Composer Introduction

Damian Scholl is a composer of Contemporary Music and Film Music.

Introduction to the work

The work features a peculiar instrumentation: one Erhu is placed within a frame formed by two violins. Both types of string instruments come with their own histories and sets of traditions. Scholl respectfully nods to these by employing idiomatic playing techniques, while at the same time attempting to move the instruments into new spheres. A gentle exploration of unusual practices eventually highlights the relation between Violin and Erhu: they both rely on strings set in motion by a bow. These strings follow the same laws of physics - in this work, this is mainly visible in the use of natural harmonics (which are based on the overtone scale). Much like the laws of physics, the moon has always been a source of fascination and wonder to people in all parts of the world. Its mysterious presence has sparked many myths throughout history, so that, in spite of science's relative disenchantment, the moon still casts a powerful spell on the human mind. At the root of this piece is a fantasy that the moon sends out waves of energy which reach us down on earth. They can be felt musically as a clear rhythmic pulsation, but also as a band consisting of several overlapping waves.
The three instruments meander through time and space, calm and unperturbed, strong and full of force, thrown out of line and magnetically wheeled back in.This is why you can sometimes hear the inherent differences between the instruments, while at other times their sounds converge. Throughout the piece, their combination and interlinking strive to form a unique soundscape.