Work
Totem·Breath of New Zealand 图腾·新西兰的呼吸
for viola, piano, fixed media
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About
Haka is the soul of the Māori people, New Zealand; they used it to seek the blessings of the gods. Māori people dance the Haka when welcoming guests; Māori people dance the Haka during weddings; Māori people dance the Haka at funerals... In Maori mythology, the Haka dance was created by Tanerore, the son of the Sun God Ra, for his mother. A Haka dance embodies the tribe's fierce and close unity, with powerful expressions through their synchronized breathing, eye movements, and sticking out their tongues. This piece is composed for viola, piano, fixed media, and the Maori Haka dance. The Haka dance group can take the stage for the performance. Totem is the vessel that records the soul of the gods, and the performers need to convey a "religious-like sense of ritual" in this piece.
-25th/July/2023 Hanzhong Kang (Auckland, New Zealand)
Composed for Hanzhong Contemporary Ensemble. Tour performances in Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Wuxi, China, 2023
Performance history
22 Aug 2022: Performed by Ying Xu (viola) and Liang Zhou (piano) in Wuxi, China
19 Aug 2023: Performed by Ying Xu (viola) and Liang Zhou (piano) at Yinshanhu Theatre, Suzhou, China
20 Aug 2023: Performed by Ying Xu (viola) and Liang Zhou (piano) in Hangzhou, China
21 Aug 2023: Performed by Ying Xu (viola) and Liang Zhou (piano) in Shanghai, China