On the Art of Opera [Paperback]

Kim Jong-il (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2001

Independence, peace, art, literature and friendship are ideas that have been consistently adhered to by the government of the North Korean Republic in foreign relations. As in the past, we will actively endeavor to develop relations of friendship and cooperation with the peoples of the world's various countries, including socialist countries and nonaligned countries, out of the principle of independence.

The harmonious whole between the leader and the leader that has been all the more consolidated with belief and cemented with filial obligation is the most valuable gain of our revolution, as well as the source of the Republic's invincible power.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kim Jong Il (1942- ) is leader of North Korea (1994- ). Kim Jong Il succeeded his father, Kim Il Sung , who had ruled North Korea since 1948.

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: University Press of the Pacific (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898752035
• ISBN-13: 978-0898752038
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,387,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST for opera/totalitarian regime fans, September 23, 2009

By 

M. Shackleford (Tehran) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On the Art of Opera (Paperback)

Kim Jong Il (Sometimes referred to by his hip-hop pseudonym, "Ill Kim Jong") proves once again that he has his fingers on the pulse of the art community with what is widely considered the seminal work in the crowded Dictatorship-Opera genre.

This book covers the genesis of many of Kim's most famous operatic pieces, including "Kim Jong Il Superstar", "The Great Leader and the Amazing Technicolor Torture Chamber of Oppression", "Die Folterkneht", and his most popular work, "1984! On Ice!". It also contains many autobiographical notes and anecdotes of his experiences during his rise to international opera super-stardom in the early 1970's.

I particularly enjoyed the stories about a young Kim performing the contralto parts of La Boheme with his mentor, noted Russian baritone Joe Stalin. Some of the behind-the-scenes exposition into the technical elements required to learn and perform such a part to perfection were incredible to read. Given the context of those elements, it's clear to see why Kim made the decision to sing as a castrati throughout the remainder of his career.

The full color photos of the famous Pyongyang Opera House (designed by the Dear Leader himself) were an inspiration to me as I missed the official "Great Leader Presents: A Night of Opera and Polka to Usher In a New Millenium of Continued North Korean Domination and Prosperity" concert in December of 1999 due to some minor entrance visa issues on my part... A fact I keenly regret to this day.

I recommend this book unreservedly to anyone who is a fan of the arts, despotism, or state-sanctioned starvation, or, ideally, anyone who is a fan of all three.

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This makes up for his killing my family, June 1, 2005

By 

Jim Turner "Kim" (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Art of Opera (Paperback)

Before I narrowly escaped, Kim Jong Il ordered my entire family put to death for owning a foreign radio.

But reading this makes up for all of that, Hail Great Leader!

32 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Florence Foster Jenkins of Marxist-Leninism, June 1, 2002

By 

Cinderella Bloggerfeller (Ulan Bator, Mongolia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Art of Opera (Paperback)

Proof (if any were needed) that high tessituras and hardline Stalinism can make for a fruitful cocktail. Comrade Kim Jong Il, the Dear Leader ™, is not only the rightfully crowned King of Socialism but also a formidable opera queen in his own right. The chapter "Charlotte Church: Crossover as the Dialectical Logic of Late Capitalism, or Just Some Cocky Welsh Teenybopper? " is worth the price of admission alone. The best work of its kind since Pol Pot's "Maria Callas: The Bel Canto Years".