Unsuk Chin - Clarinet Concerto (2014)
Composer: Unsuk Chin (진은숙 Chin Unsuk) (July 14, 1961 -)
Clarinetist: Kari Kriikku
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert
00:00 I - Mirage - Fanfare - Ornament
09:31 II - Hymnos
18:11 III - Improvisation on a Groove
Score available from Boosey and Hawkes: www.boosey.com/cr/music/Unsuk...
After solo concertos for piano, violin, cello, sheng and a double concerto for prepared piano, percussion and ensemble, my Clarinet Concerto is the sixth in this genre. As in previous instrumental concertos, I was no longer interested in the traditional idea of a competition between soloist and orchestra. As primus inter pares, the clarinettist, from whom a high level of virtuosity is demanded, is a part of the whole ensemble - apart from a few striking exceptions, in which the clarinet is contrasted with the entire orchestra.
The clarinet sound forms the core of the piece; the orchestra reflects and comments on the clarinet's impulses in multiple ways. The orchestral sound itself is subjected to incessant processes of transformation. In general, it was a matter - as in my other orchestral works - of creating a virtual ‘super instrument’, which in this work was a particular challenge, as the clarinet sound is very specific and seems to come from a quite separate sphere. The sound of the symphony orchestra, this wonderful relic from the 19th century, is altered by various playing techniques and by the various combinations of instruments. A small example is the treatment of the percussion group, which, inter alia, is sonically enhanced by ‘readymades’ such as fishing reels, a washboard, coil springs or a wineglass filled with vinegar water. Nevertheless, the creation of new timbres is not an end in itself, but it is closely linked with harmonic and formal qualities.
My enthusiasm for the clarinet stems from its wide range of dynamic shades, the diversity of their expressive possibilities and their enormous manoeuvrability. For the purposes of expressive development, various special techniques were required from the clarinettist. Of the many facets of the clarinet (as beyond Western classical music, it played a prominent role in early jazz and in many traditional musical cultures from various continents) I was interested in those that seem to lie outside a classically balanced, ‘cultivated’ sphere. Another idée fixe was the presentation of an imaginary, semi-ritual folk music, which is not, however, related to a particular time or place and is implemented in the most artificial manner.
My Clarinet Concerto unfolds in three movements, but the three-movement structure must not be understood in the classical sense. The first movement lasts ten minutes, by far the longest. It is entitled Mirage - Fanfare - Ornament and it is based on three very different musical characters, which merge into one another: the first is volatile, mysterious and elusive, and was inspired by the phenomenon of whistled languages; the second gives the flavour of a flourish; the third consists of ornaments. The second movement, Hymnos (Hymn), which formally resembles a kind of passacaglia, opens with a quiet and simple solo melody for the clarinet, which appears repeatedly in the course of the movement. It is based on very advanced multiphonics, which gives it its fragile nature. The third movement is called Improvisation on a groove. It begins without a break and with its consistently lively and agile character, stands in stark contrast to the previous movements. It consists of various small fragments and resembles a ‘patchwork’; continuity induces a rhythmic pattern (a ‘groove’), which runs through the movement like a thread. The musical language is neither avant-garde nor traditional, nor a postmodern collage; I went in search of new harmonic, tonal and rhythmic processes beyond tonality and atonality.
A première of one part of the work took place in Gothenburg under the direction of Kent Nagano in May 2014; the complete work was premiered by Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic in September 2014. The soloist in both cases was Kari Kriikku.
-Unsuk Chin
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Пікірлер: 50
Chin's music never fails to amaze me. Her music is full of complex timbre and rhythm and wonderful ideas.
@seongmin_choi1123
10 ай бұрын
Is that a compliment?
@XinhaoZheng
10 ай бұрын
@@seongmin_choi1123 Of course. Why do you ask?
@seongmin_choi1123
10 ай бұрын
@@XinhaoZheng My bad... :( The stupid translator interpreted your comment the other way around
As if multiphonics werent hard enough 😅 chin’s concertos continually surprise me with their incredible technical difficulty, complex rhythm, and novel orchestral textures. You hear things in her music that you just can hear elsewhere. I hope she lives long.
I'm sorry but the notation in the thumbnail made me think that this was going to be one of those joke musescore shitposts. Ended up being a really interesting and cool piece!
Krikku and Chin out here demolishing expectations for what a clarinet concerto can be
i wish there were analyses of Chin’s music available online. her concertos in particular are masterclasses in rich, post-Ligeti orchestration
@Cmaj7
Жыл бұрын
She really has such an amazing ability to extract timbres from each instrument and then blend them so perfectly.
I just randomly searched 'clarinet concerto' and found this fresh video... Although a bit less famous than her younger brother in Korea, her music is phenomenal. I love her style!
Everything I've heard from Unsuk Chin so far has blown me away. This was no exception!
Amazing sounds. A whole new world of colour for the clarinet I didn’t know existed!
such a cool work!
Fantástico. um belo concerto contemporâneo com muitavirtuosidade!!
What a piece! Very nice- Polyphonic writing that moves you!
so good... thanks for uploading, I love seeing you upload works of Chin!
Extraordinaire !!!
Feels like Vasks for wind. Great!
She is a master of auditory fantasy!
Radical
I need a video recording of Kari playing this.
Without even getting into artistic significance, ideas, or style, her music is pleasant to listen to on some basic level.
Remarkable. The use of multiphonics in this concerto is supreme. More imaginative than Berio. Some beautiful and strange sounds. Wonderful performance as well.
@lkh0120
Жыл бұрын
In fact, the only contemporary music composer you know is berio, right?
🤩
I didn't know clarinets played chords
sodelicious..................
@eliiphim
Жыл бұрын
yupppp
8:20 what is that notation? I've never seen something like that, how is that played?
@Arobamod
4 ай бұрын
you mean in the clarinet? I have seen that notation before in piano works, clusters that have too many notes to read clearly. But for a clarinet that can only play single notes, I have no idea
@tavuisi
26 күн бұрын
@@Arobamod Those are multphonics.
Can’t seem to find the fingering chart for the multiphonics in the solo part, anyone have it by any chance?
@orgue2999
Жыл бұрын
Found them i think, check Gregory Oakes website
Literally only like 5% of all clarinetists can play first two bars. Insane
@ViernesDeCine
Жыл бұрын
Kriikku makes it sound so effortless too!
@JimboCKW
Жыл бұрын
I feel like that’s just because most people don’t choose to specialise in multiphonics or extended techniques in general, but if you choose to there are plenty of multiphonics that aren’t that hard to play
@JimboCKW
Жыл бұрын
1:14 I find this super fast super quiet stuff over the break in that register much more impressive
unsuk chin
For whatever reason (probably because I listen to the clarinet music of Carter, Babbitt and others) this showed up without conscious prompting when I launched YT. This is certainly modern in the ordinary sense of the word. What the compositional principles I have no idea. To the wiki page. Not much there about specific principles. The writer of the wiki does not that she studied under Ligeti among others. I find this somewhat lackluster. It is just not my thing. I'll try it a few times but having trouble engaging.
desab
No
I was bored after 60 seconds, in spite of the reinvention of the form. Complex timbre and rhythm are not enough to sustain interest. Obviously melody is not much of a concern for Ms. Chin, either. I suppose there is melody, none of it memorable. As far as the pitches are concerned, and resulting harmonies, I found none that were interesting.
As boring as it can get.
@orgue2999
Жыл бұрын
you are boring
@blahkayonaFriday
Жыл бұрын
i kind of agree, i don't think it's boring, but Takemitsu does this kind of thing better imo
@stueystuey1962
Жыл бұрын
@@blahkayonaFridayI kind of agree too. Takemitsu I dont listen to a great deal but when I do it's full of trance, sound clusters, and arc that is vastly more engrossing. Among the moderns Babitt and Carter clarinet works are much more to my liking. Obviously subjective - not saying this is bad but it is not my taste.
@eliiphim
Жыл бұрын
@@stueystuey1962 I guess I can see this argument, but I doubt that’s what Chin was trying to achieve with this piece. I could never see Takemitsu write something like the third movement of this concerto because it’s just not his style. Ultimately, like you said, it is a matter of taste, and music is subjective. It would be better if we just let everyone do their own thing and appreciate their language and expression even if we would necessarily choose to listen to it! 🤗
@DorothyOfTheWest
Жыл бұрын
I agree...impressive Kriikku can torture his instrument to make all those sounds, however most of it just sounds like the instrument vomiting or technical note garbling.