Matthew Lam．Composer

Duration: 4’30” 
Premiere:

10 AUG 2021. New Generation 2020, Y Studio, Youth Square, Hong Kong

Performed by NOVA Ensemble

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Program notes:

Undine. A water nymph which could only acquire an immortal soul by marrying human.

This piece is constructed upon a transposable 6-note motif in an ABA-Coda structure. In A section, the music depicts the mysterious yet beautiful undine in a forest pool, with the fast running phrases symbolising the flowing water, and has no significant melody. Then, in B section, with the emergence of an expressive melody, symbolising the undine’s singing, the music depicts she tries to attract males by singing so that they could capture the boys. Yet the undine fails to attract the male and the music returns to A section, setting her new trip for her search of an immortal soul. Harmonically speaking, in both A sections, the music is confined into a limited number of intervals, and in B section, a designed harmonic progression, constructed of unconventional (non-triadic) chords, is followed.