Video Clips - Variations on a Korean Peasant Tune

Program Note:

Lee considered piano a difficult medium for expressing Korean themes because of its stubborn well-tempered temperament and a strong harmonic inclination. Often Korean traditional music id not sound right when played on the piano because the unique patterns of the Korean melody and rhythmic patterns cannot be expressed. In his earlier piano piece, A Movement for Piano, Lee subjugated the piano by treating the instrument as a percussion instrument. But in this Variation, the composer accepted the piano as it is and tried to let the melody of the song come alive through the work.