Tianwen

Tian Wen for two vocal ensembles, flute, cello, organ and live electronics. The poem "Tian Wen" (The questions in the sky) from the epic "Chu Ci" was written about 2000 years ago by the Chinese poet Qu Yuan. The epic and the poet are both as important in China as the Homeric hymns are for Europe. The poem was written with only a few words, but it includes many meanings. This piece was strongly influenced by phonetics . My decision for this piece was an attempt to combine the phonetic elements with the tonal characteristics and to experiment with it. The parts of this text were combined in different ways and the rhythmic articulation is arranged in an extremely linear manner. I wanted that the piece is not only sung, but rather that it constitutes a dialogue between all the singers. That is, each voice has a solo-like part, each has sung, spoken and whispered phrases. The singers are separated into two vocal ensembles, one on stage and the voice is processed by the computer in real-time, the other vocal ensemble is behind the audience and sings similar sounds. Each individual voice is defined by certain loudspeakers. That is, the sounds of soprano 1 (on the stage) are taken up and changed through the speakers alongside soprano 2 (behind the audience), who sings similar sounds in the same time. Because of the strong impression that the questions of the poet are valid for humanity in general, the piece is to be performed in a mixed way with various ways of singing.