EROSIONAL for Flute, Violin and Piano（2023）

I have composed a number of chamber music works incorporating material culled from folk music over the years, and this work constitutes a further addition to this series.
The idea for Erosional was sparked by a concert planned for the trio of flute, violin and piano. A search through the repertoire revealed that very few substantial works had been composed for this relatively unusual combination of instruments. I began by looking into the works that had been composed for this trio and discovered interesting pieces by Philippe Gaubert ? a familiar name among flautists ? and C?sar Cui, who belonged to the group of Russian composers known as The Five. Both pieces were quintessentially European music, with the melodic flow intertwining in the upper register.
The flute is a musical instrument that has existed worldwide since ancient times. Its primitive means of sound production means that it is capable of imitating a wide variety of music from different ethnic traditions. The violin, for its part, has developed hand in hand with the evolution of European classical music, but it too has of course been used extensively in folk music traditions.
As a pianist I have had the opportunity to play many types of music, and this experience has enhanced my awareness of how the piano can be used percussively to imitate both metallic and wooden percussion instruments and to transform itself into a folk music instrument through the use of unorthodox scale structures.
Bearing in mind the origins, development and versatility of these three instruments, I had the idea of creating a piece for this particular combination with the image of Africa as the point of departure.
Each instrument produces sound in a different manner, and the piece begins with each instrument performing music representative of its distinctive character. The instruments gradually integrate as they exert an influence on each other. This process of ‘erosion’ results in a mutually generated increase in energy that culminates in an ecstatic ritual.
Various sounds that would have been impossible to notate in the score can be created if the players remain conscious of the ‘ethnic’ background to the music as they perform the piece. I would be delighted too if the piece sparked their interest and delight in the new tone colours that may arise in this process.