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Portrait of a Friendship Portrait of a Friendship > Riddle

Riddle:

Throughout an individuals life span, one is continuously faced with riddles whether s/he realizes it or not. I believe that the most important riddle in history is the Samson’s riddle which was written in the Book of Judges: "Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet" (Judges 14:14). This riddle was based on a private experience of Samson, who killed a lion and after a while found bees and honey in its corpse. "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" (Judges 14:18) is the answer to his riddle. Personally I am the most confident that blessed are those who solve Samson's riddle as “Christ Jesus”. Humans are continuously faced with riddles and this piece is one of them.

Riddle for clarinet, violin, cello and piano was commissioned by the Montreal QAT Ensemble and premiered by the ensemble in Montreal in 2007. The original title was Quartet for QAT and the work was renamed Riddle in 2008. The second movement is a reduction of my second poem from Two Poems for flute and guitar written in 2004. In 2018, the third movement was revised with adding 4 measures as well as each movement was subtitled as follows.
I. Unanswered Question, II. Kept Poem, III. Unforgettable Dance

  -Gideon GB Kim    

 

 

Gideon Gee-Bum Kim, managing/artistic directo
 
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