[News Culture] The Minnesota Contemporary Ensemble will turn Yeongsan Art Hall into a shifting acoustic canvas on Sept. 5, moving freely between voice, solo piano, two-piano works and a piano trio in a concert titled 'Soundscapes.'
The program pairs works by Charles Griffes, William Bolcom, Paul Schoenfield, Karl Weigl, Francis Poulenc and Benjamin Britten with a composition by contemporary Korean composer Choi Ja-young. Rather than building the concert around a single instrument or stylistic school, MCE changes the size and character of the ensemble from piece to piece.
Dreamlike American art song gives way to the steady pulse of ragtime, followed by chamber music charged with jazz and popular idioms. European vocal lyricism and Poulenc’s mercurial writing for two pianos further expand the program’s palette.
That constant transformation lies at the heart of 'Soundscapes.' Each new lineup alters the dimensions of the stage and invites listeners into a different musical environment.
Charles Griffes’ Three Poems of Fiona MacLeod opens one of the program’s vocal chapters. Soprano Jo Hwa-young and pianist Park Min-hee will perform 'The Lament of Ian the Proud,' 'Thy Dark Eyes to Mine' and 'The Rose of the Night.' Griffes’ elusive harmonies and Fiona MacLeod’s dream-laden poetry meet in music suspended between voice and keyboard.
William Bolcom’s Graceful Ghost Rag brings an immediate change of rhythm. The work draws on the syncopation and recurring patterns of American ragtime, yet carries an unmistakably lyrical streak. Its gently persistent left-hand pulse sets it apart from the atmospheric songs heard elsewhere in the program.
Paul Schoenfield’s Café Music pushes that American energy into a larger chamber setting. Violinist Shin Ji-hye, cellist Shin Ho-cheol and pianist Hwang Ji-soo will perform the first movement, 'Allegro.' Quick motifs dart between the three instruments as the music blends classical structure with jazz rhythms and the restless spirit of American popular music.
The focus then returns to the human voice with Karl Weigl’s Five Duets for Soprano and Baritone. Soprano Lee Young-eun, baritone Kim Ji-hoon and pianist Lee Hye-young will perform 'Abendstunde,' 'Der Wanderer und das Blumenmädchen,' 'Hymne,' 'In goldener Fülle' and 'Ehestand der Freude.'
The two singers alternate between independent narrators and musical partners, their lines separating and converging in a dialogue that gives the cycle a distinctly theatrical character.
The second half opens with three works by Francis Poulenc for two pianos. Pianists Kim Hye-ji and Na Ye-ji will perform Élégie, L’embarquement pour Cythère and Capriccio d’après Le Bal Masqué.
Together, the pieces reveal the sharp emotional contrasts that run through Poulenc’s music. The solemn restraint of Élégie gives way to the waltz-musette rhythms of L’embarquement pour Cythère before Capriccio closes the sequence with wit, speed and theatrical flair.
Benjamin Britten’s On This Island brings soprano Yang Yoon-joo and pianist Deborah Bang to the stage. They will perform three songs from the cycle: 'Let the Florid Music Praise,' 'Nocturne' and 'As It Is, Plenty.'
Setting poems by W.H. Auden, On This Island was Britten’s first published collection of songs with piano. Its compact musical scenes move between brilliance, introspection and social observation, giving each poem its own sharply defined atmosphere.
The final work extends the concert beyond its predominantly 20th-century repertoire and into the present. Choi Ja-young’s 'The Spirit of the Lord God' will be performed by sopranos Lee Young-eun and Jo Hwa-young with pianists Park So-young and Woo Jung-ae.
The full roster features composer Choi Ja-young; pianists Kim Hye-ji, Na Ye-ji, Park Min-hee, Park So-young, Woo Jung-ae, Lee Hye-young, Hwang Ji-soo and Deborah Bang; violinist Shin Ji-hye; cellist Shin Ho-cheol; sopranos Yang Yoon-joo, Lee Young-eun and Jo Hwa-young; and baritone Kim Ji-hoon.
Formed by professional musicians who studied at the University of Minnesota School of Music, MCE is dedicated to bringing contemporary repertoire to wider audiences through inventive programming. Its previous projects include a 2024 concert at Sejong Chamber Hall, as well as 'Moreak Moreak Concert,' 'We’ll Travel for You' and 'A Night of Contemporary Music.'
'Soundscapes' begins at 2 p.m. on Sept. 5 at Yeongsan Art Hall in Seoul.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
Copyright ⓒ 뉴스컬처 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지
