Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Behind the Scenes:「Equinox」
So. Why「Equinox」?
It actually began with a commission
by the Teng Ensemble
to pen something contemporary
for their showcase.
The Quartet itself had an unusual but versatile setup:
A Pipa (Chinese Lute),
and Sheng (Mouth Organ),
a Guitar and a Cello.
Every instrument, by itself,
can cover all roles of the melody, chords and bass.
Hence, it was here that I've decided:
to write a piece that can expound on the quality
of interchanging their roles within the music.
During the premiere however,
the original arrangement had been swapped by the group:
with the piano replacing the guitar parts.
Eventually,
this gave me the idea
of fitting the piece with different re-arrangements.
In my attempt to record a version for my own archiving,
I've returned the guitar into the piece,
and swapped the sheng's parts
with the electronic accordion sample
to create the feel
of a seasonal transition during the Equinox.
The original intention
was to use Latin lyrics in the piece
to give a more 'holy' touch
to the date of precision.
It gave way because Italian was more homely to me
and i wanted the language (of the lyrics) to also contain
a little of this homely Italian characteristics,
while keeping the 'opera' feel within the contemporary.
Nonetheless,
Latin was still used to define the sections of the piece,
and can still be seen on the scores for the musicians.
It was then it dawned to me:
the significance and capacity of this work,
its idea and message,
that「Equinox」became the project code,
and subsequently,
the album title for this season of works.
Of course,
I wanted very much to shoot in Italy,
but budget and uncertainty
became real constrains.
Well, it was my first shoot
after a long time away from film school after all.
Then, Angkor came into the picture.
It was cheaper, and very much so,
but more importantly,
the temple itself was created to reflect the Equinoxes:
where the sun would settle on top of the middle tower
during those 2 days of the year.
It was a precious experience also,
because we, my father and I,
wanted to capture and experience
the sights of Siem Reap,
this ancient city,
before developments come into the country.
In tribute,
I have written many rearrangements of this piece:
such as the adaptation for solo voice and piano,
a version for a strings and piano quintet,
and also,
the later acoustic and rock band remixes, among others.
Of course, a new violin line was added to the starter,
and it became a staple in the 'live' performances ever since.