Island: Theme and Migrations
Byron Au Yong
About this work:
Island: Theme and Migrations is a piano duet that recognizes the inherent loneliness of playing the piano.
Two pianists are separated by the bodies of the grand pianos, as if they were separated by the ocean. The strings resonate between them as they touch the keys like sunlight bouncing on the waves.
The title Island refers to Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the West Coast, where Chinese sojourners carved their poetry into the walls of the immigration barracks. I think about their hardships and desires as I etch out sounds with gestures that come from the main theme.
These migrations, variations in the classical sense, vary from performance to performance because I've cut open the notation. Melodies and chords float around the score. Across the distance, the pianists hear each other.
Byron Au Yong
Year composed: 2007
Duration: 00:11:00
Ensemble type: Keyboard:Two Pianos, 4 or More Hands
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation notes: for Two Pianos