PROGRAM NOTE

VILLAGE MUSIC presents two musical ideas, or two sound worlds whose musical inspirations are rooted in two different cultures: Traditional Korean Folk Music and Appalachian Fiddle Music. The Korean elements are derived from transcriptions of Shinawi, music with roots in shamanism. Shinawi is often described as improvisatory, free, unrestricted and harmonically dissonant. The idea of conversing with a spirit realm becomes the metaphorical trajectory of the work. The instruments become a symbolic intermediary between two worlds with the music expressing the ritual to connect the two. The instruments emulate the performance practices of traditional Korean instruments, as the Gayageum and Haegeum. The violin, cello and clarinet utilize microtones, scratch tones and wide/intense vibrato to create a “translation” of that sound world.

The work begins with several false starts or introductions that allow each instrument to speak in cadenza, a cultivating conversation with another world. As the work progresses a second sound world emerges, that of the Appalachian Fiddle Music. This is music characterized by motoric rhythm and energy and it becomes the music of the other world. The energies of both sound worlds gradually come together and blossom into a pinnacle of elation that brings the work to climax (m.158). VILLAGE MUSIC is about conversing and merging two seemingly different sound worlds from different cultures, a musical paradigm of conversing the spirit world expressed with the music of Korea and the Appalachians.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY

October 17, 2015: Education & Community Centerof the Korean Church of Boston [ECC KCB]; Danbi Cho (Cl.), Eunae Koh (Vln.), Hyun-Ji Kwon (Vc.)

July 28, 2015: Bowdoin International Music Festival; Derek Bermel (Cl.), Haeji Kim (Vln.), Kenny Lee (Vc.)

June 7, 2015: Music from Copland House; Carol McGonnel (Cl.), Harumi Rhodes (Vln.), Alexis Pia Gerlach (Vc.)