This piece for Oboe and ‘Tape’ takes it’s title from a famous quote by the Zen master Qingyuan Weixin: “Before I had studied Ch’an for thirty years, I saw mountains as mountains, and rivers as rivers. When I arrived at a more intimate knowledge, I came to the point where I saw that mountains are not mountains, and rivers are not rivers. But now that I have got its very substance, I am at rest. For it’s just that I see mountains once again as mountains, and rivers once again as rivers.”
Not to be confused with the song by the 60’s folksinger Donovan which is alluding to this pithy observation, this piece is based on the profound understanding expressed in the Zen master’s statement and is a kind of aural counterpoint to the central idea.
The performer uses an unmetered score which utilizes proportional notation. This technique allows the performer a certain ‘latitude’ in interpreting rhythm and duration values and pretty much guarantees that no performance will ever be exactly the same (as much as any performance could be exactly the same). They also have the option of a conventional score.
The ‘Tape’ part is a fundamental part of the piece as well and both compliments and challenges the oboe materials.
