Course Through The Vein

“How much can you say with one note?” This question lurked in the back of my mind while composing this piece. It is a sort of response to Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata, in which the first movement he uses only one note to craft the music. I aimed to do the same thing with this duet originally, but as I was composing, I opted instead to use this one-note idea as a sort developmental tool that blossoms out into other ideas.

My piece starts on A, just like in Musica Ricercata, but “modulates” to the note D later on. Then, harmony starts to emerge underneath a harmonic expression of both notes at once. To me, this created an attractive arc for the music. The players at first bound by one note, find the strength to break free of its shackles, and even embrace it by the end of the piece. The title is a metaphor for the idea that one can fully embrace their thoughts, feelings, and experiences and turn them into whatever they want, good or bad.

Recorded at KISA (Icheon, South Korea) on Aug 8th, 2025