Performed by Jeju Provincial Seogwipo Wind Orchestra
Composed by Yoonjung Lee
This work is a fantasy for wind orchestra based on “Bongjiga,” a folk song in Jeju. The title of the piece originated from the lyrics “Bongji (flower bud Jeju dialect).” The text of this old tune expresses the meaning of losing, which is the wonderful nature of circulation, blooming, and losing. The music captures the traditional melody newly in pandiatonic scale.
The piece was performed and broadcasted as a first winner of the composition competition of the Sejong Wind Orchestra.
Catharsis: the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. This piece consists of three parts – the confrontation of the agony, the performance of the ritual and the eventual purgation. Inspired by the Korean shamanistic ritual, ‘Gut’, this piece attempts to capture the transcendental moment from suffering to purgation. The Shaman frantically dances on keen knives as the ceremony is reaching its pinnacle, blurring the fine line between the reality and non-reality. in Dancing on Knives, the moments of “Gut” are depicted in repetitive rhythms and sound clusters, capturing the transient moment to freedom.
February 14, 2024Friedberg Hall (Baltimore, MD, US)
Peabody Symphony Orchestra Conductor Joseph Young Composer Yoonjung Lee