Unsuk Chin - Cello Concerto (2008/2013)

Описание: Composer: Unsuk Chin (진은숙 Chin Unsuk) (July 14, 1961 –)
Cellist: Alban Gerhardt
Orchestra: Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Myung-Whun Chung

Another marvelous piece demonstrating Chin's masterful control of timbre, ranging from beautiful subtle textures (particularly movement III) to violent attacks.

00:00 I - Aniri
09:49 II
12:46 III
20:54 IV

Score available here: https://boosey.com/cr/music/Unsuk-Chi...

For this four-movement cello concerto, Unsuk Chin let herself be inspired by the "unique ability of Alban Gerhardt." The dedicatee first performed it in 2009 at the London Proms under Ilan Volkov and also performed the new edition in 2013 under Kent Nagano in Munich. Described as "the most important cello concerto since Lutosławski's in 1970" by The Guardian, Chin's transparent work never allows the soloist to be covered up, despite its large orchestration, and explores the specific lyrical qualities of the instrument with all of its technical difficulties.

Only very rarely does Unsuk Chin refer to the musical traditions of her homeland Korea. In this cello concerto, however, there is a narrative anchor: the first movement Aniri is named after a term from the Korean Pansori Theater and denotes in those "one-man operas" the narrative passages. And like the actor of an epic song, the cellist casts a spell over everyone. The cellist is introduced by barely audible, tender swabs of both harps: they present the central tone G♯, which over the course of the movement continually appears as an orchestral focal point and is taken up by the soloist. Tubular bells and celesta join in; the soloist's melodic line breaks ever freer. With a most diverse array of playing techniques, such as differing degrees of harmonics or striking the strings with the bow, the spectrum between song and noise is explored. The orchestra follows the cello in a shadowy manner, takes up a rhythmically pregnant figure, and lays out a seductively sparkling field over the soloist's arpeggio and harmonic passages – nine triangles support the impression of whirring and floating. The short cadenza again leads to the central tone G♯. The dreamy pause is interrupted by an abrupt detonation – mixed in with the extinguishing of the orchestra are improvisatory, feverishly flickering impulses from the cello. With the direction "as fast as possible," Chin makes tribute to the cello concerto of her teacher György Ligeti.

The frenetic, scherzo-esque 2nd movement was revised after the first performance; in fact, the beginning was completely rewritten. This movement was "the only one that I had a very clear vision of before the composition process. However, the end result was something completely different," said Chin before the revision. Like a motor the soloist drives the movement forward, supported by ostinatos in the percussion. Like lightning, the sixteenth-note chains of the strings strike downwards, rich in overtones from playing at the bridge. Unexpected in this short fast ride, the cello unfolds into a melody enriched with artificial harmonics: a stylized folk song, expressing Chin's original thoughts.

The adjoining 3rd movement functions as an extreme contrast, and yet is connected by a common breathing in and out. This time, the soloist establishes the central tone G, around which lies a delicate choral-like aura from the orchestra. With great sensitivity, the cello draws out a choral melody, statically floating, accompanied by low strings. After a culmination, the strings pick up the chorale, then the woodwinds, accompanied by the cello in a dark contrapuntal countermovement. The ghostly movement end stretches the orchestra even further out: the cello disappears into the highest harmonic regions; the gnarled contrabassoon moves down onto the Earth.

After these sounds of the spheres, the orchestra assaults the soloist with powerful hits: hard chords fall upon him, the sextuplet quaking of the violins grab him, vividly described by a performance critic as "a swarm of hornets." The cello counters the massive incessant tutti attacks with searching, wandering figures. Unsuk Chin speaks of "psychological warfare." After an explosion of orchestral colors, the cellist takes over the aggressive quaking figure, until suddenly a long-spun melody lights up, another reminiscence of the Aniri movement. The epic storyteller does not allow himself to be defeated by the collective – undeterred he sings his soul out, accompanied only by a droning motive in the contrabasses. The beauty in the music of Unsuk Chin is always an endangered beauty.

(My translation of Kerstin Schüssler-Bach's program note)

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