PLEASE NOTE: This purchase is for a downloadable PDF copy of the piece. You will NOT receive a hard copy shipped to your address. If you would like a hard copy, please purchase from Edition Svitzer.
Watch the video of me playing Lotus first:
予獨愛蓮之出淤泥而不染。
- 周敦頤 (1017-1073)
I love the lotus because while it is growing from mud, it is unstained.
- Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073)
The lotus flower (蓮, lián) is commonly seen in many Asian cultures. It is traditionally seen as a symbol of perfection, beauty and purity. Lotus root (藕, ǒu) is also a popular vegetable used in many Asian cuisines. My inspiration for Lotus comes mainly from the nature of the lotus flower. It is able to grow beautifully despite its muddy and undesirable origins. The flower is able to float over the surface of water and often lives for over a thousand years.
In this work, I wanted to juxtapose the qualities of the lotus flower with identifiable human experiences. Lotus begins with a 'floating' theme of tranquility (a passing reference to Debussy's Arabesque No. 1) that is repeated and varied throughout the work. It is placed alongside a second theme that is more reflective and unstable. The structure of Lotus alternates between these themes, with the tranquility representing our moments of peace, and the instability representing our moments of hardship. The themes develop with increasing energy until Lotus concludes on a final moment of peace.
Lotus is recommended for intermediate to advanced marimba players and is playable on a 4.3 octave marimba.
Studio VIPs / Studio ARTISTs: Discount code available at patreon.com/adamtan! Use that code in checkout to gain 25% off this score (Studio ARTISTs) or 50% off (Studio VIPs)!
Lotus was premiered by Adam Tan at:
Percussion All-Stars
Callaway Music Auditorium, UWA Conservatorium of Music
27 October 2018
Lotus, for solo marimba (4.3 octave)
Four-mallet marimba solo (4.3 octave)