Blue (2017)
For SSAATTBB
For cello and lumiphone (microtonal glass marimba)
Duration: 8 minutes
The text for my new work Blue is a compilation of phrases and fragments taken from five Tang Dynasty poems by several different poets of the era (618-907). The imagery in Tang poetry is highly evocative, often providing glimpses into the extravagant lives of the imperial court centuries ago. However, the universal and timeless themes of love, loss, regret and solitude are also reflected in much of the poetry. The reconstructed text for Blue is a quasi-narrative of a woman of nobility mourning for a lover who is never to return.
The following excerpt was not included in the setting, but the passage reflects the woman’s unspoken sentiments:
“But far beyond my reach is the Enchanted Mountain,
And you are on the other side, ten thousand peaks away.”
This work was commissioned by the Redshift Music Society with funding assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts.
