Tongue of the Invisible

Kathryn Williams, flute
Joe Whelan, percussion

Orlog (2012, Flute and percussion)

Movement 4 from 'Tongue of the Invisible' (2011), Liza Lim
performed by Omar Ebrahim and musikFabrik conducted by André de Ridder, 
25 June 2011, WDR Fundkhaus, Köln.

Text by Jonathan Holmes after Hafez:
'The rose flowers for a day only
Before the bud is pressed
Between the pages of the world'

More information and links to complete album: https://lizalimcomposer.wordpress.com/tongue-of-the-invisible/


Mvt 4. 'Between the pages of the world' from 'Tongue of the Invisible'

Geese flying overhead 2-octaves below

Premiered by Carl Rosman (bass clarinet)
15 April 2013, St. Paul's hall, Huddersfield, UK

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Imagined picture: calligraphy, a brush painting with Chinese ink, on one’s skin. This image stuck in my mind while I composed the work.

Ink is made of gelatin, obtained from boiled skins, bones and connective tissues of animals, and soot, produced when plants burn incompletely. I wondered if animals’ and plants’ memories are still stored up in Chinese ink. Similarly, I examined whether multiple musical voices can exist within one larger identity. How can a work for solo instrument embody as many colours as possible? Can contrasting gestures co-exist but keep their original identities within a piece of music?
 
Skin, Gelatin, Soot could be another picture of the skin calligraphy, in which performer orients the multiplicity of musical materials in the same manner that calligrapher would draw with the ink of animals and plants.


Skin, Gelatin, Soot (2013) for solo bass clarinet

For more information, please see: http://lizalimcomposer.wordpress.com

Mvt 4. 'Between the pages of the world' from 'Tongue of the Invisible'

LizaLimcomposer

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