Tona Scherchen
Encyclopedia
Tona Scherchen, also Tona Scherchen-Hsiao (Simplified Chinese: 萧桐; born 12 March 1938 in Neuchâtel), is one of the first composers who brought Chinese
elements into Europe
an avant-garde
art music.
Tona Scherchen was born into a musical family in Switzerland
. Her father was conductor Hermann Scherchen
and her mother was composer Xiao Shuxian
. She spent the first 12 years of her life in Europe, particularly in Switzerland. She arrived in China in 1950 with her mother and her older sister Féfé. In 1956, just a year before China fell into political chaos, she returned to Europe to be with her father in order to pursue further music education.
Her teachers included György Ligeti
and Hans Werner Henze
.
Soon after since the 1960s Tona had become an active composer
, titles of her music were frequently seen in contemporary music programs. Her works were published by prominent publishers and several articles on her as a composer can be found. Although, after some starred appearances in 1980s, she seemingly had ceased to catch attention beyond her French circle.
Tona's music is an adaption of the avant-garde idioms of the European 1960s, '70s, synthesized with a language of her own. One thing outstanding in her music, which can be found immediately on the score, is the extremely detailed attention to timbre, or say, the physicality of sound.
This is often resulted in an astonishingly complicated score in which layers and layers of expressions are drawn in. All her music has a significant amount of intensity and vitality, always the ability of performers are fully reached and the medium fully explored.
Many of her compositions bear Chinese
titles, but the influence of Chinese arts and thoughts is more conceptual than literal. The only exception is Yi, a suite for one marimba
with two players, in which she recalled folk tunes heard in her Chinese years; it is a moving piece, dedicated to her mother, whom Tona probably were not able to meet for three decades due to political reason.
Several recordings of Tona's works had been commercial issued but today only Lo for trombone and strings can be found on CD, despite that all her music is available in print. It is a great wish that music by this composer of high craftmanship and unusual cultural, historical background to be heard and appreciated again.
Orchestra
Concertante
Chamber music
Piano
Vocal
Music of China
Chinese Music has been made since the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty...
elements into Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
art music.
Tona Scherchen was born into a musical family in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Her father was conductor Hermann Scherchen
Hermann Scherchen
Hermann Scherchen was a German conductor.-Life:Scherchen was originally a violist and played among the violas of the Bluthner Orchestra of Berlin while still in his teens...
and her mother was composer Xiao Shuxian
Xiao Shuxian
Xiao Shuxian was a Chinese composer and music educator....
. She spent the first 12 years of her life in Europe, particularly in Switzerland. She arrived in China in 1950 with her mother and her older sister Féfé. In 1956, just a year before China fell into political chaos, she returned to Europe to be with her father in order to pursue further music education.
Her teachers included György Ligeti
György Ligeti
György Sándor Ligeti was a composer of contemporary classical music. Born in a Hungarian Jewish family in Transylvania, Romania, he briefly lived in Hungary before becoming an Austrian citizen.-Early life:...
and Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze is a German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life"...
.
Soon after since the 1960s Tona had become an active composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, titles of her music were frequently seen in contemporary music programs. Her works were published by prominent publishers and several articles on her as a composer can be found. Although, after some starred appearances in 1980s, she seemingly had ceased to catch attention beyond her French circle.
Tona's music is an adaption of the avant-garde idioms of the European 1960s, '70s, synthesized with a language of her own. One thing outstanding in her music, which can be found immediately on the score, is the extremely detailed attention to timbre, or say, the physicality of sound.
This is often resulted in an astonishingly complicated score in which layers and layers of expressions are drawn in. All her music has a significant amount of intensity and vitality, always the ability of performers are fully reached and the medium fully explored.
Many of her compositions bear Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
titles, but the influence of Chinese arts and thoughts is more conceptual than literal. The only exception is Yi, a suite for one marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
with two players, in which she recalled folk tunes heard in her Chinese years; it is a moving piece, dedicated to her mother, whom Tona probably were not able to meet for three decades due to political reason.
Several recordings of Tona's works had been commercial issued but today only Lo for trombone and strings can be found on CD, despite that all her music is available in print. It is a great wish that music by this composer of high craftmanship and unusual cultural, historical background to be heard and appreciated again.
Selected works
- Many works are published by Universal EditionUniversal EditionUniversal Edition is a classical music publishing firm. Founded in 1901 in Vienna, and originally intended to provide the core classical works and educational works to the Austrian market...
, Boosey & HawkesBoosey & HawkesBoosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
, Alfred Peschek and Amphion.
Orchestra
- Khouang (1966–1968)
- Vague T'ao, "Plusieurs silences" d'une grande vague déchainée (1974–1975)
- S.... (1975)
- Œil de chat (1st Cycle) (1976–1977)
- L'invitation au voyage for chamber orchestra (1979)
Concertante
- Tao for viola solo and orchestra (1971–1972)
- Lo for trombone solo and 12 stringed instruments (1978–1979)
Chamber music
- In for flute solo (1966)
- Sin for flute solo (oriental flute if possible) with percussion (1 player) (1967)
- Shen (神), ou, à propos des battlements du cœur humain, New Ballet for percussion (1968)
- Tzoué, Trio (1970)
- Bien (Mutations) for 12 instrumentalists (1973)
- Lien (恋) for viola solo (1973)
- Tjao-Houen for chamber ensemble (1973)
- Yi (忆), 7 Brief Images for marimbaphone (2 players) (1973)
- Yun-yu (云雨; Clouds and Rain; Nuages et pluie) for violin or viola and vibraphone (1974)
- Ziguidor for woodwind quintet (1978)
- Escargots volants (Flying Snails) for clarinet solo (1979)
- Once Upon a Time for harp (1979)
Piano
- Radar (1983)
Vocal
- Tzi for 16 voices (SATB) a cappella, diapason and gong grave (1969–1970)
- Wai (外) for mezzo-soprano with percussion and string quartet (1967)