Adeline Wong's Herringbone for piano premieres in S'pore

Adeline Wong's new work Herringbone for piano will premiere in Singapore on August 28 at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. The work is part of visiting artists Foo Mei-Yi (piano) and Bartosz Woroch (violin) concert at the university, featuring solo and duo works by a diverse selection of 20th Century composers and more recent works.

Says Wong of her piece, “Herringbone is the third and central movement of a connected series of a 5-movement work. In the preceding movement, Nexus (for low brass quintet) ends with a sustained B flat major chord and a 4-note motive comprising minor and major 2nds played sporadically.

“Herringbone opens with this similar material, but is transformed into an entirely new texture of persistent repeated notes in a toccata manner.  Throughout the work, one hears overtones from the piano recalling long sustained organ-like chords from the brass quintet.

“The fleeting rapid notes from the texture is continually interrupted - but at the same time, given a new thrust of energy - by the percussive chords struck in the different regions of the keyboard.  

“The rapid alternation of notes in the opening of the work is later developed into a bell-like hypnotic sonority at the closing section.

“Although not programmatic in nature, Herringbone does suggest a rising and falling contour of the 4-note motive originating from the “V” shape found in weaving patterns. The sudden shifts of dynamics, registers and textures from the keyboard gives the impression of a high speed school of herring suddenly changing course.”

The concert programme features works by Unsuk Chin, Dai Fujikura, Péter Eötvös and John Cage, just to name a few.

According to the YST website on the concert:

ABOUT THE MODERN PLAYGROUND


The Modern Playground is a concert devised to showcase repertoire that depicts the humorous facets of some of the most important contemporary composers of our time.

The first part is primarily a collection of piano miniatures, with the exception of Samarasa for violin solo. These 12 pieces illuminate each other by connecting onto each other's associative musical materials. The connections and contrasts reveal not only the virtuosity and colourful writing of the composers, but also their humour and playfulness.

The second part of the concert showcases the modern repertoire for solo violin and violin-piano duo. It highlights a new approach to composition and performance by using various extended techniques. The new harmonic language presents the violin in a completely new light, thus changing the preconception of the nature of the instrument and its limits.

Tuesday, August 28, 2018
7:30 PM
Conservatory Orchestra Hall YST Conservatory Singapore, 117376 Singapore
Free admission.