The piece refers to a poem by the Chinese Zen master Mummon. The title, as expressed in the verses, points to non-duality and its realization.
The piece refers to a poem by the Chinese Zen master Mummon. The title, as expressed in the verses, points to non-duality and its realization.
Cloud and moon, both the same. Valleys and mountains, each different. Is it one or two? Wonderful! Splendid!
In keeping with the idea of the unity of two objects, the two voices seem to merge structurally and tonally in Hölszky’s composition: the cello acts like an additional register of the accordion. Extremely short, fast gestures are meticulously interlocked, lying sounds are enlivened and made to pulsate by tremolos and trills, vibrato and impulse repetitions, quarter-tone modifications and glissandos. Both instruments work together to create a weightless, mercury sound atmosphere.
The composer comments: The mobility and fusion (both tonally and structurally) of the two solo sound levels (violoncello and accordion) is maximum and takes place in the highest frequency range. The multiplication of movement patterns in the symmetrically arranged violin blocks (two groups of twelve) and the metal colors in the four drummers create a luminous, delicate sound space that envelops the soloists like a moving layer of clouds, a nested, transparently floating sound galaxy with a pulsating, vibrating double core : Violoncello and accordion. (Adriana Hölszky, text for the premiere of the orchestral version, November 10, 2006)
