Chen Zhangyi’s Twin Cinema

OVERVIEW

The concept of Twin Cinema is based on the Singaporean poetic form of the same name, where two separate columns of poetry may be read separately, or across as a single poem. For this work, Zhangyi took inspiration from Dr. Sara Florian’s poem “The Lost Seasons.” The poem weaves together the twin cinema form with the pantun, a Malayic oral poetic form, while depicting two concurrent coming-of-age stories: that of a Venetian countryside boy contrasted with a Singaporean kampung boy. Florian’s poem conjures the passage of time, effects of the changing climate and the counterpoint between the rustic and the urban, navigating between the East and the West. 
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Musically, Zhangyi takes an eclectic and slightly cinematic approach, exploring and maintaining two strands of narratives between the two string quartets. The pair of quartets are placed in a ’stereo’ antiphony, and their musical strands coexist in sometimes complementary, and at times surreal juxtapositions of moods and characters in this imaginary duet of ‘cinematic’ scores. Throughout, the contrabass acts as the central pillar that supports both narratives. 

PERFORMERS

Marian Mayuga violin
Lina Yamin violin
Matt Musachio violin
Kimberly Bill violin
Carlos Lozano viola
Amanda Kellman viola
Francisco Malespin cello
J Holzen cello
Ben Foerster bass

SPONSORS

The Civic Fellowship Program is generously sponsored by The Julian Family Foundation.  
 
The Civic Orchestra Chamber Series is generously sponsored by Judy and Scott McCue, Neil and Karen Kawashima and other donors through the Civic Orchestra Chamber Access Fund. 

ABOUT

This work was featured on a chamber concert called “Between Here and There” curated by the 2023/24 Civic Fellows as part of their artistic planning curriculum. The work was then recorded on stage in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center.