Let $\mathfrak g$ be a semisimple complex Lie algebra and $\k\subset\g$ be any algebraic subalgebra reductive in $\mathfrak g$. For any simple finite dimensional $\mathfrak k$-module $V$, we construct simple $(\mathfrak g,\mathfrak k)$-modules $M$ with finite dimensional $\mathfrak k$-isotypic components such that $V$ is a $\mathfrak k$-submodule of $M$ and the Vogan norm of any simple $\k$-submodule $V'\subset M, V'\not\simeq V$, is greater than the Vogan norm of $V$. The $(\mathfrak g,\mathfrak k)$-modules $M$ are subquotients of the fundamental series of $(\mathfrak g,\mathfrak k)$-modules.

Let $U_{q}(\SL)^{+}$ be the positive part of the quantized enveloping algebra $U_{q}(\SL)$. Using results of Alev--Dumas and Caldero related to the center of $U_{q}(\SL)^{+}$, we show that this algebra is free over its center. This is reminiscent of Kostant's separation of variables for the enveloping algebra $U(\g)$ of a complex semisimple Lie algebra $\g$, and also of an analogous result of Joseph--Letzter for the quantum algebra $\Check{U}_{q}(\g)$. Of greater importance to its representation theory is the fact that $\U{+}$ is free over a larger polynomial subalgebra $N$ in $n$ variables. Induction from $N$ to $\U{+}$ provides infinite-dimensional modules with good properties, including a grading that is inherited by submodules.