GELI LI
COMPOSER
Two People - for two violins (2014/rev.2017)
The piece consists of three movements. Its tonal materials are drawn from Mei Hua San Nong (梅花三弄), an ancient Chinese melody. Although the source material is traditional, my intention was to create something new—seeking fresh sounds and exploring new expressive possibilities.
While composing, I often contemplated how best to portray the relationship between the two violins. Only after completing the work did I realize that these instruments naturally communicate with one another as if they were two human beings, their dialogue shaped not only by sound but also by the suggestion of gesture and body language. At times they are melancholic; at other moments they are passionate and joyful. Yet no matter how seamlessly their musical conversation intertwines, they remain, fundamentally, two distinct voices—two individuals sharing the same musical space.
Premiered at Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hamburg, Germany, 2015 by Menlin Chi and Anne Friederike Greuner.
Performed by NOMAD Tokyo in Chengdu, China, 2016.
The revised version was played by Altius Quartet at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Hong Kong City Hall Theatre in 2017.
The piece was awarded the 12th SUN RIVER PRIZE Students’ New Music Composition Competition (the 2nd Prize) and Impulse New Music Festival Call for Scores (Finalist) in 2021.
Additional performance at Florida State University New Music Festival (2022)