Barry Schrader: Presents the Monkey King
American electroacoustic composer Barry Schrader has announced the world premieres of two new pieces. “Wu Xing” and “Monkey King” will receive their debut at the CalArts Institute on January 19th in the Roy O. Disney Music Hall at 8:00 P.M. Admission is free. Both pieces have a strong thematic correspondance with China. For “Wu Xing”, Barry Schrader set about to describe the traditional Chinese elements of Metal, Wood, Earth, Water and Fire and their relation to each other in the “Cycle of Destruction”. Each of the elements is presented through its motion, density, effect or philosophical connotations. It has turned out a work with a very minimal, dark and yet earth-coloured sonic palette which would have made for a perfect ballet score thanks to the contrasts between its agitated moments and utter stillness. Harpist Susan Allen and clarinetist William Powell have been invited by Barry Schrader to join the concert for this occasion. The second piece, “Monkey King”, meanwhile, deals with scenes from the Chinese classic “Journey to the West”, whose hero Barry Schrader describes as “one of the most fascinating fictional characters ever created.”
For “Monkey King”, Barry Schrader has split the original story into four scenes, leading the listener from the “Birth of Monkey” to the “Procession of the Immortals”, when monkey becomes a Buddha.. The 37-minute composition is an ambitous piece with many different emotional stages, ranging from tranquil, floating awareness to adrenalin rushes and from warm wood knocks to metallic noises. Barry Schrader has done a remarkable job at perfecting the timbres of the his electronic equipment, approximating the original Chinese instruments, while retaining a certain distance in a bid to create a dreamlike, unreal mood not unlike that of a fairytale.
While “Monkey King” concentrates on the inner complexity of softly moving textures, it also has some catchy and immediate sequencer passages on offer, turning it into what may possibly be Barry Schrader’s most easily accessible score.
There is something timeless about “Monkey King”, which may well turn it into a future classic. This of course coincides with Barry Schrader’s creed of writing music that does not fall out of fashion: “I'm interested in creating fixed musical works with specific ideas and meanings that don't change."
Homepage: Barry Schrader
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