BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
About a century ago, an archaeologist made a discovery among the ruins of a Chinese watchtower. He unveiled a cover of silk and string to reveal five ancient letters, which had been hidden for hundreds of years after they were written.
These letters were composed by Sogdian people who lived in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in the fourth century A.D. They were mothers, merchants; people who dealt in cloth and musk. And while the writers have since been lost to history, a living composer is bringing their secrets back to life.
Elena Kats-Chernin’s new work Ancient Letters will be premiered at the Metropolis New Music Festival this May. The Australian composer of Uzbekistan heritage was researching her family’s history when she stumbled across a website and learnt about the letters. Immediately, she was taken with their stories – some of the oldest on paper in the world.
Ahead of the world premiere, conducted by Brett Kelly and featuring harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, Elena tells us what the stories mean to her, and why she was moved to craft this new work for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Your new work Ancient Letters draws on the experience of daily life, centuries ago. What were some of these age-old letters about?
One was dealing with a woman who is trying to come back to where she came from – Samarkand – because her husband disappeared somewhere along the Silk Road. She’s worried and distressed [for herself and] her child. I was so fascinated by that woman.
Her name was Tiger Cub – that was the translation – and that put music in my head: ‘What kind of music this could be, with this woman so strong, feisty and passionate – and yet, distressed and writing about it?’. I don’t think that letter ever got to where it was supposed to get, but we can get an idea of what she went through. So that’s what inspired one of the Ancient Letters.
Was each movement in your new work inspired by a different letter?
Yes, a different movement or time. For example, the second movement is in two parts: dealing with the traders, and the correspondence about money and interest. They were trading in silk and cloth but mostly in musk, which was very valuable. And so I wrote a movement in those two parts – Musk is very slow and has a lyrical melody for harpsichord. There are lots of light textures. When Musk finishes, it’s got Trade – and trade is really fast like a marketplace, like rush-hour negotiations. I wanted it fun and it doesn’t have to have emotion but is very vigorous; deal-makings happening.
Then I go back to Tiger Cub, because she wrote more than one letter. This one is quite clear that she will never come home and this one says Goodbye Samarkand. Samarkand was a cultural centre at the time. It still is very beautiful and it’s one of the oldest cities in the world.
We spoke previously about your Re-inventions, and you talked about how important you find the process of improvisation when you are composing. Did Ancient Letters come from this same musical place?
You’re right, I do a lot of improvising and there’s a huge amount of material that no one hears. I’ll play something good and think: ‘Five minutes ago, there was something…oh, I can’t remember, forget it. I’ll play something new’. But with Ancient Letters, I already thought this was going to be a piece about that. The title came before I started anything and I knew this piece was going to be about this woman, the environment and the Sogdian people. So that helps, when you have a concept already.
How long did it take you to write the work?
If you count from the first day when I was looking at my ancestry and where it came from, I started possibly last November. I wrote my first note which I really liked at the end of December. Then what I do is collect material. I don’t write the whole movement through – I write lots of snippets. I choose and say: ‘this would be for that movement’. I’m like a manager of my own material; I’m administrating. I move and switch things around and take a month and a half. By the end of January, I did the orchestration.
You started composing this on piano – how did you go about orchestrating the work for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra?
When I do the orchestrations, I change things quite a lot. I change the piano part, the texture. Because when you write a rough idea, the main thing is to know which chords and harmony are there. And then you start making it precise and refining it all.
Refining it is the most fun part because that’s where you put an ornament here, a tune there. I don’t sew, but if you sew buttons or little decorations, you do those extra things that make something very special. For me, that’s my favourite part because everything else is done – all you have to do is bring a little sparkle into it.
How have you found the experience of being the MSO 2017 Composer-in-Residence?
They’re a stunning orchestra and that’s why I knew I can write anything for them. I certainly ask a lot of everyone. In Ancient Letters, they’re funny keys – they’re not comfortable keys to play in, and it’s unfortunate but I couldn’t help myself. There’s one in six flats, but I didn’t have a choice. I hear something in a certain key, and I cannot undo it. I feel it’s either this key or nothing.
The Metropolis New Music Festival will also feature music by young composers as part of the Cybec 21st Century Australian Composers program. What do you like about hearing music by the next generation?
It’s always fantastic to see that there’s so much potential and talent in this country growing up. When I hear a great piece of music by a very young person, it’s very heartening. It gives me hope for the future.
It’s important for them to have performances because when you’re starting out, there’s a hunger to hear your own work played by someone, and that needs to be satisfied. People need to play those works to give young people a chance to taste what it sounds like. A lot of times, young people write something that will be different to how they imagined. I remember myself doing that. It’s great to see the professionalism in young people today – the talent is fantastic. I love hearing new works and I think we need to support young people as much as possible.
How do you feel people will respond to the programs in Metropolis?
People like new and old, but having a mix of concerts devoted to just new is great as well. Its attracts a particular audience that loves that sort of refreshing, new, innovative music. I’m not saying that my music is that modernistic kind of language – it will actually be a really nice contrast to be with modern works, which will all be very different. I think it’s fantastic to hear how today, we all write very differently, and it’s possible to create something in a totally different language from each other and it can all be good.
Having a young composer in the mix is fantastic. I want to see young people succeed because that is where music is going.
Why do you think Metropolis is an important musical event in Australia?
I think Metropolis is a very important program. It’s highlighting new music and it’s valuable for society to have those programs. Creating is what lifts society’s spirits and soul. It’s very important. But also to have such quality performances is wonderful – you can have very unique concerts this way, because you have composers that normally wouldn’t have this together. So I am really looking forward to it.
See the world premiere of Ancient Letters by Elena Kats-Chernin at the Metropolis New Music Festival, presented by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. This event takes place on May 4 and you can learn more about all festival events on the website.
Image supplied. Brurier Hammer.
