Liang: Oceanic Migrants
This item is made to order and typically ships within 2-3 weeks.
- Composer: Lei Liang (1972-)
- Format: Full Score
- Instrumentation: Any Instrument, Electronics
- Work: Oceanic Migrants (2025)
- Size: 12.0 x 8.9 inches
Description
for open instrumentation with fixed media
Audio files and projector image files are available upon request from the publisher.
Program Note:
Humpback whales have been singing in the ocean for perhaps over a million years. Humans were not aware of their evocative music until the 1950s.
Using hydrophones placed on the seafloor, our collaborators captured a continuous 14-hour performance of a humpback as it passed through the Southern California Bight, offshore island province. When the whales come together, they converse in aggregate, as in a chamber music performance. in fact, the ocean is their concert hall.
The song in this recording was captured at a site 1,300 meters deep, where it takes about two seconds for the sound to travel to the seafloor and make a round trip over this distance. That determines the length of the echo, which seems to set the pacing and tempo of the whale's singing, as the ocean becomes its karaoke box.
The humpback is dialoging with the ocean, and this composition is, in turn, my dialogue with them.
Publishers use a lot of words to describe what they sell, and we know it can be confusing. We've tried to be as clear as possible to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for. Below are descriptions of the terms that we use to describe the various formats that music often comes in.
Choral Score
A score for vocalists that only contains the vocal lines. The instrumental parts are not there for reference. Generally, cheaper than a vocal score and requires multiple copies for purchase.
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Full Score
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Hardcover
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Paperback
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Performance / Playing Score
A score of the music containing all parts on one system, intended for players to share. There are not separate parts for each player.
Set of Parts
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Solo Part with Piano Reduction
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Study Score
A small (think choral size) copy of the complete score meant for studying, and not playing. They make great add-ons when learning concertos and small chamber works.
Vocal Score
A score prepared for vocalists that includes the piano/organ part or a reduction of the instrumental parts.
Wind Set
For orchestral music, this is a collection of wind and percussion parts. The specific quantities of each instrument are notated.
With Audio
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Some publishers prepare two copies - a pure Urtext edition that includes no fingering (or bowing) suggestions and a lightly edited version that includes a minimal number of editorial markings.
Liang: Oceanic Migrants
