YUN: Chamber Symphony I

Borkowski, Piotr, Korean Chamber Ensemble, Park, Rana

8.557938

Isang Yun's Chamber Symphony infuses Western classical form with Eastern modalities and manner of expression. He uses traditional Western instruments (set in an orchestral sonority reminiscent of Stravinsky) but the sounds they make are anything but. Mewing string portamentos predominate, as does a pervasive two-note toggle rhythm typical of Eastern music. These elements combine to generate a deliberate if not exactly forward-moving pace. Indeed, much of the material seems to circle around itself, and the long central section threatens to bore with its static sameness. Happily the energy and variety pick up again in the last third, closing this large, one-movement work in the same bracing atmosphere with which it began. Tapis is cut pretty much from the same cloth, though it's much briefer and scored only for strings. There's also a greater degree of tension generated by the somewhat agitated writing--immediately dispersed by the placid opening of Gong-Hu, scored for harp and strings. Here Yun's sighing strings combine with the harp's dulcimer-like writing to create an exquisitely serene atmosphere. But edgy harmonies soon intrude, and the strings become strident in their determination to restore the heavenly sounds, which they ultimately accomplish in a work that somehow seems much shorter than its 30-minute timing. Rana Park beautifully renders the challenging harp part, while the Korean Chamber Ensemble plays handsomely under Piotr Borkowski's sensitive and persuasive leadership. Naxos' recording is first rate. In all, this disc is a rewarding experience, especially for those with a taste for the unusual. • Victor Carr Jr.,ClassicsToday.com, March 2006

CD x 1

Naxos

2006-02-22

747313293827