Expansion - Yu Donald, Man-Ching 1980- (BabelScores, 2018)
Expansion is a scientific phenomenon in which particles transform from one state into any state upon gaining substantial energy; for example, the static solid state of ice transforming into liquid state and finally being vaporized. The music symbolizes the static state at the beginning by initiating a single pitch c with sextuplet figure. In addition, later on, it transforms into various chromatic materials by means of the gradual insertion of the pitches Db, D, B, Bb, and so on while exhausting all the chromatic notes. Soon, the first section reaches its climax where canonic devices are employed between different parts in different transpositions with different transformations of rhythmic figures being juxtaposed together. The central section brings back the static state that is highly contrast in terms of density and utilization of pitches, sparse materials made up of open fifth chords gradually juxtapose together for generating chromatic sound. The last section recapitulates the repetitive materials of the preliminary section in which music gradually expands by means of intermingling of different pitches for substantial chromatic effects. The piece ends in extreme high registers in which notes are barely audible.