Clima(c)tic Consensus
for flute and guitar

Kangyi Zhang 2021
Demo using Cakewalk.
Photography: Ding Ding

According to the 2021 UN World Meteorological Organization Report, climate disasters killed 115 people and caused US$ 202 million in losses daily over the past 50 years. Each decade from the 1980s has been warmer than all the decades that came before, and 2019 concludes the warmest decade in records since the mid-19th century. The number of billion-dollar climate catastrophes has increased from 29 events in 1980s to 119 in 2010s.

During the conception and composition of this work, news headlines were reporting on wildfires in Australia, the Amazon and the US west coast. Severe fires also hit Greece, Turkey, Spain and Siberia, while once-in-a-century flooding wreaked havoc in Europe and Asia. Further delay in mitigating climate change will lead to greater deaths, property destruction, and dire economic impact.

Motifs in this first movement are derived from Spanish Vaqueirada folk tunes. The beginning speaks of calm before imminent storm. Beneath the beautiful flute melody is an uncertain changing tonality. Next, fast tempo dominates with an almost perpetual motion to depict the calamities of floods and wildfires. The music progresses eventually to a climax where the Vaqueirada melodic theme is finally presented in a grandiose fashion. The climactic percussive ending represents a sudden plunge into an apocalyptic world.

Clima(c)tic Consensus for flute & guitar

This piece was partly inspired after watching the TED talk “The Neuroscience of Decision-Making: Are We Foul or Fair?” by Kimberly Papillon. Facial features, accents or just a name can change our decisions dramatically. Two equally qualified persons can be either accepted or rejected for a job due to implicit associations of their names. Accents can create unconscious bias of intelligence and competence. Facial features can skew us in our judgement of someone’s trustworthiness.

Judging can be taken at multiple dimensions. The score starts off with repetitive quarter notes before progressing in complexity. My challenge was to convey the idea “Never judge a music by the score”. I wanted the players to perceive classical Mozart as equally challenging as modern complex scores like Ferneyhough and Xenakis. I have encountered numerous complex scores involving quintuplets, septuplets etc. which are impossible to be precise and in-sync with other human players. Here, I challenge myself to limit this score to the basic rhythms: duplets, triplets and quadruplets.

Another judging dimension occurs in the performance aspect. A tight-knit duo is mandated by the precise interactions between the violinist and pianist. This creates the vision of two players as one single entity.

Judging from the opening music, the listener (with no access to the score) forms preconceived notions about the minimalistic approach of the remainder of the piece. This is similar to how we rapidly form definitive first impressions about someone from non-verbal observations. Each listener holds a different schema and judges how the music will progress - as anticipated or with surprises. My belief of the ideal would be a healthy balance of both.

Always Judging for Violin and Piano

At home and at work, sound cues can abruptly intrude our auditory space to prompt us to immediate specific actions. At a science research facility, these sounds can come from biosafety cabinets, centrifuges, card readers and timers. At home, both roommates and devices such as cell phones, alarms, microwave ovens and door bells, can demand immediate attention too.      
                                                                                                                                                           
In this piece, sequences of events are presented repeatedly to condition the listener. These grouped events usually share some similarity. Sounds of card readers are grouped with sounds of door bells. “Message waiting” calls over the public address system are matched with the ring tone of my phone. The conglomerate of sounds forms a thick texture near the ending to emphasize the diversity of sound timbre in our life cues.


Pavlov's Life Cues

This piece was first inspired by a conversation in Denver with my DJ friend Justin Cheasty. He talked about his experiences with Pro Tools and I immediately had an idea about using recordings of contemporary flute techniques. We also started talking about this amazing TED talk given by Hyeon-seo Lee “My Escape from North Korea”. Hyeon-seo Lee talked about her courageous journey of escaping North Korea and subsequently rescuing her parents from the totalitarian regime.

Several motivic ideas are used throughout three sections: “Confinement”, “The Escape”, and “A Poignant Liberation”. Several fragmentary motifs, which appear purposeless and restricted in the beginning, shift into continuous motion in the second section. Finally, the ideas are fully presented in meaningful and melodious themes. “A Poignant Liberation” depicts North Koreans who successfully escaped the regime but are now separated from their loved ones.

Utilizing audio recordings and synthesizers, this piece overcomes major challenges of flute performance. Contemporary flute techniques such as tongue pizzicato and jet whistle are hard to reproduce exactly using synthesizers. These sounds are crucial in representing the exhausted physical and mental state of the subject. On the other hand, synthesizers are utilized for their limitless possibilities.


Crossing the Border - Kangyi Zhang

UCLA Schoenberg Music Building, Jan Popper Theater
25th Feb 2015
Copyright (c) 2015
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Conductor – Young Hae Kim
Flute – Kangyi Zhang
Clarinet - Jiwoo Park 
Oboe - Joey Galasso 
French Horn – Sunghyan Lee 
Violins - Helen Rowe and Stephen Spies
Viola - Edward Ryan 
Cello - Jasmine Lau
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Liancourt Rocks" was written for a conducting friend, Young Hae Kim, as part of her doctoral degree requirements. The Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo 독도 or Takeshima たけしま) are a group of islets claimed by both Japan and South Korea. The strained ties caused by wartime history has furthered fueled the dispute and elicited impassioned responses from citizens of both countries. 

Two Korean and two Japanese melodies were used in the construction of the piece. Arirang (아리랑), Dokdo Song (독도는 우리땅), Song of the Seashore (浜辺の歌 Hamabe no Uta) and The Sea in Spring (春の海 Haru no Umi). Throughout the entire piece, the themes and melodic fragments are all derived from these four songs.

1. Tranquil waters
Contemporary techniques of various instruments are used to depict wind and bird sounds amidst a serene landscape.

2. Deadly currents and torrential rain
Due to the location and the small size of the islands, the Liancourt Rocks can present unpredictable and harsh weather. Themes and melodic fragments make abrupt entrances and intervallic tension is also employed.

3. Reconciliation (Calm after the Storm)
The Korean and Japanese themes are presented fully for the first time. Both melodies reconcile by forming a counterpoint.

While writing this piece, I was conscious of the seating arrangements of the players and hence the positions of sound production. The constantly changing interaction of the players is the focus of the piece. The french horn has a very special role as an observer and peacekeeper. Musicians 'compete' for dominance in front of the french horn.

I would like to thank Prof Ian Krouse for his guidance throughout the composition process.

The Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo 독도 or Takeshima 竹島 たけしま) by Kangyi Zhang

Carlos Gardels (pianist) Kangyi Zhang (composer)
This is a pre-concert rehearsal recording.
19th May 2015, Schoenberg Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles

Everyone I know remembers the exact thing they were doing when the September 11th attacks occurred. This is a watershed in US history and the stories of my generation. Suddenly, the military might of America becomes powerless when faced with attacks from within. On the 11th September 2001, terrorists simultaneously hijacked four planes and crashed into the World Trade Center, Shanksville Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon, causing a death toll close to 3000.  

2nd movement – The Aftermath
In ‘Lamenting amidst falling ashes’, I recall Ground Zero as being shrouded in ashes while survivors and rescue workers appeared. Away from the city, I also visualize the vast open space at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the spirits of the innocents soared up to heaven. 

‘Remembering the heroes’ is a tribute to the 403 firefighters, police officers and Port Authority officers who rushed into the burning towers while everyone was rushing out. Three old American songs – ‘Shenandoah’, ‘Shall We Gather at the River’ and ‘America the Beautiful’ - are now finally presented in a more transparent manner. Listen carefully to the more deeply embedded ‘America, the Beautiful’.

Coincidentally, a day before I finished the piece (15th May ’14), President Obama dedicated the National September 11th Memorial and Museum. I would like to thank Prof Ian Krouse for his guidance in this piece.

Threnody for Victims of Sept 11th - 2. The Aftermath

Boston, 3rd July 2015
by Kangyi Zhang (music) and Nicole Tay Liling (text)
Nadine Kulberg (mezzo soprano) Ivan Tan (pianist)

Good morning my friend 
When did I last see you?
I think it was down by the bridge 
Where broken eyes go to mend
Where we laugh with the fool 

Sometimes I wonder what happened to the games we played
In the smoky air of the roaring night 
Now I wonder - have you learned about
What we spoke of that day?
 
Can you remember when we stood in the crowd
Gazing into the eyes of the singer
Believing the songs were for us
We were none the wiser
 
Good night my friend
When will I next see you?
I hope it will be across the bridge
With no more broken eyes to mend
Where we'll still laugh with the fool.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Leaving my Old Shell’ speaks of a girl who is both nostalgic about home, yet excited about the uncertain future. This text was written when my friend, Nicole Tay, was leaving Singapore for her studies at Cambridge, UK. A similar theme occurs in ‘Chasm’ where a girl yearns for love after being separated from her lover. Moments of nostalgia and hope resurface amidst her dreadful isolation. 

Several musical ideas are inspired by the text and they can be easily identified. For example, in the first movement, the piano responds with gestures for ‘sunrise’ and ‘trickling down’. The small rising and falling piano gesture after ‘sunrise’ reappears in the second movement to mark the start of the recitative (singing in free time). The piano tremolos after ‘memories’ in the first movement reappears at ‘I wonder’ and ‘roaring night’, the last example being in a much more ominous mood.

I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to Ivan Tan and Nadine Kulberg for this collaboration.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright (c) 2015
http://www.kangyizhang.com/
http://nadinekulberg.com/

Songs of Separation - 2. Chasm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmcieL_zZ6o

The 3rd Edition of Orient/Occident 2015 Composers Competition
-Special Mention Winner

During WWII, Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare research unit of the Imperial Japanese Army, located in Harbin, China. Together with affiliated units throughout Asia, these units saw the most horrendous prisoner experiments conducted in a systematic manner.

During the war, ceramic shells with fleas were dropped randomly onto surrounding villages to spread the bubonic plague. After the war, Unit 731 freed thousands of infected rats that caused widespread plague in 22 counties of Heilungchiang and Kirin provinces. This work commemorates the victims and the survivors. This movement is in 3 sections. ‘The survivors overcome grief and loss’ - The first three notes G-D#-C represent Unit 731. Other units which are represented are: 8604 (Guangzhou), 1855 (Beijing), 9420 (Singapore) and 1644 (Nanjing). ‘The survivors  congregate for hope and peace’ - Disparate melodic lines eventually come together with the flute and violin playing in unison. Here, I see the survivors gathering to spread an important unified message to the world. ‘The museum retains fragments of memories for future generations’ - Previous materials return and generate a feeling of everlasting impact.


Unit 731 - The Museum and the Survivors (Trio version) - Kangyi Zhang

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJWxK-r5d-c

Kangyi Zhang (Composer and Flutist)
26th Feb 2014
Graduate Composers Recital
Jan Popper Theater
Schoenberg Music Building, UCLA

My first inspiration for this piece came after watching 'Failing - A very difficult piece for solo string bass' by Tom Johnson. I have also been deeply enlightened by TED talks by Benjamin Zander and Michael Tilson Thomas. Hence, I thought I should write a piece which would be a young person's guide to the flute.

Section A demonstrates double tonguing on the high register of the flute. You will also hear a common technique called flutter tonguing.

Section B presents a Chinese folk-like melody using the middle register of the flute.

Section C explores the low register of the flute. The speech is directly taken from Al Pacino's inspirational speech in 'Any Given Sunday'.

Section D talks about quarter tones, trills and tremolos, lip and finger glissando. Harmonics occur when you overblow a fundamental note.

Section E explores key clicks, Aeolian (air) sound and tongue pizzicato (beatbox). Two techniques - tongue ram and jet whistle -- are done by tonguing or blowing into the tone hole.

Section F demonstrates the production of multiple sounds at once. You will hear octave multiphonics, distorted multiphonics, fingered multiphonics and singing-while-playing. The words 'Qui, Va, La' are the exact words from a famous piece -- Toru Takemitsu's 'Voice'.

Section G illustrates the versatility of the Western concert flute in playing different genres of music. I personally have been very inspired by the rock flutist Ian Anderson. The Japanese portion is reminiscent of shakuhachi playing. In a trip to Argentina, I was very impressed by the tango culture in Buenos Aires. Hence, I wrote in a style similar to Piazzolla flute masterworks. 


TED Talk - Variations on a Theme by Mozart (Kangyi Zhang)

Flute - Kangyi Zhang
Viola - Jakin Chang
Piano - Charles Pattison
Soiree 3rd Dec 2016
Chamber Circle (Singapore)

More about the composer Conner VanderBeek
http://soundcloud.com/sirvanderbeek
http://www.csvanderbeek.com/

Conner Singh VanderBeek is a Punjabi-American composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. His music deals with narratives of everyday life: love and loss, depression, displacement, and cultural identity. VanderBeek holds undergraduate degrees in music and South Asian studies from Northwestern University and is currently in the PhD program in ethnomusicology at the University of Michigan, where he studies popular media of the Sikh diaspora and how it tells the future of the culture.

Composed in 2011 and revised in 2016, "Heartbeat" re-visits the emotions involved in love and relationships. Conner takes you through happiness & sadness, reunion and desolation. This piece tells a light, simple love story of two persons with an ambiguous ending. Listen carefully for the distinctive "heartbeat" pulsating figure, evident in the piano.

Follow:
http://www.facebook.com/singaporebangs
http://www.soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang
http://www.kangyizhang.com/

Follow Chamber Circle
http://chambercircle.sg/
http://www.facebook.com/chambercircle/

Conner VanderBeek - HeartBeat (flute, viola, piano)

Trombone Concerto "Let Freedom Ring!" by Kangyi Zhang
Wes Lebo (trombone)
NAFA Wind Orchestra conducted by Joost Flaach
16th March 2017 "Escape" concert recording

2nd: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-2-remembering-birmingham-1963
3rd: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-3-i-have-a-dream

The conception of this piece coincided with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. While I was writing this work, the news media was dominated by nation-wide protests inspired by racial injustice involving Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner and others. In late Dec 2015, “Black Lives Matter” protestors made the news after several incidents with the police at airports and highways. The struggle for racial equality is ongoing and an ever-pertinent issue.

Familiar themes form the bedrock of this work, ‘We Shall Overcome’, ‘We Shall Not Be Moved’, ‘Oh Freedom!’, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, and ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’. Throughout the work, the trombonist takes on multiple roles: a narrator, Rosa Parks, an eyewitness, a protestor and Martin Luther King. 

1.	Rosa Parks and the Freedom Riders
The narrator sets up the scene back to 1955 and introduces Rosa Parks, a quiet elegant lady going home on a routine bus ride. Several white passengers boarded the bus, as marked by the entry of saxophones and drums. By orders of the driver, three black passengers (trombone, euphonium and horn) gave up their seats. The driver (trumpets) confronted Rosa but she refused to move. A loud tutti with the distinctive whistle marks her arrest. Next, moved by Rosa’s actions, people gradually united in the successful Montgomery bus boycott.

The freedom riders set off on their perilous journey. The riders and supporters are represented by F# major key while the white supremacists are represented by f# minor. The Greyhound bus became crippled due to slashed tires and was stopped and firebombed. Next, the Trailways bus arrived in Birmingham and the riders were beaten up. The trombone cadenza juxtaposes peacefulness with anger to express the sentiments of the victims who believe in non-violence. Seven strokes mark the black riders while the six stronger strokes mark the white riders who received more severe beatings.

Trombone Concerto - 1. Rosa Parks and the Freedom Riders

Trombone Concerto "Let Freedom Ring!" by Kangyi Zhang
Wes Lebo (trombone)
NAFA Wind Orchestra conducted by Joost Flaach
16th March 2017 "Escape" concert recording

1st: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-1-rosa-parks-and-the-freedom-riders
3rd: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-3-i-have-a-dream

The conception of this piece coincided with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. While I was writing this work, the news media was dominated by nation-wide protests inspired by racial injustice involving Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner and others. In late Dec 2015, “Black Lives Matter” protestors made the news after several incidents with the police at airports and highways. The struggle for racial equality is ongoing and an ever-pertinent issue.

Familiar themes form the bedrock of this work, ‘We Shall Overcome’, ‘We Shall Not Be Moved’, ‘Oh Freedom!’, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, and ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’. Throughout the work, the trombonist takes on multiple roles: a narrator, Rosa Parks, an eyewitness, a protestor and Martin Luther King.

1st movement: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-1-rosa-parks-and-the-freedom-riders

2.	Remembering Birmingham 1963
After the events in the first movement, an eyewitness (solo trombone) cries for freedom. The solemn “Oh Freedom!” is used in this beautiful lament. Next, a protestor depicts the cataclysmic events of the protests in Birmingham. The violent orchestral strokes represent the brutality from police and white supremacists. Fragments from “Go tell it on the Mountain”, “Oh Freedom” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” are used to generate the motoric trombone line and orchestral responses. The chaos culminates in a grand chorus rendition. Lastly, a peaceful coda symbolizes the first signs of freedom. The trials and tribulations of the protestors have not been in vain.

Trombone Concerto - 2. Remembering Birmingham 1963

Trombone Concerto "Let Freedom Ring!" by Kangyi Zhang
Wes Lebo (trombone)
NAFA Wind Orchestra conducted by Joost Flaach
16th March 2017 "Escape" Concert recording

1st: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-1-rosa-parks-and-the-freedom-riders
2nd: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-2-remembering-birmingham-1963

The conception of this piece coincided with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. While I was writing this work, the news media was dominated by nation-wide protests inspired by racial injustice involving Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner and others. In late Dec 2015, “Black Lives Matter” protestors made the news after several incidents with the police at airports and highways. The struggle for racial equality is ongoing and an ever-pertinent issue.

Familiar themes form the bedrock of this work, ‘We Shall Overcome’, ‘We Shall Not Be Moved’, ‘Oh Freedom!’, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, and ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’. Throughout the work, the trombonist takes on multiple roles: a narrator, Rosa Parks, an eyewitness, a protestor and Martin Luther King. 

3.	I Have a Dream
The inspiring scene at “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King, Jr is recreated here. The trombone is the most appropriate instrument to imitate speech due to the ease of doing glissandos and microtones. From various excerpts of King’s speech, I was able to derive tones and rhythm to form motifs. The soloist galvanizes the orchestra with phrases such as “Justice flows down like waters”, “I still have a dream”, “This nation will rise up” and “Let freedom ring”. The famous tune “Go, Tell it on the Mountain” also forms the bedrock of this movement. The melody is first presented distinctly to celebrate the beauty of the human spirit in this arduous struggle. Later in the piece, the soloist cries “Free at last, Free at last” and “Thank God almighty” before the climactic tutti. The tutti melody is a hybrid of “Go” and “Oh Freedom”. The coda section reminds us that the struggle for racial equality continues today. The piece ends with the phrase “We shall overcome” prominently stated by the soloist and orchestra.

Trombone Concerto - 3. I Have a Dream

Moritz Ernst (pianist)
Kangyi Zhang (composer)
http://www.youtube.com/kangyiflute
https://www.facebook.com/singaporebangs
http://www.soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang

17th August 2017, 7.30pm
Composers Society of Singapore 10th Anniversary Concert
Lee Foundation Theatre, Singapore
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Listen to the starting of the engines. The vehicles begin on a rocky journey before reaching the fatal destination. Listen to the machine gunfire in the distance.

'Syonanto' was the name given to Singapore during the Japanese occupation in WWII.
The Japanese was most suspicious of the Chinese population in Singapore because many had provided assistance to China during the Sino-Japanese war. The Sook Ching Massacre (18th Feb – 4th March 1942) then became the solution – a systematic extermination of suspected anti-Japanese elements. All Chinese men between 18 and 50 were ‘screened’ by hooded informants. Whether a subject survived depended on the whim and fancy of the ‘informants’ and Japanese soldiers. Survivors were stamped on their arms and received a certificate. Those consigned to death were loaded onto trucks and brought to remote locations such as Changi beach and Punggol beach. They were subsequently gunned down by machine guns.

Syonanto - 2. The Sook Ching Massacre (excerpt)

http://www.youtube.com/kangyiflute
https://www.facebook.com/singaporebangs

ADDO Chamber Orchestra (11 players) conducted by Clarence Tan
Orchestra's Choice Award
Audience Choice Award
2017 "Have You Experience?" Composition Laboratoryand Competition
13-17 July 17 Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Recital Studio

This work was originally written for flute, violin and piano. This version is for ADDO chamber orchestra inaugural "Have You Experience?" composition laboratory (2017).

During WWII, Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare research unit of the Imperial Japanese Army, located in Harbin, China. Together with affiliated units throughout Asia, these units saw the most horrendous prisoner experiments conducted in a systematic manner.

During the war, ceramic shells with fleas were dropped randomly onto surrounding villages to spread the bubonic plague. After the war, Unit 731 freed thousands of infected rats that caused widespread plague in 22 counties of Heilungchiang and Kirin provinces. This work commemorates the victims and the survivors.

This movement is in 3 sections. ‘The survivors overcome grief and loss’ - The first three notes G-D#-C represent Unit 731. Other units which are represented are: 8604 (Guangzhou), 1855 (Beijing), 9420 (Singapore) and 1644 (Nanjing). ‘The survivors congregate for hope and peace’ - Disparate melodic lines eventually come together with more instruments playing in unison. Here, I see the survivors gathering to spread an important unified message to the world. ‘The museum retains fragments of memories for future generations’ - Previous materials return and generate a feeling of everlasting impact.

Unit 731 - The Museum and the Survivors (chamber orchestra 11 players)

10th December 2017, 7.30pm, Victoria Concert Hall
Postcards from Singapore
premiered by Soh Wei Qi
2017 National Piano & Violin Competition (Singapore) 
Prize Winners Concert
Set piece for senior category

In this work, I share three different facets of Singapore which I find unique. Music materials are derived from several Malay folk-songs popular in the Malay Archipelago (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia etc.) – Dayung Sampan, Chan Mali Chan, Rasa Sayang. The work begins with “Civilian War Memorial” to highlight the trials and tribulations suffered during WWII. Located prominently in the heart of the central business district, this memorial reminds us of the war atrocities, particularly the Sook Ching massacre. The peaceful melody of Dayung Sampan gradually gains momentum and a sense of grief.

Next, I write about “Hawker Centres”, a fast polyrhythmic section where Rasa Sayang melody is juxtaposed with Chan Mali Chan. I have always been impressed by how overseas Singaporeans are willing to drive long distances for great Asian food. At our local food paradise, the atmosphere is joyful amidst the intense noise and chaos. Singaporeans fight aggressively for seats and “chope” the tables with tissue packets or other objects. To symbolize this, the pianist taps the piano loudly. As I was writing this work, a couple was charged over a shoving incident at Toa Payoh hawker centre. Such an ugly spat is rare but it reminds me of the competitiveness of Singaporeans.

The view of Marina Bay is a popular feature on many Singapore postcards. Against all odds, this young nation rapidly rose from third world to first. I imagine the skyscrapers, which are monuments of success, rising above the waters. The arpeggios at the beginning returns and the Rasa Sayang theme appears prominently. Finally, I included a short coda “Honoring our Forefathers”. The best way to honor them is to appreciate their contributions and strive for greater success.

Postcards from Singapore premiered by Soh Wei Qi

Lyrics: Arpine Konyalian Grenier
Composer: Kangyi Zhang
Soprano: Wendy Woon
Piano: Gabriel Hoe
Filming: Jean Luo 
Watch recording: https://youtu.be/2hjFzwqR414
These poems express the detriments of unfettered consumption while leaning towards what’s human, therefore sustainable. Motivic ideas from Armenian and Chinese folk tunes tether compassion to identity along a silken road that celebrates being alive.

Disguise
The song begins with a reference to the mythical Persephone, deemed the queen of the Underworld after her abduction by Hades. She is also considered to be the Goddess of Spring, and is associated with awakening and regeneration. Wings that fly can also appreciate the depths of the ocean floor. The Chinese words “blue, green, grey” allude to the legendary Chinese melody, Jasmine Flower. Following a contemplative section, the piano sounds out-of-sync as if disparate elements had grabbed hold of the octaves. Then segments gradually coalesce into coherence; the rose and its thorns, the scars and all align, reconciled, consumed, regenerated emptiness and form; cotton-obsessed profits greet urgent human needs, embrace sustainable footprints.

What’s Green What’s Blue
The opening melody begins with two contrasting approaches: a pointillist style over different registers of the piano, and the coherent slurred line of the bass. The music swiftly alternates between digression and coherence, mirroring the idea of “dualities intervene to convene”. A neighboring note motif, first appearing prominently as C-B-C, dominates much of the piano part of this movement. The text reminds us to beware of the delusional because there is no true ownership. The brief and blunt arrival of musical elements of the piano declare all is transient. Beware the addictive, the illusive capital. Here, an attempt to create “illusion” assigns four beats to a section of 3/4 time. One hears the four against the three between the right and left hands. Much of the soprano melody references the first movement. For example, “puce chartreuse” uses the same pitches as “Apassionado”. After a brief optimism, the movement turns portentous. Nurturing polarity against broader perspectives dims our relationship with nature and threatens sustainability.
~~
                                                  1. Disguise

The ocean floor
lonely for wing
regenerates

burn slam want

l’anlu hui

blue green grey

transience

how different that is from all things durable
to come together to just become so

scar tissue celebrates a rose 

what is law what is metaphor 

xingli/ baggage

I want a last word with you
having mastered the production of gaps

dare me

anearth spot duly splayed
chew it slightly for taste

wished and willed mianbu (cotton)
apassionado

cotton

consumed as aligned
because we are.
~~
                                               2. What’s Green What’s Blue

Dualities intervene to convene 

lines and shapes of context and word
I remember architecture

main tenant 

congruence and correlation 

suchness flashing by is it?

how is ownership generated then?

ach!

what I say to my lover is the song 

what social basis would that come from?

Honor and replace memory 

surplus is sibling to deficit 
fictitious capital grows
illusive capital

addictions

some rocks at Death Valley are walking they say
would anyone think of bombing the road?

you and you and you and you
puce chartreuse

coco hue
blue

a theory of justice follows

the particular as parameter

against complacency.

Willed Capital- 1. Disguise 2. What's Green What's Blue

Kangyi has performed on various stages in Singapore, Malaysia and the United States. As a composer, his music are often programmatic and based on personal life and experiences. He also aims to raise public awareness on important historical events. 

For full list of performances and compositions, please visit www.kangyizhang.com .

Kangyi Zhang

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