Symphony of the Hawai‘i Forests: Reflections on Ka Wai Ke Kumu Ola (2023) Full orchestraStillness in the Mist (2022)
for violin duo
duration: 10 minutes
Program Notes
The writing of Stillness in the Mist began in 2019 during a residency at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute with the violin duo Miolina. Our initial concept was to create a work that could potentially be played alongside a gagaku ensemble, a traditional Japanese court music. While that idea still lingers, we ultimately decided to present it as a standalone violin duo, which allowed me to explore the essence of gagaku in a more intimate and contemporary context.
Throughout the piece, I aimed to capture the evocative qualities of the shō, a Japanese mouth organ used in gagaku music. This instrument’s distinct timbre, harmonies, and its use of small glissandi became a source of inspiration, and I soon discovered at the residency with Miolina that the violin duo’s sonorities worked exceptionally well to bring out these sonorities of the shō. Also, much like in gagaku music, the piece seeks to capture a contemplative and pulseless sensibility for much of the piece. However, there are plenty of moments of departure where the piece takes its own path, weaving in the traditional sounds with my own musical language.
The writing of Stillness in the Mist was marked by many revisions and interruptions, but was finally completed in 2022, and is dedicated to Mioi Takeda and Lynn Bechtold of Miolina.