Wang, Ming: Variations

The present work features a kind of pentatonic music that is often associated with a far eastern landscape. However, it has no genuine compositional connection with Asian music. In this piece pentatonicism is conducive to frictionless intervals and transparency of sound; these are produced in an ideal manner on stringed instruments by means of natural harmonics. The contrasting central section brings dense textures and sharp dissonance, which sound with full intensity and combine with portamento to produce extreme emotional expression and narrative gestures.