Lim Kang Ning (b.1994)

Flower Visages for solo piano

花影 (Flower Visages) is a composition that I hold very dear to my heart. It was one of the first few pieces I composed when I began my journey as a composer in 2014 and was also the very first composition that I dedicated to my mother and inspired by the piano transcription of the famous 彩云追月(Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon).

花影 (Flower Visages) is divided into four distinct sections and can be easily identified by the changes in character, articulation and tonal centres. The music begins in C major, with an undulating passage of fourths accompanied by flowing arppegiac motions. The music then flows into a darker section in E-flat minor that swiftly modulates to the relative major of G-flat major to immediately brighten the atmosphere. This gears the music up for a beautiful passage that plays with the piano’s extreme tessituras and sweeping glissandos on the black keys of the instrument. This is followed by a very contrasting section in A minor, that is fiery in character and much faster in tempo. All the legato movements prior to this section are temporarily dropped in favour of a more detached and chordal accompaniment style that cumulates in a very majestic recapitulation of the theme. The theme first appears in C major, before modulating to D-flat major and concluding the piece in an ecstatic, virtuosic flourish of thick orchestra-like sonorities and glissandi.

Flower Visages was performed by pianist Miyuki Washimiya at Kris Foundation’s “Souvenirs de fete” on 29 November 2022 at the Esplanade Recital Studio.