splintered ringing (2017) for two shakuhachi

video of the premiere at Montclair State University by Elizabeth Brown and Ralph Samuelson - photo/video by Rodney Leinberger.

"Splintered Ringing" combines two traditional Japanese ideas. In the traditional art of kintsugi 金継ぎ or golden joinery, cracks are filled with precious metals, transforming and extending the life of broken ceramics while celebrating their imperfections. In the earliest shakuhachi music, yearning for the sound of the bell is a metaphor for the search for enlightenment. "Splintered Ringing" begins with the breaking of a bell, which causes intense dissonances. Over the course of the piece, the bell is rebuilt. It appears intact, but the sound is forever changed, as the metal shimmers and rings between the plates of the once whole bell.

It was premiered at Montclair State University, on September 28, 2017. Performed/premiered by Elizabeth Brown and Ralph Samuelson.

the score can be purchased here