Bassoonist Seongkwon Yoo, principal bassoon of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (RSB), will present a recital centered on Isang Yun's Monolog, one of the landmark solo works in the modern bassoon repertoire. Joined by pianist Jeongjae Moon, Yoo's program spans French impression and modernism, German Romanticism and Korean contemporary music, revealing the instrument's remarkable expressive range across more than a century of repertoire.
The recital opens with Eugène Bozza's Récit, Sicilienne et Rondo, followed by Henri Dutilleux's Sarabande et Cortège. Together, the two French works highlight contrasting facets of the bassoon, pairing lyrical elegance with rhythmic vitality while demanding both technical precision and tonal refinement from the performer.
At the heart of the evening is Isang Yun's Monolog, performed without piano accompaniment. Conceived as an extended musical soliloquy, the work relies entirely on the performer to shape its dramatic arc through breath, silence and constantly shifting tone color. Wide registral leaps, fluid phrasing and subtle dynamic control transform the bassoon into a solitary narrative voice, making the piece one of the defining contemporary compositions for the instrument.
Following intermission, Yoo and Moon perform Robert Schumann's Fantasiestücke, Op. 73, a cornerstone of the Romantic chamber repertoire that emphasizes the conversational partnership between wind instrument and piano. The program continues with Roger Boutry's Interférences, whose sharply contrasting rhythms and vivid harmonic language add a distinctly modern French perspective to the recital.
The evening concludes with Camille Saint-Saëns' Sonata for Bassoon and Piano in G Major, Op. 168, one of the composer's final chamber works. Combining Classical clarity with lyrical warmth, the sonata provides a fitting close to a program that explores the bassoon's expressive possibilities from the nineteenth century to the modern era.
Rather than serving simply as a virtuoso showcase, the recital presents a broad portrait of the bassoon through contrasting musical traditions. From Bozza's elegance and Dutilleux's coloristic writing to Yun's introspective modernism and Saint-Saëns' refined lyricism, the program places Monolog at the center of an artistic journey shaped by breath, tone and expression.
Seongkwon Yoo entered the Berlin University of the Arts at the age of 16 and became principal bassoon of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin at 21, becoming the orchestra's youngest member at the time. He has since appeared as guest principal with ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, WDR Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and Konzerthausorchester Berlin, while maintaining an active career as a chamber musician and educator.
Pianist Jeongjae Moon studied at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, completing advanced solo and chamber music diplomas with highest honors. An international competition prizewinner, he has performed with leading orchestras in Europe and Korea and is currently CEO of SM Classics, music director of Starfield Concerts, and a member of Ensemble Pace.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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