Three Portraits of Pipa – for pipa and orchestra
Abstract
Three Portraits of Pipa is a three movement concerto for pipa, a traditional
Chinese plucked-string instrument that has a history of more than 2000 years in China.
The large variety of timbres of the pipa gives the instrument unlimited musical
possibilities. Each movement of the work demonstrates one of the many timbral
characteristics of the pipa. The first movement, “Sparkling Crystal,” features the crystal
like timbre of natural harmonics on the instrument. Together with multiple string
plucking techniques, the movement gives listeners a composite picture of sparkling
crystals.
The second movement, “Continuous Stream,” showcases various right-hand tremolo
techniques on the pipa, such as two-finger tremolo (gun), and five-finger tremolo (lun).
These techniques generate lyrical and expressive melodic lines, decorated by traditional
Chinese musical gestures such as pitch bending and pitch sliding.
The third movement, “Rattling Metal,” demonstrates the metallic, percussive sound
of the pipa. Traditional percussive techniques such as multiple string-strumming (sao
xian), string twisting (jiao xian), and sound board snapping (tan mian ban) are featured.
This movement also incorporates timbral and rhythmic elements from the Beijing
Operatic tradition.
The modified, non-standard tuning of the open strings (A-sharp, D-sharp, E, A) of
the pipa gives the work a unifying melodic motive that consists of the intervals of perfect
fourth (perfect fifth with inversion), minor second (major seventh with inversion), and
tritone. The motive is heard, with variations, throughout the entire work.
Table of Contents
Abstract -- Instrumentation -- Standard notation -- Movement -- Vita
Degree
D.M.A.