New Stories (2013)
for alto saxophone and piano
Commissioned by Joseph Lulloff, with funding from the Fromm Music Foundation
Duration: 16 min.
New Stories is a reflection on the various musical influences and experiences I’ve had as a second generation Chinese American who has lived in both North America and Asia. Chinese folk songs, 80’s pop ballads and marching band music are equally a part of my musical identity, as is the influence of composers ranging from Bach, Brahms and Stravinsky to more recent contemporary composers. The four movements that comprise New Stories are personal musical narratives that result when these diverse elements are embraced and woven together in various ways.
The first movement, “Floating Worlds”, begins with two primary musical elements: a very quiet and sustained note in the saxophone and a chain of piano chords moving slowly beneath. The chords are tonally ambiguous and only loosely connected, as if floating independently in a hazy harmonic world. From this opening, the harmonies thicken and gradually become more grounded as the saxophone spins out long, lyrical lines.
The second movement, “A Tall Tale Told”, begins with a simple melody that has a dance-like, scherzo quality. As the movement progresses the melody is repeated, embellished and distorted, eventually building to a peak of unexpected intensity.
The title of the third movement “Reflection”, is a play on two meanings of the word: self-reflection, in that the movement is very still, intimate and contemplative, and reflection as an image or representation, in this case that of traditional Chinese music. The borrowed elements, however, are merely blurred and indistinct shadows of ‘genuine’ Chinese music, being filtered through layers of cultural distance and other influences.
The closing movement, “Folksong” is fast and energetic, bringing together elements from a wide variety of music that have helped to shape and define my own musical voice.