One of my favorite things about doing this countdown series is that I get to revisit G.O’s musicals over and over. Every time he steps onto a stage to sing, it is magical. This is true. But that magic has been magnified for me in three very distinct instances: his time on the Immortal Song 2 stage, his time on the King of Mask Singer stage and especially, his time on the musical stage. Each of those moments G.O spent on any one of those stages constitutes a Vocal Virtuosity moment. And there are many to choose from. Today, a very short clip from Gwanghwamun Sonata. Ah…but even in the brevity of one stanza, a Lee Young Hoon ballad surrounded by G.O’s honeyed vocals is a soothing symphony to the ears.
Lately, I have been really looking at the lyrical content to the songs that comprised the Gwanghwamun Sonata musical. With my continued fascination of jukebox musicals, I cannot help but delve a little deeper into the songs. In this short clip today, G.O sings a stanza from 가로수 그늘 아래 서면 [Under Tree-Lined Shade]. And in that short stanza, so much poetry.
가로수 그늘 아래 서면
[Under tree-lined shade]
떠가는 듯 그대 모습
[You look like you are floating]
어느 찬비 흩날린 가을 오면
[When the cold rain falls]
아침 찬바람에 지우지
[In the cold morning air]
Of course, that is line-by-line. But I also think it could be translated to read: In the cold morning air when the cold rain falls, you look like you are floating under tree-lined shade. So visually poetic and moving.
G.O’s tender and romantic vocals makes those lyrics all that much more touching and beautiful. Am I the only one who longs for him to release an album of the songs he sang in his musicals? Wouldn’t that be amazing?
G.O’s beautiful gift will always reveal itself on any artistic avenue he chooses to travel; but, when he takes on the challenge of a musical, I hope he discovers (even amid his own doubts), that the musical stage is a most affable partner. We cannot know if G.O will ever return to the musical stage, but we can certainly hope that a role comes along that he is simply unable to turn down, one with music that resonates so deeply, he is unable to fight its lure.
~♥~