Yun, Isang

Yun, Isang, important Korean-born German composer and teacher; b. Tongyong, Sept. 17,1917; d. Berlin, Nov. 3, 1995. He studied Western music in Korea (1935-37) and in Japan (1941-Ì3). During World War II, he was active in the anti-Japanese underground; in 1943 he was imprisoned, and then spent the rest of the war in hiding until the liberation in 1945. He became a music teacher in Tongyong in 1946, and later taught in Pusan; in 1953 he became a prof. of composition at the Univ. of Seoul; then studied with Revel at the Paris Cons. (1956-57) and with Blacher, Rufer, and Schwarz-Schilling at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (1958-59); also attended the summer courses in new music in Darmstadt. He settled permanently in Berlin, where he produced several successful theatrical works, marked by a fine expressionistic and coloristic quality, and written in an idiom of euphonious dissonance. His career was dramatically interrupted when, on June 17, 1967, he and his wife were brutally abducted from West Berlin by secret police agents of South Korea, and forced to board a plane for Seoul, where they were brought to trial for sedition; he was sentenced to life imprisonment; his wife was given 3 years in jail. This act of lawlessness perpetrated on the territory of another country prompted an indignant protest by the government of West Germany, which threatened to cut off its substantial economic aid to South Korea; 23 celebrated musicians, including Stravinsky, issued a vigorous letter of protest. As a result of this moral and material pressure, South Korea released Yun and his wife after nearly 2 years of detention, and they returned to Germany. In 1969-70 he taught at the Hannover Hochschue für Musik. In 1970 he was appointed lecturer in composition at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik, where he was a prof. from 1973 to 1985. In 1971 he became a naturalized German citizen.

Works

dramatic: Opera :Der Traum des Liu-Tung (Berlin, Sept. 25, 1965); Träume (1965-68; Nuremberg, Feb. 23,1969; an amalgam of the preceding opera and the following one); Die Witwe des Schmetterlings (Bonn, Dec. 9, 1967; Eng. version as Butterfly Widow, Evanston, 111., Feb. 27, 1970); Geis-terliebe (1969-70; Kiel, June 20, 1971); Sim Tjong (1971-72; Munich, Aug. 1, 1972). ORCH.: Symphonische Szenen (1960; Darmstadt, Sept. 7, 1961); Bara (1960; Berlin, Jan. 19, 1962); Conoides sonores for Strings (Hamburg, Dec. 12, 1961); Fluktuationen (1964; Berlin, Feb. 10, 1965); Réak (Donaueschingen, Oct. 23, 1966); Dimension (Nuremberg, Oct. 22, 1971); Konzertante Figuren for Small Orch. (1972; Hamburg, Nov. 30, 1973); Ouvertüre (Berlin, Oct. 4, 1973; rev. 1974); Harmonía for Winds, Harp, and Percussion (1974; Herford, Jan. 22, 1975); Cello Concerto (Royan, March 25,1976); Concerto for Flute and Small Orch. (Hitzacker, July 30, 1977); Double Concerto for Oboe, Harp, and Small Orch. (Berlin, Sept. 26, 1977); Muak (Mönchengladbach, Nov. 9, 1978); Fanfare and Memorial (Münster, Sept. 18,1979); Exemplumdm memoriam Kwangju (Cologne, May 8,1981); Clarinet Concerto (1981; Munich, Jan. 29,1982); 3 violin concertos: No. 1 (1981), No. 2 (1983-86; Stuttgart, Jan. 20, 1987), and No. 3 (1992); 5 syms.: No. 1 (1983; Berlin, May 14, 1984), No. 2 (Berlin, Dec. 9,1984), No. 3 (Saarbrücken, Sept. 22, 1985), No. 4 (Tokyo, Nov. 13,1986), and No. 5 for Baritone and Orch. (Berlin, Sept. 17, 1987); Gong-Hu for Harp and Strings (1984; Lucerne, Aug. 22, 1985); Mugung-Dong for Winds, Percussion, and Double Bass (Hamburg, June 22,1986); Impression for Small Orch. (1986; Frankfurt am Main, Feb. 9,1987); Duetto concertante for Oboe or English Horn, Cello, and Strings (Rott-weil, Nov. 8, 1987); 2 chamber syms. (1987, 1989); Oboe Concerto (1990); Silia (1992). CHAMBER: 6 string quartets (Nos. 1 and 2 withdrawn; 1959; 1988; 1990; 1992); Musik for 7 Instruments (Darmstadt, Sept. 4,1959); Loyang for Chamber Ensemble (1962; Hannover, Jan. 23, 1964); Gasa for Violin and Piano (Prague, Oct. 2, 1963); Garak for Flute and Piano (1963; Berlin, Sept. 11,1964); Nore for Cello and Piano (1964; Bremen, May 3, 1968); Riul for Clarinet and Piano (Erlangen, July 26, 1968); Images for Flute, Oboe, Piano, and Cello (1968; Oakland, Calif., March 24, 1969); Glissés for Cello (1970; Zagreb, May 8, 1971); Piri for Oboe or Clarinet (Bamberg, Oct. 25,1971); Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Violin (1972-73; Mannheim, Oct. 18, 1973); Trio for Violin or Viola, Cello, and Piano (1972-73; Berlin, Feb. 23,1973); Étüden for 1 or More Flutes (Kyoto, July 16, 1974); Rondell for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (Bayreuth, Sept. 30, 1975); Pièce concertante for Chamber Ensemble (Hamburg, June 15, 1976); Duo for Viola and Piano (1976; Rome, May 3,1977); Königliches Thema for Violin (1976; Düsseldorf, April 1, 1977); Octet for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and String Quintet (Paris, April 10, 1978); Sonata for Oboe, Harp, and Viola or Cello (Saarbrücken, July 6, 1979); Novellette for Flute, Violin, and Cello or Viola (1980; Bremen, Feb. 5, 1981); Concertino for Accordion and String Quartet (Trossingen, Nov. 6,1983); Sonatina for 2 Violins (Tokyo, Dec. 15, 1983); Monolog for Bass Clarinet (Melbourne, April 9,1983); Inventionen for 2 Oboes or 2 Flutes (1983; Witten, April 29, 1984); Monolog for Bassoon (1983-84; Nice, Feb. 3, 1985); Duo for Cello and Harp or Piano (Ingleheim, May 27, 1984); Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet (Kusatsu, Japan, Aug. 24,1984); Li-Na im Garten for Violin (1984-85; Berlin, Nov. 28, 1985); Recontre for Clarinet, Harp or Piano, and Cello (Hitzacker, Aug. 2,1986); Quartet for 2 Piccolos, 4 Flutes, 2 Alto Flutes, and 2 Bass Flutes (Berlin, Aug. 27, 1986); Quintet for Flute and String Quartet (1986; Paris, Jan. 17, 1987); Tapis for String Quintet (Mannheim, Nov. 20, 1987); In Balance for Harp (Hamburg, April 8, 1987); Kontraste for Violin (Hamburg, April 10, 1987); Pezzo fantasioso for Chamber Ensemble (Chiusi, July 10, 1988); Quartet for Flute, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1988); Distanzen for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and String Quintet (Berlin, Oct. 9, 1988); Intermezzo for Cello and Accordion (1988); Contemplation for 2 Violas (Berlin, Oct. 9,1988); Sori for Flute (N.Y., Nov. 7, 1988); Together for Violin and Double Bass (1989; Árhus, April 28, 1990); Rufe for Oboe and Harp (Ravensburg, Nov. 10,1989); Kammerkonzert I (Amsterdam, June 16, 1990) and II (Berlin, Oct. 21, 1990); Wind Quintet (1991); Violin Sonata (1991); Trio for Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn (1992); Quartet for Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, and Piano (1992); Espace I for Cello and Piano (1992) and 7/ for Cello, Harp, and Oboe ad libitum (1992); 7 Études for Cello (1993); Wind Octet (1994); Ostwestiche Miniaturen for Oboe and Cello (1994). KEYBOARD: Piano: Fünf Klavierstücke (1958; Bilthoven, Sept. 6, 1959); Interludium A (Tokyo, May 6, 1982). Harpsichord: Shao Yang Yin (1966; Freiburg im Breisgau, Jan. 12, 1968). Organ: Tuyaux sonores (Hamburg, March 11, 1967); Fragment (Hamburg, May 17, 1975). VOCAL: Om mani padme hum for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1964; Hannover, Jan. 30, 1965); Ein Schmetterlingstraum for Chorus and Percussion ad libitum (1968; Hamburg, May 8, 1969); Schamanenge-sange aus Geisterliebe for Alto and Chamber Orch. (1969-70; orchestrated by E. Koch-Raphael; Berlin, Dec. 16, 1977); Namo for 3 Sopranos and Orch. (Berlin, May 4,1971; also for Soprano and Orch., 1975; Münster, May 10, 1976); Gagok for Voice, Guitar, and Percussion (Barcelona, Oct. 25, 1972; also for Voice and Harp, 1985); Vom Tao for Chorus, Organ, and Percussion (1972; Hamburg, May 21,1976; rev. 1982; Vienna, Nov. 6,1986); Memory for 3 Voices and Percussion (Rome, May 3,1974); An der Schwelle for Baritone, Women’s Chorus, Organ, Flute, Oboe, Trumpet, Trombone, and 2 Percussion (Kassel, April 5, 1975); Der weise Mann, cantata for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (Berlin, June 9, 1977); Teile dich Nacht for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (1980; Witten, April 26, 1981); O Licht... for Chorus, Violin, and Percussion (Nuremberg, June 21,1981); Der Herr ist mein Hirt e for Chorus and Trombone (1981; Stuttgart, Nov. 14, 1982).

Bibliography

H.-W. Heister and W.-W Sparrer, eds., Der Komponist I. Y.(Munich, 1987); H. Bergmeier, ed., J. Y: Festschrift zum 75. Geburtstag 1992 (Berlin, 1992).

—Nicholas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire