STRATA XIII，for Flute and Clarinet（2019）

Strata is the name I have given to a series of works based on an approach in which the pitch range of particular musical instruments is likened to geological strata. I have concentrated here on the multi-stratified combination of the different ranges of the flute and the clarinet. The pitch range of woodwind instruments is such that the lowest pitch is that produced by the full length of the instrument’s tube，while the upper pitch limit is indeterminate. Nevertheless，there are classical standards regarding this upper pitch limit，and I have strictly adhered to them on this occasion. I have avoided the multiphonics and microtones that feature frequently in contemporary music for woodwind instruments for the simple reason that they are not aesthetically pleasing sounds.
The flute and the clarinet share a characteristic as the most agile of all the woodwinds. I have striven to make maximum use of the functional characteristics of these two instruments as they hurtle through multiple horizontal and vertical strata. The two virtuoso performers who premiered the work provided me with inspiration for its composition.