Korea for Kwartludium was commissioned by the 2005 Warsaw Autumn Festival for the Polish mixed quartet Kwartludium (clarinet, violin, percussion and piano). It has since been performed in Boston (on Alea III, Nov. 16, 2009) and Washington, DC (Contemporary Music Forum, Nov. 12, 2006).

On this occasion Daniel Ginsburg of the Washington Post wrote:

"Lawrence MossŐs Korea for Kwartludium more directly evoked a location. using traditional colors to suggest Asia, albeit through an astringent modernist lens. The players - Lina Bahn, clarinetist Kathleen Mulcahy, pianist Lin and percussionist Svet Stoyanov - put the extreme mood and texture changes in high relief."

The title of the piece, besides referring to the group Kwartludium, also refers to my piece for tape, Korea , available on Unseen Leaves (EMF 045). Korea in turn is based on Korean ethnic music, digitally sampled and modified using a Kurzweil synthesizer.

Korea for Kwartludium originally began as a transcription of Korea, but quickly took on a life of its own. I wanted to maintain the improvisational character basic to the performance style of Kwartludium as well as Asian folk music. The result is a bridge between East and West - a project that has engendered many other works of mine.

Please contact Lawrence Moss for further availability details.