Lee Young-Ja (b. 1931)

List of Works

Dong Shim (The Heart of a Child) for voice and piano 1953

Dal Mu Ri (The Halo of the Moon) for voice and piano 1953

Mu Dum (The Sepulcher) for voice and piano 1953

Kil (A Path) for voice and piano 1954

Bam Ho Su (Nocturnal Lake) for voice and piano 1954

O Weol Ae (In May) for voice and piano 1954

Six Variations for solo piano 1954

Sonata for violin and piano 1955

Trio for violin, cello, and piano 1956

Prelude for solo piano 1956

Two Bagatelles for solo piano 1956

Quintet for clarinet, violin, cello, double bass, and piano 1956

Sonata for cello and piano 1956 (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO records, 2009).

Two Poems for solo piano 1958

Variations for solo piano 1959

Suite for cello and piano 1966

Trio for oboe, bassoon, and piano 1967

Quintet for clarinet, two violins, viola, and cello 1967

Suite Romantique for solo piano 1967 (Young Ja Lee Piano Music, Soo Moon Dang, 2006; CD Lee Young Ja Piano Music, MUZOO Records, 2005)

Song Haeng (Adieu) for voice and piano 1968

Wan Hwa Sam for voice and piano 1968

Sonata for violin and piano 1969

Ballade for clarinet and piano 1970 (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Suite for orchestra 1971

Mouvements Symphoniques for orchestra 1972 (Edition Munjo, 1974)

Sonatine for solo piano 1972 (Young Ja Lee Piano Music, Soo Moon Dang, 2006; CD Lee Young Ja Piano Music, MUZOO Records, 2005)

Concerto for piano and orchestra 1973 (Edition Munjo, 1973)

Mouvements concertante for violin and orchestra 1973

Commemorative Overture for orchestra 1975 (for thirtieth anniversary of Korean independence)

Sonata “Requiem 83” for solo flute 1983 (Soo Moon Dang, 2001; CD KSWC, volume 8-1; (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Sonata for piano 1985 (Eumag-Chunchoo, 1985; Ye-Dang, 1992; Young Ja Lee Piano Music, Soo Moon Dang, 2006; CD Lee Young Ja Piano Music, MUZOO Records, 2005)

Reminiscence for solo piano 1988 (Young Ja Lee Piano Music, Soo Moon Dang, 2006; CD Lee Young Ja Piano Music, MUZOO Records, 2005).

Reflection for flute and clarinet 1988 (Ye-Dang, 1992)

Ae-Ga (Dirge) for oboe and piano 1989

Auto-Portrait for harp and piano 1990 (KSWC, no. 9411; CD KSWC, volume 1; (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Three Love Songs for soprano, harp, and dance 1991 (Ye-Dang, 1992; (Lee Young Ja, Mélodies sur poèmes lyriques de Kim Nam Jo, Soo Moon Dang, no date; CD Treize mélodies de poèmes lyriques, MUZOO Records, 2004)

A-Ga (Song of Songs) for soprano and piano 1991

Flower for soprano and piano 1991

Under the Autumn Sun for soprano and piano 1991

Symphonic Overture “Gae—Chun” for orchestra 1991 (Ye-Dang, 1999)

Na Bi Eui Yeon Ga I (Love Song of a Butterfly I) for flute, harp, violin, viola, and cello   1993 (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Aquarelles for solo harp 1994 (KSWC, no. 9506; CD KSWC, volume 3; CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Arirang Sang By Birds for mixed chorus a cappella 1995 

Cantata I (Hymn in Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of Korea) for mixed chorus and orchestra 1995

Cantata II (Hymn to the Musicians) for mixed chorus and orchestra 1995

Cantata III (Hymn for the 20th Anniversary of the International Music Festival) for mixed chorus and orchestra 1995

Green Song for soprano and piano 1995

Set My Soul on Fire for soprano and piano 1995

Song Cycle for soprano and piano 1996

Lyrical Songs on Poems by Chun Sang-Byung for soprano and piano 1996

Eight Variations on the Korean Nursery Song “Umma ya, Nuna ya” for solo piano 1996 (Young Ja Lee Piano Music, Soo Moon Dang, 2006; CD Lee Young Ja Piano Music, MUZOO Records, 2005)

Seven Variations on the Korean Nursery Song “Umma ya, Nuna ya” for clarinet, violin, and piano 1996

Na Bi Eui Yeon Ga II (Love Song of a Butterfly II) for daegeum, violin, viola, and cello 1997 (KSWC CD no. 7; CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Songs for three-part female chorus 1998

Hymn to the Republic of Korea for mixed chorus, piano, and harp 1998

Man Ga (Dirge) of My Soul for soprano and piano 1998

Psalm 150 for mixed chorus and piano 1998 

Love for soprano and piano 2000

Autumn for soprano and piano 2000

Man Ga (Dirge) for solo gayageum 2001 (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music,  MUZOO Records, 2009)

Hymn (Praise the Lord Who Created Us) for soprano and piano 2001

Variations on a Theme of Hong Non Pa for two harpsichords (or two pianos) 2001 (Soo Moon Dang, 2006)

Son Ga (Hymn of Praise) for soprano and piano 2001

Na Bi Eui Yeon Ga III (Love Song of a Butterfly III) for solo daegeum 2002

Requiem Song for solo daegeum 2002

Tryptique for flute, clarinet, and bassoon 2002

Hal Mi Kot Yeon Ga (Love Song of a Pasqueflower) for solo geomungo 2002 (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Fivefold Colored Stories of Life for soprano and piano 2002 (Lee Young Ja, Mélodies sur poèmes lyriques de Kim Nam Jo, Soo Moon Dang, no date; CD Treize mélodies de poèmes lyriques, MUZOO Records, 2004)

I Would Never Have Known Had It Not Been for the Farewell for soprano and piano 2003

Le Pèlerinage de l’âme (The Pilgrimage of the Soul) for violin, cello, and piano 2003 (Soo Moon Dang, 2009; CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Cantata “Admiring Baek Du Mountain” for mixed chorus, soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists and piano 2003 

Dal Ma Ji Kot (Evening Primrose) for three-part female chorus and piano 2004 

Ode to Hee-Su for three geomungos 2004

Concerto II (“Casting the Anchor”) for piano and Korean traditional orchestra 2004 (CD Autumn’s Concerto, Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Music Orchestra, the 268th Subscription Concert, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, 2004)

Lord of Hardship, Thy Arrow of Fire for soprano and piano 2004 (Lee Young Ja, Mélodies sur poèmes lyriques de Kim Nam Jo, Soo Moon Dang, no date; CD Treize mélodies de poèmes lyriques, MUZOO Records, 2004)

Dal Bam (The Moonlit Night) for soprano and piano 2005

No Rae It Ki Ae (With the Song Present) for soprano and piano 2005

Yo Ram So Kok (Short Cradle Music) for soprano and piano 2005

Mo Rae Shi Gae (Hourglass) for soprano and piano 2005

Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) for female chorus and piano 2005

You, My Eternal Love and My Sorrow for soprano and piano 2005

Na Bi Eui Yeon Ga IV (Love Song of a Butterfly IV) for soprano and piano 2006

Byeol Ki U Ki (Raising a Star) for soprano and piano 2006

Three Songs on Poems by Park Kyung Li for soprano and piano 2006

Poème Lyrique for solo gayageum 2006 (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Songs of Our Mothers for tenor and string orchestra 2006

Poème Concertante for dramatic soprano and orchestra 2007

Uh Mo Ni Bui Tang (The Land of Our Mothers) for soprano and piano 2007

Variations-Fantaisie sur le thème du “Salut d’Amour” d’Edward Elgar for two pianos 2007 version for piano and harp, 2011 (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Na Bi Eui Yeon Ga V (Love Song of a Butterfly V) for clarinet and cello 2007 (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

You Fell Asleep as a Suk Kuk Sae for soprano and piano 2007

Auto Portrait II for solo harp 2008 (CD Auto Portrait: Young Ja Lee, Korean Traditional Music and Ensemble Music, MUZOO Records, 2009)

Sol Ba Ram (The Breeze) for soprano and piano 2008

Whispering of Stars for soprano and piano 2009

Reminiscence de la Provence for solo piano 2009

The Person I Love for tenor and piano 2010

Three Songs (A Sad Song) for three kotos 2011

Cloud Coffee Shop for soprano and piano 2011 

Mu Um Ga for viola and piano 2011

Trois Melodies Lyriques for soprano and piano 2011

Three Art Songs on Poems by Pak Kyongni for soprano and piano 2011

 

Music Examples

Concerto for piano and orchestra

Example 1: movement 1, opening four-note motive in woodwinds (mm. 1-4) and piano theme in exposition that is derived from this motive (mm. 44-46).

Example 2: movement 1, mm. 68-75, second theme group that is reminiscent of sae-ya sae-ya

Example 3: movement 2, mm. 1-20, with multiple ostinato patterns and descending melodic contours. 

Example 4: movement 3, mm. 1-20, main thematic idea with ascending major seventh in piano. 

Example 5: movement 3, mm. 31-40, second theme group with quartal harmony. 

 

Sonata for piano

Example 1: movement 1, mm. 1-14, showing eight-note chords and contrasting material in low register.

Example 2: movement 1, mm. 44-50, showing cross-rhythms and dissonant cross-relations.

Example 3: movement 2, mm. 1-10, with simple melodic idea accompanied by dissonant harmonies. 

Example 4: movement 3, mm. 1-12, showing quartal harmonies (C-F-Bb-E-E-Ab-D, Bb-E-Ab-D-G-C, etc.) with a 5/8 rhythmic pattern 

 

Reflection

Example 1: mm. 1-12, showing opening melodic idea (mm.1-4), regrograte imitation (mm. 6-7) and inverted imitation (mm. 11-12). 

Example 2: mm. 29-39, with four-note motive presented within the context of a three-note diminishing rhythmic pattern. 

 

Man ga

Example 1: movement 1, opening section, with prominent perfect fourths and fifths, motive E5-Eb5-D5-G4, pitch bending and chromaticism. 

Example 2: movement 1, beginning of presto section, with characteristic kayagum figurations. 

Example 3: movement 2, showing use of fore-ornaments leading to sustained pitches that are treated with pitch-bending or vibrato. 

Example 4: movement 2, showing chromaticism and 3:2:1 rhythmic relationships in B section. 

 

Love Song of a Butterfly II

Example 1: Butterfly Song II, showing opening daegum solo. 

Example 2: Butterfly Song II, showing daegum climax on D6 and five-note motives in strings. 

Example 3: Butterfly Song II, section four, with rhapsodic daegum line and string harmonics. 

 

Le Pèlerinage de l’âme

Example 1: A Section (mm. 1-13), showing chromatic melody in m. 1 and its derivatives. 

Example 2: E section, with strings in parallel fourths, gradually becoming more independent. 

Example 3: F section, with asymmetrical 3+3+2 patterns in 8/16 meter. 

 

Concerto II: ("Casting the Anchor")

Example 1: movement 1, mm. 1-15, showing contrapuntal layers of activity in Korean instruments. 

Example 2: opening piano theme and its expansion in mm. 16-32

Example 3: movement 2, mm. 13-33, showing contrapuntal lines in Korean instruments and piano material based on melody from Kangwon province. 

Example 4: movement 3, mm. 21-57, showing piano theme using 3+2+3 rhythm and beginning of meno mosso section with parallel piano triads. 

 

Poème Concertante

Example 1: movement 1, mm. 1-12, with chromatic line beginning in violoncellos/basses and imitated/varied in other instruments. 

Example 2: movement 1, mm. 55-78, with recitational soprano opening leading to climaxes on E5 and G5. 

Example 3: movement 2, mm. 142-156, with multiple layers moving chromatically. 

Example 4: movement 2, mm. 162-183, showing prominence of harp and syncopated string parts in opening vocal section.