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‘Breaking Bad’ Junkies Invited to Preview Sung Jin Hong’s ‘Breaking Bad’ Opera on One World Symphony’s Holiday Concert

One World Symphony announced that it has added a program, "Sibelius: A Nordic Holiday," on December 18. The show is a benefit concert for Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen in Manhattan. The program will include music of Sibelius, Grieg and maybe even a sneak preview of a movement of Breaking Bad--Ozymandias, the mini-opera that artistic director Sung Jin Hong is writing.

Hong's opera is inspired by both the Breaking Bad TV series and by Percy Bysshe Shelley's sonnet. If you'd like to hear part of the opera at the December 18 concert, you are invited to submit your vote by e-mail at info@oneworldsymphony.org. The concert will take place at Holy Apostles Church in Manhattan.

The complete mini-opera Breaking Bad--Ozymandias, with multiple movements, will receive its premiere as scheduled on the orchestra's "Addiction" program, January 26 and 27, 2014.

Hong has been keeping us all updated on the opera's progress at his "Breaking Blog." On December 5, he wrote about the movement "Chemistry" (which was inspired by episode six of the AMC series, "Crazy Handful of Nothin"):

"Just like how Walt has explained chemical reactions, I'm working to make my composition to have similar properties: slow, gradual imperceptible development of ideas and explosive compounds. How am I going to do this? Without giving too much away, not only am I looking forward to bringing the characters to life again through the vocal soloists, but also through the full symphony."

We here at Classicalite look forward to hearing Hong's explosive chromatic compounds. He writes further about character development in this movement:

"To explore the potential dark side and the metamorphoses in the principal characters, the lowest instruments in each section will play significant roles: the bass drum, double bass, tuba, contrabassoon, bass clarinet and the evocative bass flute...They may not have the agility of virtuoso violinists, but with their 'basso profundo' presence, they will plant the seeds of brooding themes that will gradually build, combusting towards the climax."

Sounds like an explosive finale, indeed.

For more information about Breaking Bad or the December 18 holiday program, be sure to visit oneworldsymphony.org.

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