Two images

This work was composed with two images of China in mind: an image of the unspoilt countryside, in particular the Li river near Guilin with its incredible limestone hills; and a contrasting image of modern Hong Kong with its frenetic energy. These images were only starting points and the work should not be viewed as programme music. The first image explores each instrument in a solo setting with a gradual increase in tension. The music is very melodic with a simple ostinato accompaniment and uses the Chinese acoustic scale. The second image is textural in nature with influences apparent from Steve Reich and Gyorgy Ligeti. This contrasts greatly with the first image as it has a very dense and "busy" texture, however, both images use the same multi-octave scale. The work places two images of China alongside each other to highlight their contrasts using a musical language which combines elements of both Chinese and Western music.