Back to Solo Works
Power of Breath
For Solo Viola (2021)
Program Note:
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic I began to take up a few new hobbies, one of which was kung fu wushu. I was lucky to find a warm and welcoming temple as part of a non-profit organization in the middle of Manhattan that was continuing its practices through online lessons. The grandmaster of the temple is a wise and enlightened man in his nineties, named Alan Lee, who devoted the better part of his life towards developing a system to teach Chinese fighting styles to the western world. In one of his chapters, he delves into the methods of breathing and how proper breathing is necessary to execute both internal and external strength.
This work is meant to mimic specific types of breathing, which are based on counting patterns displayed in this system. The basic pattern is 5-2-5; hence, one would breathe in while counting to five, pause while counting to two, and exhale while counting to five again. Other patterns are 8-2-8 (deep breathing), 10-1-10 (breathing adjustment) and 16-2-16 (tranquility breathing). This feeling of breath should be constant and organic throughout the piece; the upbeats/downbeats are not to be taken literally, nor should they be executed robotically. Rubato is allowed and encouraged throughout the work, often indicated in the acceleration/deceleration markings.
Performances:
April 12, 2021: Yuchen Lu, Paul Hall at The Juilliard School in New York, NY