Work
Totem· Monkey King (Theme and Variation) Han-Yin Method 图腾·行者孙(主题与变奏）瀚音法
for solo piano
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About
In recent years, I have been working on the fusion of Chinese traditional literature and Western music. Although I resisted this approach several times, it's because using elements from Chinese traditional literature comes naturally to me. They have been flowing in my blood for countless years. I might be labeled as "relying on the same old sources" if I use them for my compositions, which can be unsettling for a creator. However, from another perspective, I deeply feel a strong sense of cultural responsibility. Having spent many years in the West, if I don't write, who will? Furthermore, I initially wanted to be a writer, but I inadvertently became a composer of music. Perhaps using traditional literature for my creations can provide some solace for my unfulfilled dream of being a writer.
Journey to the West is the pinnacle of ancient Chinese romantic novels (1592). Themes and variations are a traditional form in musical composition, dating back to the Renaissance. On the other hand, the central character in Journey to the West, Sun Wukong, has seventy-two transformations. He can turn into birds, beasts, flowers, plants, vessels, insects, and more, but he is still that monkey at his core. This is similar to the musical concept of Themes and variations, where, no matter how elaborate the variations are, they always originate from a main theme, and the internal logic remains unchanged. So, in a sense, Sun Wukong in Journey to the West and the musical form of Themes and variations can achieve balance in terms of logic and concept.
This composition was composed using my own composition method, the Han Yin Method, which is an interdisciplinary study of 24 Microtones, Chinese Pin Yin(Pronunciation) and ancient Chinese literature. I specifically extracted three keywords from the novel for musical composition:
Demon(魔) Mó,
Enlightenment( 悟)Wù
Ghost( 鬼)Guǐ
These three words generated the following six pitches through the Han Yin Dictionary: D#, E, F#, G, A#, and B. The entire composition is based on these six notes.
The recommended duration of this composition for performance is eight minutes and forty seconds, and it should be accompanied by artwork created specifically for this composition by my friend Weilun Liang.
13,Sep, 2023 - Hanzhong Kang(in Auckland, New Zealand)
Dedication note
To Sun Wukong(孙悟空）
Contents note
This composition consists of three major movements: the Human Realm (theme), the Deity Realm, and the Demon Realm, accompanied by five variations, depicting Sun Wukong's transformation from his original form (the pilgrim on the journey) into different forms as a Daoist, Buddha, demon, ghost, and fairy. This sequence does not follow the traditional narrative of the original story, where a mischievous monkey overcomes numerous challenges and gradually attains Buddhahood. Instead, I observed that Sun Wukong's inner self was becoming more and more akin to a demon. His original conscience disappeared, his natural aura was bound, and the suppressed darkness in his heart had no way to be released. Clearly, this is a demon becoming enlightened.