Instrumentation: Harp and Marimba (5 Octave)
Duration: 8 minutes
Year: 2014
Audio
Program Notes
Written for the Canadian Contemporary Music Workshop in the summer of 2014, “Memories” is my first effort in writing for this instrumental combination, and there are different layers to the piece. On the surface, this duet is an exploration of minimalism and convergence. Throughout the work, I created a musical arc using the simplest material, a repeating sextuplet figure beginning in the harp. As the piece evolves organically, lines fade into each other creating a panning effect on stage.
On the second level, “Memories” is a conceptual representation of my stream of consciousness and how memories can often surface in my mind and disappear as if it had never been there. To portray this phenomenon, I introduce a melodic fragment halfway through the piece that weaves in an out of a one note ostinato. The fragment is developed within this framework, and is always accompanied by the ostinato creating a line through the piece.
Video
Performance History
- Sept 26, 2014, Sanya Eng & Ryan Scott
Canadian Contemporary Music Workshop
University of Toronto, Walter Hall
Toronto, Canada
- Mar 21, 2015, Karen Koh & Sam Kim
University of Toronto, Walter Hall
Toronto, Canada
- Jun 03, 2015, Michelle Gott & Dominique Moreau
University of Ottawa, Perez Hall
Ottawa, Canada
- Sept 11, 2016, Juliette Commeaux & Ruben Lajara
Museo di Altamira, Cantabria
Spain
- Jun 15, 2018, David Lootvoet & Nicolas Lethuillier
Paris Opera Orchestra Chamber Series
Amphitheatre Bastille, Paris, France
- Jun 23, 2019, Silvia Vicaria & Gerardo Capaldo
Municipality of Montebelluna, Italy
European Music Festival
Purchase
$12 CAD for a PDF of the score and parts sent to your email address. They will be sent within 48 hours of receiving the payment. Payable via Paypal:
Roydon Tse 