Shu Shon Key for viola and chamber orchestra (2006), ca. 12'
Shu Shon Key for viola and chamber ensemble (2006), ca. 11'
Shu Shon Key, a viola concerto written for Taiwanese American performer Hsin-Yun Huang, was inspired by a Taiwanese Folk melody and conveys homesickness and a reminiscence of my Taiwanese childhood. The music, however, is abstract and focuses on the study of continuity and character transformations. It is also consistent with my compositional focus in recent years to integrate Western techniques with elements from a Chinese sound world.
At the beginning of the piece, the original folk melody with its sad and bittersweet emotion is simplified in its presentation. Gradually, this emotion, carried by different fragments of the folk melody, is transformed into an uplifting, lighter, playful and even intense and powerful music for the climax of the piece. After a dazzling cadenza passage, which shows off Hsin-Yun Huang's superb musicianship and technique, the music is brought back to the original folk tune. It is now presented in a more elaborate form and played by the entire ensemble, one part on top of another. This brings a resolution and full closure to end the piece.
Shu Shon Key was commissioned by a consortium of organizations including Da Camera of Houston, Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts, Appalachian Summer Festival in North Carolina, and the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan. Two versions of this concerto were written: one for soloist with a chamber orchestra, the other for soloist with a small chamber ensemble (flute, clarinet, harp, percussion, violin, and cello).
Scores available from Trigon Music Press
© Copyright 2011 Trigon Music Press. All Rights Reserved.