Instrumentation
Violin, Viola
Duration
10 minutes
Year Composed
2023
There is a small autonomous prefecture in my home province of Hunan, China, called Xiang Xi (湘西). It is where my father spent much of his childhood, and it is rich with unique history, culture, and folklore.
3 Tales from the Folklore of Xiang Xi is based on 3 stories my father shared with me.
1st Tale: Walking Corpses
In Chinese folklore, zombies are often depicted as jumping up and down rigidly. This image originates from the traditional practice of “walking corpses.” Corpse walkers would place the arms of the deceased on two bamboo sticks and carry the bodies through the woods at night, creating the illusion that the corpses were walking on their own. Since bamboo is flexible, the bodies appear to bounce up and down with each step. This jumping motion is represented in the music by two string players plucking their strings rigidly and repetitively.
2nd Tale: Cave God’s Bride
This story describes a belief shared by villagers when a very young girl mysteriously passes away with no medical explanation. People say she has been chosen to be the bride of the cave god, her spirit ascending to the spiritual realm. A fragmented Wedding March melody is subtly woven into the eerie and melancholy texture of this movement, capturing the story’s bittersweet essence.
3rd Tale: Dancing In The Ocean Of Fire
This is a skill passed down for generations among Xiangxi sorcerers. Performers dance barefoot on embers, their movements swift and deliberate to avoid being burned by the scorching surface. This dynamic and energetic motion is vividly depicted by the 2 string players rolling their bows rapidly across the instruments to mimic the dancers’ rhythm and intensity.
