Abstract
Breath, for clarinet and strings, draws on the traditional Chinese notion of Qi—breath as an embodiment of the spirit, or life force—and breath as a psychotherapeutic tool for connection to the self. It emerges from meditative, spontaneous exploration on the clarinet, expressing both emotional turmoil and finding peace within that turmoil. Recording becomes part of the compositional process, facilitating communicative immediacy by capturing the emotional essence of the spontaneous musical utterance through recording, orchestration, then the performance of the final work. Breath is one of two instrumentals included in the song cycle, Desire and Attachment, Part I.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Media of output | Online |
| Publication status | Published - 27 Jun 2025 |
Research Statement
Research backgroundA set of principles fundamental to my compositional voice come together in this piece, Breath, for clarinet and orchestra. These principles include the traditional Chinese notion of Qi—breath as an embodiment of the spirit, or life force; breath as a psychotherapeutic tool for connection to self; the recording studio as compositional instrument; and the notion of communicative immediacy—capturing the emotional essence of a spontaneous musical utterance through orchestration, then through to the orchestral performance of the final work.
Research contribution
Breath evolved as a meditative, spontaneous exploration on the clarinet—expressing both emotional turmoil and finding peace within that turmoil. A brief version was recorded in the studio, using improvisational spontaneity and adding supporting synthesiser chords, for Natural Geographic nature series, Earth Pulse (2001). When finally orchestrating Breath for the song cycle, Desire and Attachment, I referenced this recording and the spontaneous breathing and fingering on the clarinet in intricate detail, capturing the immediacy of the emotional content of the piece.
Research significance
On 21 April 2022, Breath was recorded by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, with Aleš Hustoles on clarinet, to complete my album, Desire. Hustoles’s clarinet performance is so faithful to the original spontaneous expression that I can easily forget that it is not me playing, but a far better clarinettist playing from my score. The orchestral chords that swell beneath the clarinet, and later the violas, augment the emotion by capturing the feeling of slow, deep, meditative, psychotherapeutic breathing.
Keywords
- music
- music therapy
- composition (music)
- self-regulation
