Monodrama by CHONG Kee Yong

獨腳戲
為雙簧管獨奏，室內樂團和現場電子互動而作
Monodrama
for Oboe solo, ensemble and live electronics

Instrumentation:
Ob solo + 1 Fl (Alto+Bass Fl), 1 Cl (Bass Cl) / 1 Perc / 1 Pf / 2 Vln, 1 Vla, 1 Vc

Composed: 2004
Commissioned by: Spectra ensemble (Belgium)
Dedication: Piet Van Bockstals and Filip Rathe
Duration: ca 13’
World premiere: 21/10/2004; “Transit” New Music Festival 2004
Venue: STUK, Leuven, Belgium.
1st performed by: Piet Van Bockstals (oboe)
Spectra Ensemble (Belgium)
Filip Rathe (conductor)
“Monodrama” (2004)

This work conceived as a concertante piece and had great influence from Malaysia Gamelan music. Firstly, I focused on the sound sample of Gamelan bow-string instrument “Rebab” as main feature sound materials in the electronic part. Secondly, I used Oboe solo to imitate the sound of Gamelan Oboe-like double reeds instrument “Serunai”. These two main figures versus and compromise each other; with the inherent virtuosic nature of the western instruments, electronic and the Asian musical instrument sounds and aesthetic. It creates and transforms the unique of contradiction and an amalgamation of the eastern and the western musical worlds.

I intend to create a mobility of different sounds during the performance, so I will dispose the instruments of the ensemble on stage and dispose the loudspeakers surrounding the audience; this will create a different layers and depth of the acoustic sound space in my piece.