Waking The Lion (2019) concerto for percussion and string orchestra
Although percussion instruments have been integral to my musical voice throughout my compositional career, Waking The Lion is my first percussion concerto.
Each of the two connected movements begins with the ritualistic striking of a large temple bowl. At the outset of the first movement, quiet rustlings in the string orchestra provide an unusual background for the subtle entry of the percussion soloist. Eventually the percussionist continues soft drumming with the fingers. Mallets are taken up as the momentum grows into a striking, virtuosic solo passage for the performer.
It builds to the first climactic arc for the soloist after which the driving energy dissipates into quieter rustling orchestral gestures. These tremulous strings alternate with the soloist, finally building to a bigger, frenzied climatic point. In the final section of the first movement, the percussionist moves from the skins of the drums to metallic instruments. The movement ends with a tranquil exploration of the resonant sounds of vibraphone, crotales, and cymbals.
The second movement demands virtuosic marimba playing as the soloist is required to perform rapid passage work in several cadenza-like passages. Waking The Lion ends with lively interactions between the string orchestra and exuberant passages on Asian instruments – the cheng-chengs and Chinese opera gongs.
Alexina Louie, O.C.
