Hydropyre

Programme notes

Hydropyre was composed in 2014 in response to a call by the Malaysian Composers Collective for a series of 15 one-minute piano pieces that will serve as inspiration and sound tracks to Malaysian film artists on the theme of water and fire. The objective of the films is to raise awareness of the dangers of climate change, especially in light of the current water crisis and environmental disaster of the haze, both of which are related to the man-made forest fires. There can be no life without water. Hydropyre is a neologism coined on the words water and fire. The one-minute composition consists of three metaphors: clusters for fire, emerging harmonics for water and the ominous ticking of the metronome for the urgency of time running out to save our forests. Asking the performer to use palm, wrist and forearm instead of fingers is connected to the medical condition the composer experienced in 2014 which disabled the digital mobility of his left hand. On 31-V-2015, Malaysian composer and pianist Jessica Cho premiered Hydropyre at the Kyoto City University of Arts during an International Music Festival entitled Present of Orchestra Asia 3. A repeat performance took place in Singapore during a SG50 concert entitled Celebrating Nature in Singapore.

Handwritten sketches and drafts

to be found in chapter II of the white cover, A3 size, 600 pages sketchbook

Completion of the composition 

29-IX-2014 

Recording

link #1 of the premiere

Score follower

link #2