When the Korean composer Isang Yun died in Berlin in 1995 at the age of 78, there still was a touch of the exotic about his oeuvre, characterised by the cultural fusion between Asia and Europe. He is known primarily as a composer of five symphonies, numerous orchestral works and five operas. Amongst this output, however, his almost 50 chamber music works occupy a central position. The accordion has played an essential role in the selection of works for this CD. In the Concertino and Intermezzo it is heard throughout. In Pezzo fantasioso per due strumenti con basso ad libitum the performers have decided in favour of violin, accordion and cello. In the case of the Duo for viola and piano, the piano part has been transcribed by Stefan Hussong for accordion.
13th May 2010
**
“The Taoist principles behind [Yun's] work are perhaps most evident in the rising figures representing the shift from darkness to light in Duo, or the contrast between the high, bird-like violins and the vibrant chord-clusters of Stefan Hussong's accordion in Concertino.”
20th May 2010
***
“Yun's wiry, compacted lyricism comes across in both the cello-and-accordion Intermezzo and the Pezzo Fantasioso, while echoes of the indigenous music of his native country lend those works a distinctive colour, too.”
Click on any of the works listed above for alternative recordings.
