10 More minutes-user's manual
Ideally, even if only once, this is how I hope you will listen to 10 More Minutes
PROGRAM NOTES
1. In the Evening (Schumann)
I imagine myself swimming alone in a lake in the early evening. There is a gentle reflection of the moon on the water, and my feeling is of becoming one with nature.
2. Etude, Op. 42, No. 4 (Scriabin)
Someone is reading a poem to me, and just like I want to hear it again and again in order to digest all of the meaning within it, this etude succinctly fuses the many nuances of Scriabin’s melodic line with his unique harmonic language.
3. Intermezzo (Brahms)
Of course, I don’t know what Brahms was going through at the time that he composed this intermezzo. But this piece has so many layers of feeling, and is so powerful, that I am always overwhelmed when I play it. It requires a certain vulnerability in order to receive and then communicate this music to others.
4. Impromptu, Op. 90, No. 2 (Schubert)
Joyful, light and whimsical. I have always thought it would be nice to sit and talk with Schubert. He is the musician’s musician. His insightful genius for creating a breathtaking musical line never ceases to humble me.
5. Gymnopédie, No. 1 (Satie)
I have this on-going quest to find the perfect cappuccino and croissant. Since there are so many bakeries and coffee shops wherever I travel, finding that ideal combination is elusive. This same sense is the tease of Gymnopédie ... simple yet elegant.
6. Pagodas (Debussy)
This is Debussy’s artistic rendering of East Asia. Growing up in South Korea, I remember each morning walking up the hillside in order to retrieve fresh water from the mountain spring. Visions of Buddhist temples, pine trees veiled in the misty morning, and the ringing of the gong each hour remain with me. And this is what Debussy has captured. With him I travel back in time to the home of my youth.
7. Arabeske (Schumann)
This is one of my favorite pieces to play. The sweetness of this music fills me with warmth and a sense of comfort. It is written that this arabeske was actually a love letter to Schumman’s future wife Clara. The final section underscores the romantic nature of his composition, with his use of the descending melodic line representing Clara’s presence.
8. October (Tchaikovsky)
This sentimental piece, describing the beginning of winter in old Russia, is filled with melancholy and longing. The general mood is pierced by a momentary ray of warmth and sunshine.
9. Gardens in the Rain (Debussy)
The wind blows, raindrops fall, then a storm begins to rage ... the sounds of this composition captured deftly by Debussy. My favorite part of the piece is the middle section: the storm dies down and only gentle raindrops can be heard.
10. Impromptu, Op. 90, No. 3 (Schubert)
If given the choice of only one piece to play, this impromptu by Schubert would be far and away my choice. It brings me to a place where, after all the struggle is over, hope remains.
11. Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2 (Chopin)
His language of subtle, conflicting ideas is always a challenge to express: happy and sad, simple and complicated, calm and passionate. I imagine a last dance with a beloved.
12. Nimrod Variation (Elgar)
I still remember the first time I encountered this piece. I was immediately overcome with a feeling of gratitude because it captured for me the deep reality of how and why music exists.
The key of E-flat major is often used to express heroism, and Elgar more than succeeds in his expression of the heroic.
13. 10 More Minutes (Jeeyoon Kim) This final piece is my personal gift to the listener. In this improvisation, I attempted to capture my feeling of nostalgia as the recording of 10 More Minutes was coming to an end. Not a goodbye, just until we meet again.
Program notes by Jeeyoon Kim
