Sheng (2010) · 9 min (in six movements)
for cello and 4-speaker audio
cello, fixed media (Mac laptop running Max/MSP)
Program Note
Sheng is based on samples of the Chinese sheng as performed by virtuoso soloist and composer, Hu Jianbing, also a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. Hu Jianbing visited Northeastern University’s Shillman Hall recording studio on September 26, 2010. The sheng is a Chinese mouth-blown free reed instrument consisting of vertical pipes; a polyphonic instrument that has traditionally been used for accompanying, but has become increasingly popular as a solo instrument.
In composing Sheng I first created an electroacoustic sketch from the samples, from which I culled the notated cello solo. Through a detailed transcription of the samples — 201 to be precise — the common practice and extended techniques of the sheng sounds suggested all kinds of gestures when re-imagined for the cello; including numerous approaches to articulation and accentuation, vibrato, harmonics, real-time dynamics control, trills, tremolos, pitch combinations, and harmonic rhythm.
Sheng was first performed by Philip Boulanger, cello, at the Mako Live House in Beijing, China, on October 28, 2010. Other notable performances include by Aoife Nic Athlaoich, cello, at the 2011 International Computer Music Conference (ICMC 2011) at St. Paul’s Hall, University of Huddersfield, England, on August 1, 2011; and by Alejandro Tagle Alvarez, cello, as part of the 2021 International Computer Music Conference at the Instituto de Música, Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile; July 30, 2021.
Sheng was officially released by Albany Records (TROY1710) on April 1, 2018, featuring the talented cellist Patrick Owen, in a recording made at Distler Performance Hall at Tufts University’s Granoff Music Center on June 2, 2013.
Recording
Sheng samples as played by Hu Jianbing were recorded by Briann Dixon, Northeastern University’s Shillman Hall Recording Studio, Boston, MA, on September 26, 2010. The cello solo featuring Patrick Owen was recorded on June 2, 2013, Distler Performance Hall, Tufts University, by Joel Gordon. Sheng was officially released by Albany Records (TROY1710) on Anthony Paul De Ritis: Electroacoustic Music – In Memoriam: David Wessel on April 1, 2018.