Young Ja Lee’s Mort et transfiguration pour kayagum et onze instruments: an analysis and performance guide

This thesis explores the biography and significance of Korean woman composer Young Ja Lee, with a focus on her composition Mort et Transfiguration pour Kayagum et Onze Instruments, providing general, contextual, and formal analysis of the piece, alongside practical guides for conductors and performers working with the piece. Lee’s historical significance as a composer is profound. She was the first Korean woman to study composition abroad, learning from prominent figures in Western music history, including Olivier Messiaen and Daniel-Lesur. Her work bridges Eastern and Western musical traditions, and her compositions have garnered international recognition, including performances at major events such as Juilliard's Focus Festival 2020. Her unique experiences, from enduring the hardships of the Japanese occupation of Korea and the Korean War to balancing her roles as a composer, diplomat’s wife, and mother, offer a remarkable backdrop to her creative output. Mort et Transfiguration was chosen for its intercultural artistic craft of Western compositional techniques and Korean musical elements. The work features a solo kayagum—a Korean zither-like instrument—alongside a Western instrumental ensemble, creating a rich tapestry of sound that reflects both Lee’s heritage and her global musical education. The formal analysis provided in this study highlights key compositional attributes, including the integration of innovative twelve-tone techniques, neoromantic and impressionistic colors, and Korean traditional musical elements. As a contextual study, it briefly explores the identical titles and similar philosophy between Lee’s Mort et Transfiguration and Richard Strauss’s Tod und Verklärung to bolster the understanding of Lee’s work.