your positive energy too.

HHP: Thank you.

YH: I feel there could be many more things to talk about, but I am afraid that this is all the time we have today. Thank you very much for your time today.

HHP: Likewise. Thank you.

Hera Hyesang Park, © Hajin Ahn

Young-Jin Hur

@yjhur1885

© Where Cherries Ripen / Young-Jin Hur