Work
Not broken bruised-reed
for piano, percussion and violin
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About
The Judaic-Christian idea of not breaking a bruised-reed or snuffing out light but instead allowing it to flourish is the basis behind this composition. The heart of the sounds draw on the poignancy of the Korean kyemyonjo scale as the basis for the Pansori-like – traditional speech-song form – as a type of bruised utterance that emerges from oises to flower in lyricism. Its chromatic-tinged wholetones from the basis of layered harmonic resonances which wrestle with jazz-influenced sections based on extemporizations on Korean changgo rhythm. the rhythmic and harmonic complexity is matched by resonating metals from luminous Filipino kulintang gong-chimes, soft Korean ching drones and strident k'kwaenggwari accelerations. A controlled extemporization for the players emerges at the work's centre culminating in the instrumentalists' vocalized cry "a-pu-ji-ana". A late flowering of the earlier Korean modal resonances returns and then rests within the quiet living colours of prepared piano vibrations, whistling, ching glissando, and breath.
Notes taken from Creative Explosion, Wirripang
Performance history
23 Oct 2009: Performed at Creative Explosion 2: East and West Confluences at The Playhouse, University of Western Sydney in Australia
03 May 2010: Recording of the performance broadcast on ABC Classic FM as part of the ISCM World New Music Days, in Australia
03 May 2010: The World in Sydney: ISCM 2010