DESCRIPTIONIsland: Theme and Migrations refers to Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the West Coast, where
Chinese sojourners carved their poetry into the walls of the
immigration barracks. I think about their hardships and desires as I
etch out sounds with gestures that come from the main theme.
These
migrations, variations in the classical music sense, vary from performance to
performance because I've cut open the notation. Melodies and chords
float around the score.
Two
pianists are separated by the bodies of two grand pianos as if they
were separated by the ocean. The strings resonate between them as they
touch the keys like sunlight bouncing on the waves. Across the distance, the pianists hear each
other.
Byron Au Yong