NaamJai (Liquid Heart)
Andrea Reinkemeyer
About this work:
NaamJai (Liquid Heart) for Orchestra (2015) was commissioned by the Albany (NY) Symphony Orchestra, and made possible by generous funding of the A.W. Mellon Foundation, for the 2015 "Migrations" American Music Festival.
This work was inspired by the three years my family spent living in Bangkok, Thailand. Kindness flows from a "liquid heart"; it is giving, loving and open to others. We encountered this kindness often as we traveled throughout southeast Asia. While our migration was temporary, Bangkok is full of people who moved or fled there to escape political, religious, socioeconomic and environmental turmoil, so we were constantly navigating the peaceful intersection of different cultures and traditions.
Throughout the three sections of this work, I have woven in the sounds of the city and nature, impressions of the places we visited, traditional celebrations, as well as fragments of older works to show how I've changed as a composer as a result of these experiences. Our time was bookended by two major Thai events: the slowly rising floodwaters of 2011 and the bubbling political discontent that lead to the military coup d'état of 2013-14. In both instances, there was a long period of stressful uncertainty leading up to the unfolding of the events, so this tension is also present in the work.
The first section, Twittering, Laughing, draws upon the great diversity of birds found throughout Thailand in addition to the beautiful tonality of the language. The second sections, Floating Dreams Upon the Water Under a Full Moon, refers to Loi Krathong, a festival of lights that celebrates the importance of water within the Thai culture. As the full moon rises, people float baskets upon the water or release lanterns into the evening sky. The final section mixes together heat, blaring horns, and sparkling edifice of the temples.
Version: for Orchestra
Year composed: 2015
Duration: 00:10:30
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Standard Orchestra
Instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flute, 2 Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 4 Horn in F, 2 Trumpet, 2 Trombone, 1 Bass Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 2 Percussion (General), 1 Strings (General), 1 Harp
Instrumentation notes: Oboe 2 doubles English Horn.
Percussion 1: Chimes, Vibraphone (Shared), Large Bass Drum, Small Triangle / Percussion 2: Glockenspiel, Vibraphone (Shared), Tambourine, Large Triangle, Small Gong or Suspended Cymbal