JIHYUN KIM
Composer
Piano Etudes
for Piano Solo
Three Etudes engages limited sources of intervals and articulations.
Inspired by Ligeti’s Etude No.2 “Cordes à vide”, my Etude No. 1, A leaf falls, the water ripples… takes the interval of perfect fifth as a main premise. The sound of the perfect fifth in Ligeti's etude evokes an image of water that flows endlessly. With my piece, I wanted to portray how water changes shape to fall in soft undulating folds when touched by a leaf or wind.
Etude No.2 Effervescent utilizes the interval of minor seventh and its inversion, major second. Through the difference in timing, two lines in each register move in parallel or contrary motion that intensifies itself to three lines in the middle section. The asymmetrical pattern of articulation repeats in retrograde rhythm or stretto or free format.
Etude No.3 Chamber of Mirrors employs two separate lines that involve repeated and bell-like gestures in high register and still
harmonies with longer breathe.
Etude No.4 Pulsar Glitch consists of two distinctive characters. One is a rapid non-stop moving layer and the other is the abrupt chords that unexpectedly break the flow. It mainly exploits the interval of minor thirds. With such limited materials, the etude continuously transforms with ever-changing accent placements and register shifts.