Earl Kim (1920-98), born in California to Korean immigrant parents, studied music at Los Angeles and Berkeley, where he received instruction from Arnold Schoenberg, Ernest Bloch, and Roger Sessions. But rather than follow the path of complexity set by his teachers, Kim instead developed his own simpler but nonetheless powerfully moving compositional style and went on to achieve international stature as an important and highly original voice in late-20th century American music. His work is deeply influenced by the experiences of his life; whether flying over the remains of Nagasaki the day after its bombing or visiting a Japanese stone garden, these and many other personal events find their way into Kim’s music.
This disc opens with the arrestingly willful vocal gymnastics of Exercises en Route (1963-70), based on the sometimes austere poems of Samuel Beckett. The longest of these, “Rattling on”, lives up to its title as the singer spews out continuous stream-of-consciousness prose, and it’s amazing how Kim’s musical line exactly matches the broken rhythms, hesitations, and impulsive surges of real speech. The song ends with an extended vocalise performed with amazing skill, breath control, and pitch accuracy by Benita Valente. Now and Then (1981), a deeply felt work reflecting Kim’s reaction to nuclear war, states its quietly passionate protest in achingly poignant and lyrical strains, touchingly rendered by Karol Bennett accompanied by delicate musings on flute, harp, and strings.
Three Poems in French (1989) are Kim’s commentaries on three settings by Debussy, and explore paths not taken by the French master. Bennett’s ethereally beautiful singing makes each song a dream-like experience in this highly impressionistic atmosphere, sharpened by Kim’s spare and translucent instrumental textures. Finally, Dear Linda (1993), prefaced by a dramatic extended introduction on piano, flute, and cello, is a straight read of an almost painfully intimate letter from Anne Sexton to her daughter (narrated with unmitigated honesty by Eva Kim). Earl Kim’s music probably will be new to most collectors, but this well-planned program, given in bracingly colorful and involving performances (and recorded in clear, full-bodied sound), makes for a fascinating and not easily forgettable introduction.
