The first version of the “Piano Concerto”(1973) was premiered in 1974. the revised version, three years later. Comprising three movements, the middle section, “Spielen”, is in fact the main center of the whole piece. Although different types of (Korean) traditional games are introduced in various manners, they are not reproduced in their original form. The jerking movements portrayed by the dancers wearing different masks express in reality the process of cooling off of sorrow and anger incubated in people from different social standings, the masks enabling the dancers to keep their own identity unrevealed; the portrayal of this aspect of life convinced me that I should not be left alone as a simple spectator to the scene. This conflict in the second movement leads to the third movement where finally a peaceful state of mind is reached, with a positive look for the future.
(Paik, Byung-dong Orchestral Works (CD) - Paik, Byung-dong / translation by Nany Han)
