Renga Miniatures

Notes

Renga Miniatures takes its name from the traditional Japanese poetic form of a Renga, on which the five miniature pieces are based. The form and content of a renga is made up of complex rules, some of which I have taken and translated into a musical language. For example, a renga is made up of a chain of stanzas, 17 and 14 syllables in length used alternately. I translated this into quarter note (crotchet) or eight note (quaver) beats and used this to guide the phrase lengths and duration of the individual pieces. The five movements represent the seasons in Japanese tradition; New Year is seen as a season of its own. An engagement with nature is also an important feature in a renga, which I found to be the main inspiration for my work. The combinations of colours available in the ensemble were the driving force behind the composition.