Ming Qi (Bright Vessel)

Liza LIM
Born 1966, Perth, Australia

Ming Qi (Bright Vessel) (2000)

oboe, percussion
Commissioned by Divertimento Ensemble
Published by Ricordi, catalogue 138636

Ming Qi (pronounced `ming chee´) is Chinese for Bright Vessel, and refers to tomb items such as ritual vessels, musical instruments, weapons, and statuary buried for use by the dead. These objects, though seeming to be the same as those used by the living, are made imperfect in some way and are thus transformed or `opened´ into the presence of the spirits. (See Machine for Contacting the Dead).

First performance was 1 Oct 2000, by Luca Avanzi and Riccardo Balbinutti, at the Venice Biennale. Dedicated `in memorium Gerard Grisey´.

Programme note © 2000 Liza LIM