Commissioned by Patrick Yim with support from the Asia Research Collaboration Grant from Notre Dame International.
World premiere on Jan 9th, 2024 at the Lee Hysan Concert Hall, Hong Kong.
US premiere on Feb 9th, 2024 the LaBar Performance Hall, University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, IN.
Violin: Patrick Yim
Sheng: Loo Sze Wang
at the edge of the earth draws its inspiration, musical materials, and structure from the poem Autumn Thoughts by Yuan Dynasty poet Ma Zhiyuan, who depicted the desolate and bleak twilight scene of late autumn to express the loneliness and melancholy of a wanderer drifting far from home. The piece at times seeks to unify the instruments by conceiving the duo as a meta-instrument performing singular musical gestures, while at other times emphasizes their differences by showcasing their unique beauty and capabilities: melodic fragments are to be performed (‘narrated’) solo or in counterpoint between the two, and expressions specific to the instruments (such as double-stop harmonic trills in the violin and dense cluster chords in the sheng) are harnessed in the sonic reimagining of the poetic landscapes.
馬致遠《天淨沙: 秋思》
枯藤老樹昏鴉。 小橋流水人家。 古道西風瘦馬。 夕陽西下, 斷腸人在天涯。
Autumn Reverie by Ma Zhiyuan
(translation by the composer)
Withered vines, weathered trees, twilight's ravens.
A narrow bridge, a flowing stream, a humble dwelling. Ancient trails, westerly winds, a grim, bony horse.
The setting sun in the west
Leaves behind the heart-wrenched at the edge of the earth.
