Alternative orchestra's commission -- Let's shake the earth

Recently, I received a commission from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the alternative orchestra. The instrumentation is:   
  • 2 Piccolos
  • 3 Flutes
  • 1 Soprano saxophone
  • 1 Alto saxophone
  • 1 Tenor saxophone
  • 1 Baritone saxophone
  • 3 B-flat trumpets
  • 5 Tubas
  • 1 Piano
  • 1 Harp
  • 1 Guitar
  • 1 Timpani
  • 1 Tam-tam

I had a short interview before the concert and helped me rethink the process of composing this piece

Qs - Tell us a little about your piece?

It is about noise. The clusters are the main material of the music. The cluster in the bass low register creates a muddy and gritty sound; while the cluster in the high register sounds piercing and edgy. Throughout the whole piece, I gradually add the cluster materials layer by layer until the breaking point everything’s messed up and ends with everyone being shaken.

Qs -What attracted you to the sound of the Dung Chen?


Dungchen is an instrument used in Tibetan Buddhism. It is a long trumpet, it is very long and puts one end on the ground on the ground. It is a bass and brassy instrument. I am not only drawn by the sound of it, rather, but I am also quite into the whole Tibetan Buddhist music. It has a great focus on the low register, monks' chants and the instruments in the low register, which is not a focus of typical western music. It is more than listening to the sound, you can feel the vibration, shaken. My adaptation of the dungchen push it to the max by our wonderful musicians 


Qs - Were there any challenges writing for the ensemble?


The setup is not even in a different register, the bass register, 5 tubas, and high register, 5 flutes, are particularly strong. Meanwhile, the mid register is quite weak comparatively. If I want to stack a chord traditionally, it is deemed to be problematic. So I did thing alternatively, stacking clusters instead of chords.


Qs - What do you think the future of the orchestra is?


it is likely that the future of symphonic orchestras will see a greater emphasis on cultural exchange, and adapting non-western music cultures. We are in the age of promoting cultural diversity. The adaptation of non-western music culture is more than just quoting an exotic tune playing orchestral setting in an orchestral setting, western harmony. With the aid of information technology, we learn better and dig deeper into the core value of culture. Then, using the orchestra to reinterpret an old music tradition in an alternative way. I think to preserve a culture is to bring fresh water into the pound and orchestra has the flexibility to achieve it.



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