Tree of Life.

String Quartet;Electroacoustic;Shinto;Tree of Life;Music and Dance;Arts;Music: Composition

Volness, Kirsten E.Santos, Erik R. ;

University of Michigan

关键词: String Quartet;    Electroacoustic;    Shinto;    Tree of Life;    Music and Dance;    Arts;    Music: Composition;   

Others  :  https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/60818/kvolness_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

Tree of Life is scored for string quartet and stereo digital sound and was commissioned by the BMI Foundation, Inc. to commemorate the 25th anniversary of theColorado Quartet and the 30th anniversary of Symphony Space.This sixteen minute piece is designed specifically so that it may be performed either as a strictly acoustic work for string quartet or with the digital sound component.The acoustic portion is in three movements, each taking its title from a type of tree: ;;White Birch,” ;;Weeping Willow,” and ;;Coast Redwood.”The movements were inspired by the Japanese Shinto notion that kami, or spirits, inhabit natural features such as mountains, waterfalls, or, in this case, trees.The music is often derived from the physical presence of the trees: the way their leaves move in the wind, the morphology of the trunk and branches, and the type of environment in which they are found, whether still, swampy, or rife with wildlife and activity.In its complete form, the digital sound complements the acoustic movements, which are connected by interludes featuring one or two instruments with electronics.The overall structure of the piece and the relationship between the acoustic and electronic elements were inspired by the concept of the Tree of Life: a unique tree present in multiple cultural cosmologies that serves as a bridge connecting the mortal world to the spirit worlds above and below.The acoustic element explores the spirits of the trees through their physical presence, while the digital sound both establishes environmental setting and represents the spirit realm through its flexibility of timbre and ambience.The interaction and integration of these elements create a dynamic connection between musical and metaphorical worlds.