The 'Manga' is a spritual song and a requiem sung by the pallbearers. This particular piece is a song of love and a requeim dedicated to my mother-in-law who, always with a smile, used to listen to my Kayageum playing.
Kayageum's traditional yet graceful melodic line, enhanced by "nong-hyun', a typical Korean traditional string instrument technique -mainly the execution of vibrating the strings by pressing them down with the left fingers- is accompanied by irregular rhythmic flows. The music evokes the serene and sometimes passionate state of mind, omnipresent in the portrait of life.
Composed of two movements, the first section conveys the joy of youth, while the latter expresses the sublimation of the twilight year's blessing. The 『Manga』 is a lullaby dedicated to my mother-in-law who passed away in the height of summer of 2000 at the age of ninety-four.
(Kayageum : Ae Ri Ji)
(CD) Young Ja Lee Korean Traditional Music & Ensemble Music
