Masks
Abstract
Masks is inspired by a type of Chinese opera called Chuanju, which comes from the
Sichuan region in southwest China. In Chuanju, each character has his or her own type of
face makeup. For example, semi-transparent makeup is often used for females and young
men, while yingyang makeup splits a face into two different colors. One special technique
called bianlian involves a character who wears silk masks representing different made-up
faces. The actor rapidly tears off the masks one by one, displaying an evolution of emotions.
The colors commonly used on bianlian masks and their character attributes are white
(mischievous), black (fair), red (loyal), blue and green (brutal), yellow (delicate), and gold
(supernatural). Multiple colors are often combined in one mask to convey complex
characters. Masks reflects different colors in its four sections: 1) white and gold, 2) semitransparent
and blue, 3) black and red, and 4) semi-transparent. The basic pitch material consists of a six-note mode. This mode is extended to five
other modes by starting each mode in a different position while keeping the first note on the
same pitch. Each section includes the combination of two or three modes, thus reflecting the
changing characters used in bianlian. The first section uses the two modes with the greatest
contrast in pitches, evoking all the hidden masks at the beginning of bianlian. As the music
progresses, other modes that share pitches increasingly begin to blend together, as if masks
are gradually being taken off to reveal the faces underneath.
Table of Contents
Abstract -- Instrumentation -- Notation -- Music -- Vita
Degree
D.M.A.