Performed by Yarn/Wire at UC Berkeley's Hertz Hall, 15 Dec 2023.

Recorded by Jeremy Wagner and Brendan West; mixed by Luke Taylor.

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Marsinah worked in a clock factory. She was a working class hero: she frequently led industrial strikes, and due to this, was murdered in 1993 under the brutal dictatorship of Soeharto’s regime. This piece is meant as an hommage, as a tribute to names excluded from official history.


The title is taken from Sapardi Djoko Damono’s poem, “Dongeng Marsinah” (english: “Marsinah’s Tale”). 


Marsinah, the transcendental clock,

ticking ceaselessly

weaving transience

eternally:

“we do not demand much,

only a decent life,

a grain of rice.”


The sound of the upper range of the pianos is reminiscent of clock sound. Percussions too: woodblocks, bongos, and congas. Inhabiting the clock-like timbre is an extremely limited pitch collection, repeated over and over, perpetually slowing down: a claustrophobic space. Yet, as the piece slows down, it increases in density, as if opening up a possibility of a Messianic arrival. Such an advent would mark the redemption of the dead generations.

Marsinah's Pendulum (for two pianos and percussion)

“A Sketch of Two” is a work for bassoon and laptop, commissioned by Christoph Karl Wichert, a bassoonist. The piece results from several discussions and tryouts between the composer and the bassoonist, which reflects the title. It also represents the interaction between the bassoonist and the program, creating a sketch and proposing new ideas every time. The music starts with a pitch that is to be determined by the bassoonist based on what he thinks is suitable for the day and the venue. It then progresses into more of a fixed score and ends with an exchange of ideas between the bassoonist and the program. This structure suggests the process of creating an unended sketch within a fixed framework, forming a cloud of ideas and, in this context, sound.

A Sketch of Two

for Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Guitar and Viola
2016.04.27 AKUT Konzert, Basel

Flute: Diana Muela Mora
Clarinet: Mariella Bachmann
Piano: Assel Abilseitova
Piano Assistent: Eleni Ralli
Guitar: Agustín Nazzetta
Viola: Sophie Wahlmüller
conducting: Jürg Henneberger

more music from Yiran Zhao:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQJVy08DWkx7aJlz-uYY3AixEcmmKNKbj

TOUCH II

Prayer Of Serenity

orchestration of alban bergs "seven early songs" for the opening concert of hamburg elbphilharmonie - with sandrine piau, ensemble rensonanz and emilio pomárico

Alban Berg - Die Nachtigall

Yiran Zhao Fluctuation Ia
for Ensemble Recherche

Flute: Martin Fahlenbock
Clarinet: Shizuyo Oka
Violin: Melise Mellinger
Viola: Barbara Maurer
Violoncello: Åsa Åkerberg
Percussion: Christian Dierstein
Piano: Jean-Pierre Collot

premiere: 
november 11th 2016, Ensemblehaus Freiburg

www.yiranzhao.net

Live-Aufnahme vom 11.11.2016 im Ensemblehaus Freiburg. Das Stück entstand im Rahmen der "Klassen-Arbeit", gefördert von ensemble recherche, Pro Helvetia Schweizer Kulturstiftung und der Stiftung Baden-Württembergische Ensemble-Akademie.

Yiran Zhao Fluctuation Ia

micro / Live / real / Love for piano trio (2017) 

violin: Fuga Miwatashi
cello: Naoka Shimbo
piano: Miharu Ogura

micro / Love / real / Love for piano trio (2017)

Ensemble Multilatérale

Clarinette : Bogdan Sydorenko
Violon : Alexandra Ggreffin-Klein
Alto : Dominica Goldelieve Eyckmans
Violoncelle : Pablo Tognan

Temu Musik Franko-Indonesia

"Counter Noise" For Clarinet, Violin, Viola and Cello (2017)

Nov 15, 2017 - Salzburg, Crossroads
NAMES ensemble
Oscar Maria Jockel, cond.

Program note (in German)
Die vorbeigehende Dinge sind alles inklusiv mir selbst.
Es gab einen Moment, als es in meiner Erinnerung und Emotionen erkannt wird. Und als ich gleichzeitig ontologische Abwesenheit bemerke, spüre ich eine große schwankende Emotion. Warum doch, weil wir Menschen sind, versuche ich, das wichtige zu finden, und sehne ich mich danach, was sich in ontischer Innerlichkeit verbirgt. Aufgrund von Angst vor der Trennung, treffe ich mich manchmal nicht mit jemandem. Ich erinnere mich an die Trennung, an das Treffen und an wieder Trennung, und an die schwankende Emotionen in denselben Momenten. Es könnte so sein, dass die verschwindende Dinge von erkannten Momenten ein Wesen von Musik oder Klang selbst sind. Es ist mir eine Festlegung von Zeitraum, und gleich Auflösung, und umgekehrt. Es ist von den verschwundenen Zeiten gefangen worden, zugleich  befreit worden. Umgekehrt ist es gegenseitig. Es ist eine Darstellung des Nichtseins von Sein und umgekehrt gegenüber der üblichen Selbstverständlichkeit, dass das Sein möglich sei. Ich hoffe, sich bei der verschwundenen Dinge uninteressiert zu zeigen. Eher wäre die hässlich. Selbst wenn ich es wüsste, dass es nicht kontrollierbar ist, aber ich möchte es doch nicht akzeptieren. Ich will, dass ich von der Beschränkung der Zeitraum befreie und der emanzipierte Zeitraum verändere, um von dem ein Abschied zu nehmen. Das ist ein Grund, die Musik zu schreiben.

인지하는 순간 사라지는 것들
스쳐 지나가는 것들은 나를 포함한 모든 것들이다. 내 기억과 감정에 의해 순간 무엇인가 인지될 때가 있다. 그리고 그것의 존재론적인 부재를 동시에 느낄 때 나는 감정의 큰 동요를 느낀다. 왜 아니겠는가. 인간이기에 우리는 무엇인가 중요한 것을 찾고 갈구한다. 나는 헤어짐이 두려워 만나지 않을 때가 있다. 나는 헤어짐과 만남 또다시 헤어짐을 기억하고, 그 순간의 감정의 격정을 기억한다. 인지하는 순간 사라지는 것들은 음악의 본질일 수 있고, 소리 그 자체일 수 있다. 그것은 나에게 시공간의 확립과 동시에 해체였고 그 반대였다. 사로잡힘과 동시에 해방이었고 그 반대였다. 존재의 비존재성과 동시에 그 반대였다. 사라지는 것에 나는 차라리 무관심하길 바랐다. 차라리 그것이 추했으면 좋겠다. 컨트롤 할 수 없는 것임을 인정하고 또 그러고 싶지 않았다. 시간과 공간의 구속에서 해방되어 그것을 붙잡고도 싶었고, 다가가 작별인사라도 하고 싶었다. 그것은 이 음악을 쓴 이유이기도 하다.

disappearing things at the moment of recognition for ensemble (2017)

A small excerpt from the currently unfinished second movement of my string quartet Territory] Boundary / \ Border [Divide 

Performed by Quatour Diotima

A Sketch of Two

Stevie J. Sutanto

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