things that flow
Christopher Adler
About this work:
Complete audio available as webcast at www.artofthestates.org.
For solo harpsichord, commissioned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Music and Theater Arts Department and Council for the Arts. Requires a two-manual harpsichord with a minimum registration of I: 8'+4', II: 8'.
The piece is based on a single pentatonic melody which cycles through the piece but is transformed according to a regular system of permutations between pentatonic modes. The texture evolves as differently permuted layers accumulate and rhythmic complexity becomes increasingly virtuosic.
The cyclic repetition of a basic, underlying melody reflects my experiences with Southeast Asian musics, and is also reminiscent of Early Baroque keyboard pieces based on chant melodies (e.g. works by Byrd or Sweelinck). These cycles, and the always-changing pitch transformations and musical textures of the piece, are reflected in the title, taken from a film about a young korean Buddhist who is taught to always "follow things that flow." (Passage to Buddha)
This work has been performed by Martin Pearlman (Boston), Michiyo Honma (Tokyo), and Christopher Adler (Durham).
Year composed: 1996
Duration: 00:09:00
Ensemble type: Keyboard:Harpsichord or Clavichord
Instrumentation: 1 Harpsichord