"Echo" for Two Oboes and English Horn

Echo for Two Oboes and English Horn (2010)

In the beginning of composing this piece for three instruments in oboe family, it was challenging that handle those same or similar sound. When I designed a basic idea, the concept of echo was came across my mind. Especially, as remaining sound the reverberation. which I had heard after the echo on the top of the mountain, was attractive inspiration.

With this idea, I composed a piece focusing on the procession of gradual sound changes in slow tempo. However, the first completed version of "Echo" was somewhat imperfect. Even though it seemed to achieve the basic idea well, but musically it sounded flat and colorless. When I began to revise the piece, I tried to compress loosely spread musical ingredient. Additionally, I divided the piece as three sections and added some passages for rhythmic diversity and alternating motives.

For "Echo", the revising was seemed to be equal with composing new work in the end. It was painful when I confronted numerous moment of discarding or manipulating sound from the original piece. However, I believe the pain was worth, because the more I struggled with my music, the more I felt the sound be polished.

- Performance

Composition Department Recital

Feb.9.2011 Griswold Hall, The Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University

Ursula Sahagian(1st Oboe)
Elizabeth Honeyman(2nd Oboe)
Victoria Ritter(English Horn)