composer

DEUTSCH   中文

Mother Earth – 大地之母) symphonic sketch of a taiwanese scenery (2022)

«Mother Earth» (大地之母) is a commissioned work written for the «OneSong Orchestra» in 2022. Written for large symphony orchestra, it is inspired by the nature of Taiwan as well as motifs from indigenous people´s singing. In the following some informations about the background and the origin of this music. Thanks to my wife, Taiwan has become my second home. We have been commuting between Switzerland and Taiwan for many years. Encounters with people, as well as the always fascinating variety of landscapes and culture in Taiwan - and above all the music - have been an inspiration for some of my works in recent years. Above all, of course, the music for cello and orchestra that my wife, the cellist Pi-Chin Chien (簡碧青), recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the conductor Wen-Pin Chien (簡文彬) on the album «Taiwan Rhapsody». My father-in-law, the painter Tsang-Rong Chien (簡滄榕), also became an important inspiration in my life. In his paintings and his children´s book illustrations - his children´s book „Yi-Gong-Gong“ (姨公公) is particularly well known - he tried all his life to capture the soul of Taiwan and express it artistically. The theme of his life, and thus also the theme of his paintings in recent years, is „Mother Earth“. Unique works of art were created in difficult years, which want to express the power of nature and the connectedness of all living beings. Many of his paintings surround us in our home in Switzerland - also in my working room - and so I have long wanted to try to transcend the theme of his paintings into music. And so I was very happy about the request of the OneSong Orchestra to write a new orchestral work for the New Year´s Concert 2023. Because it seemed to be the right moment to try to implement this wish. The result is a large-scale orchestral work entitled «Mother Earth», in which, at the request of the orchestra, I also inserted five traditional Chinese instruments into the orchestration, which additionally enriches the colors of sound. The elemental force of the earth can be clearly felt on the volcanic island of Taiwan. In the impressive mountain landscapes, in the numerous steaming hot springs, but also in the earth movements, the great breathing of the earth can be felt, and my piece should begin with this great breathing. It is expressed with a menacing, repeated swelling to a powerful orchestral sound and subsequent swelling down. This breathing at the beginning leads to a moving, restless sound in which more and more melodic themes begin to appear. Two melodic themes prevailed as the main themes and will remain present throughout the work, once with an intimate chamber music character, once with a large orchestral sound. In between, typical motifs resound again and again, reminiscent of the singing of songs by the indigenous people. This lyrical first part finally dies away quietly in the depths of the double basses and then flows into a more moving second part. In the center of the piece, the music is reminiscent of the breathing of the earth. Now, however, it´s more of a sigh, replaced by dramatic, fast music. It´s like soaring to the highest heights in the sky. As the music ensued over a pulsing accompaniment, I actually imagined myself flying like a bird, borne by the wind in complete freedom over the fantastic mountains of Taiwan. It has to be an overwhelming experience and it´s my attempt to express that in music. At the end of this grandiose bird´s eye view, the music culminates in a tranquil horn solo with a musical motif I´ve encountered in the songs of the Bunun (布農族) tribe. A music on the move, almost dance-like part follows, which finally culminates in a powerful orchestral noise - similar to the breathing of the earth at the beginning. Above this orchestral sound comes the deafening chirping of the cicadas, omnipresent in the forests of Taiwan. For me, a sound that is inextricably linked to Taiwan. It never ceases to amaze me how such small creatures can make such a loud noise. The chirping finally fades away, allowing for a quiet epilogue to follow. A short, fast-paced Vivace then ends this journey through my inner images of Taiwan.

Info

Commissioned by the One Song Orchestra

Movements

In one movement

Instrumentation

2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (B flat), 2 Bassoons
4 Horns (F), 2 Trumpets (C), 2 Tenor Trombones, 1 Bass Trombone, 1 Bass Tuba
timpani, percussion (3 players)
Harp
Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Violoncello, Double Bass
additionally: 1 Chinese flute, 1 Erhu, 1 Sheng, 1 Yangqin, 1 Pipa

Duration

about 12 minutes

Scores

Complete Work on hire

JEC EFM105-LM

Concerts

January 01st, 2023
02:00 pm - Taiwan, National Concert Hall Taipei

Premiere – New Years Concert

One Song Orchestra (灣聲樂團), direction: Che-yi Lee (李哲藝)