Im:

Im (임) for soprano, flute, clarinet, viola, cello and bak is Gideon Gee-Bum Kim’s vocal chamber music inspired by an influential Korean poet and academic, Park, Mok-wol (1916~1978)’s poem, “Im”. The Korean word, “Im” (임) means beloved. The piece was originally written for soprano, two flutes, viola, cello and pak in 1989. During those times, Kim studied music composition at the University of Pennsylvania and was interested in exploring new compositional techniques in heterophony texture, especially under the guidance of Prof. Mark Kopytman (1929~2011).

In this work, Kim dramatically expresses Park, Mok-wol’s purified yearning for beloved through soprano’s leaping and chromatically stepping progresses along with the melodic lines of the Korean folk song, “Han O-baek-nyun (한 오백년)”, mostly played in the instrumental parts in heterophonic texture. Pak, the Korean traditional wooden clapper also has an important role in structure and context.

The piece shows Kim’s live and emotional imagination based on the rich musical heritage of Korea. Im (임) for soprano, two flutes, viola, cello and bak received the first prize in the 1993 Moldovian International Composers Contest.

<Lyrics in Korean>
내ᄉ사 애달픈 꿈꾸는사람 내ᄉ사 어리석은 꿈꾸는 사람
밤마다 홀로
눈물로 가는 바위가 있기로 기인 한밤을
눈물로 가는 바위가 있기로
어느 날에사
어둡고 아득한 바위에
절로 임과 하늘이 비치리오

<Translation in English>
I am but a heart-broken dreamer, a foolish dreamer.
There’s a rock I grind in private with tears that fall every night;
there’s a rock I grind with tears
through the livelong night
Whenever will my love and heaven
be mirrored in this dark and impossible rock?