Sleepless Eremite
Chinese flutes, yangqin, pipa, erhu, cello, piano
Premiered by: Music Confucius Institute, conducted by Kirsten Milenko
13th March 2018 ;
Pulsar Festival, Copenhagen
Performance Note:
On the subject of water and set to the work 'Bright Star' by John Keats, Sleepless Eremite paints a scene of two people spending a finite time in each other's presence. It is a work of peace, celebration and nostalgia wound into one entity. One of the key points of focus in composing this work was to remain sensitive to both traditions of music so that the sonorities of East and West would stand with one another and compliment the ensemble while also offering the uniqueness of their individual voice.
A core element of performance in traditional Chinese music performance is that of storytelling, which involves some improvisation within the parameters established in the sound world. It was important to offer this freedom of expression to the performers which is done in the score through embellishment notation; the concept of which has been coined to allow dynamic freedom and flow within ensemble while still remaining within the parameters of a composed work of music.