"Born in the United States in 1956, Ian Krouse has become one of the nation’s most highly regarded and productive composers, here adding four premiere recordings. They are linked together by the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, a conflict in which the United States became involved, the recording having appropriately been made in the Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, with the Seocho Philharmonia. In three substantial movements, the Fifth Symphony is the disc’s most extended score and is shaped from three substantial movements, the finale using Walt Whitman’s poem, On the Beach at Night, here sung by the bass-baritone, Michael Dean. Enjoying everything I have heard from Krouse, I once described his output as influenced by the ‘mainstream West European composers of the early Twentieth Century’, but in this symphony he has created an orchestral sound that is very much his own. That is particularly true of the score’s opening with movement subtitled, ‘Of Youth, Innocence, and Reflection’, those words graphically picturing a mood that explores discovery and unease, while the following, ‘Of the Apocalypse’, places the emphasis on brass and percussion. It is music that is unrelentingly grim as it recalls a war where many men would never return to their homeland. That is here also remembered in the recently composed, Fanfare for the Heroes of the Korean War, the atmosphere as a dirge that is full of sorrow. Finally two works that share the title, Symphonies of Strings, the first, with the added sub-title, ‘Song of Freedom’, being scored [for strings] without violins, and continues that feeling of a lament. It is something of a relief when we reach the First Symphon[ies of Strings]—also in one movement—with its genesis coming from a Spanish dance, La Follia. The playing of the Seocho Philharmonia throughout, with its founding conductor, Jong Hoon Bae, is all you would expect, comparable to a top ranking North American orchestra. Vivid in colours when required, but here also offering a wide range of muted shades."

~ David Denton, David's Review Corner, November 2021

“I sometimes find it difficult to get into the mindset of those who have commissioned works to commemorate historic occasions, particularly when they are linked to military action. Nevertheless this music is both effective and affective, combining both the triumphant and the sombre. I knew nothing of contemporary American composer Ian Krouse’s music before hearing this disc. His *Symphony No 5 ‘A Journey Towards Peace’ (*which includes text by Walt Whitman) is coupled with Fanfare for Heroes of the Korean War. Also included are two Symphonies of Strings both of which draw on different musical traditions.”

~ Stephen Page, Lark Reviews, November 23 2021

“The 5th Symphony by American composer Ian Krouse (b. 1956) was premiered in Seoul in November 2019, on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, in which UN troops led by America pushed back communist forces, albeit with heavy losses. The Seocho Philharmonia, named after its residence in Seoul and conducted by Jong Bae, recorded this work for Naxos. Based on older works, it was first titled American Interludes and is now called A Journey Towards Peace. The third movement includes a text by Walt Whitman, On the Beach at Night Alone, in which the poet deals with past and future, expressing that everything that has ever existed or will ever exist is connected. The expressive, often very agitated music is played excitingly by the orchestra. The Fanfare for the Heroes of the Korean War is a somberly heroic piece, while the short Symphonies of Strings, subtitled Song of Freedom, is based on an ancient Hasidic song in which the low strings set the tone. Symphonies of Strings No. 1 is a very rhythmic, urgent, and nervous work that ends a CD on which conciliatory sounds are rare.”

~ Remy Franck, Pizzicato, November 2021

“Ian Krouse is probably known best on the one hand for works for guitar quartet (1/14), one based on a Led Zeppelin song (Delos DE3163), and on the other for his vocal music, including the powerful Armenian Requiem (7/19). As with that last-named, the Fifth Symphony is a commemorative piece, at least in its final 2017 form, marking the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, and its origins are as complex as the conflict that inspired it. The virile first movement, ‘Of Youth, Innocence, and Reflection’, is an expanded version of an orchestral Prelude-weaver (1998), while the remaining two, ‘Of the Apocalypse’ and ‘On the Beach at Night’ (an evocative setting of Whitman, strongly sung by Michael Dean), were complete by 2006 as independent wind-band works. If the symphony stays within relatively familiar tonal landscapes, the result is not unimpressive, as with the central movement’s juxtaposition of a Korean melody with ‘Amazing Grace’ and two well-known fragments of Copland. The composer’s own note suggests that the overtly ‘cinematic’ Fanfare for the Heroes of the Korean War (2020) ‘serves as a fitting coda for the brooding finish of the symphony’, which precedes it here. I do not hear it that way and prefer the Fanfare to precede the Symphony. The two Symphonies of Strings (the plural title is a deliberate homage to Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments) date from 1993 and both started life in another guise, as pieces for one or more guitars. The Second (which has a lower opus number) is based on a Hasidic Jewish melody, while its larger stablemate – reworked from Krouse’s Fourth Guitar Quartet – is based on the famous tune ‘La folia’. They make a delightfully contrasted, skilfully achieved pair (though obviously exist quite separately) and round out the picture of the composer a touch. The performances by the Seocho Philharmonia and UCLA Brass Quintet are splendid and the recording resonant and full.”

~ Guy Rickards, Gramophone, January 2022

월간객석 l 인터뷰 질문지

Monthly Music & Performing Arts Magazine

"Symphony No. 5 ‘Journey to Peace’ is a work to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War. First of all, I want to congratulate you on this. It is expected to serve as an opportunity to promote good friendship between Korea and the United States. What were your thoughts when you first received the request?"

"Thank you for your kind words. I was honored to receive this request, both because it was extended by long-time friend Maestro Jong-Hoon Bae, whose work and friendship I treasure deeply, and because it gave me an opportunity to acknowledge the hundreds of Korean friends, students and colleagues who have enriched my life over the years."

"After the Korean War, Korea achieved remarkable development, symbolized by the word ‘miracle on the Han River’. As an American, what kind of country has Korea seen so far? What do you know about Korea's classical music scene?"

"Korea’s extraordinary development since the war has been miraculous and indeed a model to the world. We in the US are grateful to have such a committed, democratic ally, especially considering the tensions in the world today.

Korea consistently produces some of the finest classical musicians in the world, many of whom I have had the great good fortune to rub elbows with during my life as a composer. For instance, the great Korean violist Richard Yongjae O’Neil, who was on my previous Naxos CD release “Nocturnes,” released in 2020. As a music student at the University of Southern California and a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, it has been my privilege to work with many extraordinary Korean musicians, both those born in the United States and those who either emigrated or who were attending school there. In the United States there is a tendency for young people to embrace popular culture and ignore or to be mostly ignorant of great classical music. I am personally grateful that so many gifted Korean musicians have devoted their lives to classical music, both old and new. Since my own music represents an attempt to bridge the old with the new, I think there could be a great resonance for the people in Korea."

"Symphony No. 5 is a work in which the 2nd and 3rd movements were composed in a woodwind ensemble with the title of “American Interlude”. What motivated you to try to transform it into a symphony by your orchestration?"

"Throughout my life I have re-cast some of my music for different media. Four of the movements on this CD are examples of this. I do this for several reasons. First, I find it simply intriguing to explore the different expressive possibilities that each medium presents. The large wind ensemble, for example, for which movements 2 and 3 were originally scored (as you noted), can be very loud and powerful, owing to the enlarged brass and percussion sections, but the orchestra brings with it the incomparable expressive resources and sheer sonic beauty of the strings. The second reason is sheerly pragmatic: when music is scored for different ensembles it can be performed more often and (potentially) reach a larger audience."

"In the quodlibet of the 2nd movement of Symphony No. 5, three American melodies are mixed: Korean ‘Arirang’, ‘Simple Gifts’, ‘Amazing Grace’, and ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’. How did you feel when you first encountered ‘Arirang’? What criteria did you choose for the three American melodies?"

"I first encountered ‘Arirang’ when my former student Kay Kyurim Rhie (now my colleague at UCLA) used it in a solo piano piece. Later Jong-Hoon Bae sung it to me when we were doing a concert at the Los Angeles Disney Hall. When it came time to compose this new version of the 2nd movement of my symphony, I re-wrote the quodlibet to include Arirang – it is the last of the four songs to be quoted and drives the section to (I think) an apocalyptic climax. I chose Arirang for the same reason I chose the three American songs: in a way each is woven into the DNA of our respective national consciousnesses and represents deeply held feelings of patriotism and national identity. By the way, it is not easy to compose a quodlibet (!), a musical technique where two or more traditional melodies or songs are combined to sound simultaneously. First, with a bit of trial and error, I found a way to blend the three American tunes, all played very loudly by brass instruments. When it came time for Arirang to join in, played passionately by the strings and bells, it required no effort at all; it worked effortlessly and easily as if it were always meant to be there."

"Symphony No. 5, the 2nd movement, ‘About the Apocalypse’, is dominated by a dark yet powerful force. I heard that it seemed to have predicted the tragedy of 9/11. What scene was intended in this movement?"

"The wind band version of this piece was written at the end of the last century and it was meant to convey dark musings about the fragility of democracy, especially in America. It occurred to me that freedom and liberty are fragile values, unknown to man throughout most of our history on this planet, but here enjoyed by hundreds of millions in today’s world. And yet there are powerful anti-democracy forces at play that could bring the whole experiment down. This is why democratic countries like Korea and the US need to be ever vigilant in the face of these forces. I recalled Ronald Reagan’s famous quote: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

A few years later the late American scholar Richard Hansen wrote in his book “The American Wind Band: A Cultural History” that my work seemed, written as it was in 1999, “eerily prescient of 9/11.”

"In the 3rd movement of Symphony No. 5, ‘On the Beach at Night’, a poem by Walt Whitman is recited. Why was this text adopted? And a traditional Korean drum was used. Have you ever heard of Korean traditional music?"

"I set the Walt Whitman text, written in the aftermath of the American Civil War, in an attempt to answer the grim vision of the previous movement and to bring a measure of solace. At the time I wrote the original version of this piece, I had a young daughter of my own, so Whitman’s image of the father attempting to comfort his own small daughter, holding hands, and walking on the beach at night, was particularly poignant for me. He speaks of “Something there is more immortal even than the stars, Something that shall endure longer even than lustrous Jupiter, Longer than sun or any revolving satellite, Or the radiant sisters the Pleiades.” As a God-fearing man myself, these words had especial meaning.

I was introduced to Korean traditional music through my students in America. We have a Korean music ensemble at UCLA. Many is the time I watched from my second floor UCLA office as the Korean dancers and drummers rehearsed outside in the courtyard below. They were very loud (!) hahaha so it made it difficult to teach my lessons. My students and I would stop what we were doing to go to the window and watch. My use of the large Korean drum in the funeral march-like finale of the final movement is a tribute to Korea, its history past and present, and to the alliance between our two countries."

"How did you feel when you heard the world premiere of the Seocho Philharmonia conducted by Jong-Hoon Bae? As a composer, what are some of the things you communicated with the conductor?"

"I have long known Maestro Jong-Hoon Bae. After all, for a time he was a graduate student of conducting at UCLA. From the first time we met, on the front stairs of the music buildings, he and I had a mutual sympathy that was there at the start and has only grown over the years. By now we have done many concerts together and will surely do more. We are already planning our next Naxos recording. Honestly, I have never had to tell the maestro anything – he has an intuitive sense for my music. He knows exactly how it should sound and how it should be played. He always brings the same passion to our conversations, rehearsals, and performances. His always dynamic, at times explosive podium presence is a perfect fit for my music!"

"The 'Fanfare for Heroes of the Korean War', followed by the symphony, is like great film music and serves as the symphony's coda. The announcement was made amid the spectacular display of 400 drones at the UN Cemetery in Busan, South Korea. What does this song mean?"

"I have always loved Elgar’s elegant ‘Nimrod Variation’ and I was thinking of it when I wrote the Fanfare in cinematic style. Of course, I was also thinking of the thousands of Korean War veterans, and I wanted to write something that honored their bravery and sacrifice. The hymn-like work alternates between a brooding, menacing theme, and a gentle, solace inducing theme that grows in passion with each variation. It does indeed, as you say, make a fine ‘coda’ to the symphony. Hopefully, it will be performed that way."

"Dror Yikro's 'Freedom Song' is based on the melody of an old Hasidism song found at UCLA. What importance do you think elements of Jewish music such as klezmer have in the music world?"

"The last two works on this CD were included for several reasons. First, we wanted to showcase the spectacular strings of the Seocho Philharmonia. Secondly, all the works in this CD except for the symphony were recorded during the pandemic, making it all but impossible to assemble the full orchestra. The smaller scale string works were much easier to accomplish. And finally, we thought that the meaning of Dror Yikro ‘Song of Freedom,’ complimented the sentiments of this CD quite well. One cannot help but draw comparisons between the modern states of Korea and Israel, both thriving democracies in hostile environments."

"I was overwhelmed by listening to the String Symphony No. 1 ‘La Folia’ at the end of the album. It is said that the original song was a guitar quartet, and it seems that the arrangement of the guitar music is excellent in making fun of the symphony. There is a saying that a guitar is a small orchestra."

"Again, thanks for your kind words. Both Symphonies of Strings (plural intentional) began life as guitar works: Dror Yikro as a guitar solo, and La Follia, as a guitar quartet. I made the string versions in the early 1990’s (!) but they have never been performed until Maestro Bae’s premiere recordings of this year. This makes all the works on this CD first performances, except for the first movement of the symphony. You are correct, the great Andres Segovia famously compared the guitar to the orchestra. Since I compose for the guitar in an orchestral manner, it was quite easy to make the transformation from the more intimate medium to the larger. I believe that my Dror Yikro may be the only piece ever composed for string orchestra without violins."

"Who have other composers influenced you to become composer?"

"I grew up in a household surrounded by great classical music, for which I have both of my parents to thank. I heard it from the time I was in the womb…"

"I think Koreans will listen to this album with interest and remember your name. Please introduce interesting new songs and projects that you are currently working on and are scheduled to release new album in the future."

"Thank you! I hope so. In addition to plans that Maestro Bae and I have for future projects that will feature young Korean soloists, my current CD projects include the recording of both of my guitar quintets with guitarist William Kanengiser and the Alexander String Quartet, to be released in 2022; a CD of Spanish songs and chamber music based upon them; and an upcoming recording of my epic First Symphony, ‘Cancion de Yerma’, for vocal soloists, choir and orchestra, with the UCLA Philharmonia conducted by Neal Stulberg, and UCLA Chamber Singers conducted by James Bass. My next CD release is called “East Meets West” performed by American guitarist Robert Trent that will include the premiere recording of my Phantasmion Sonata (based upon The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Alan Poe), and the second recording of the original version of Dror Yikro. There is more, but that will give your readers a taste!"

Ian Krouse 'Symphony No. 5 ‘A Journey Towards Peace’*; Fanfare for the Heroes of the Korean War; Symphonies of Strings Nos 1&2 *Michael Dean (bass-baritone), *Jens Lindemann (trumpet); *UCLA Gluck Brass Quintet; Seocho Philharmonia/Jong Hoon Bae Naxos 8.559907 69:23 mins

"California-based Ian Krouse (b.1956) is perhaps best known for his development of the guitar quartet, with some 11 composed to date. However his output is far wider, and this orchestral album reflects an important aspect of his work as a public composer with a powerfully eclectic commemorative voice.

The central two works were co-commissioned by conductor Jong Hoon Bae’s Seocho Philharmonia for the 70th anniversary of the Korean War. The short, stirring Fanfare for the Heroes of the Korean War was premiered by them at a memorial event in South Korea in 2021. Here it becomes a kind of coda to a 2017 version of Krouse’s Symphony No. 5, which itself brings together three standalone works composed between 1998 and 2006.

Intended to underscore the ‘very special relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea’, the Fifth Symphony too contains bright fanfares and a muscular patriotism couched in Copland-esque sweeping colours, performed with spirit by trumpet soloist Jens Lindemann and the orchestra.

But the mood is just as often ambivalent. While the second movement ‘Of the Apocalypse’ utilises a Korean melody in a dark foreboding that reflects the real-world complexity of the Symphony’s subtitle, A Journey Towards Peace, the final movement setting of Whitman’s ‘On the Beach at Night’ – supply sung by Michael Dean – also ends ominously.

Less convincingly performed but with inventive textures, the Symphonies of Strings Nos 1 and 2 (1993) are based respectively on an old Hasidic song and popular Renaissance theme."

~ Steph Power, BBC Music Magazine, January 19, 2022