Windswept Peaks (Set of Parts) Cover Image

Windswept Peaks (Set of Parts): Chamber Quartet

$164.00 USD
$164.00 USD
Skip to product information
Windswept Peaks (Set of Parts) Cover Image
Windswept Peaks (Set of Parts): Chamber Quartet

Windswept Peaks (Set of Parts): Chamber Quartet

for Clarinet, Violin, Violoncello and Piano

By Chou Wen-chung

Item: 98-EP67359A
$164.00
Shipped

One moment…

Description
Windswept Peaks (May 1989 - June 1990, a consortium commission by the Aeolian Chamber Players) is conceived as a double duo for violin/cello and clarinet/piano. The four parts progress in pairs and are evolved from the same pitch source. Technically, six double modes, each with different ascending and descending orders, transform themselves continually into each other. Four of these are stated simultaneously on all four instruments at any given time. These modes consist of interlocking pitches and reflective intervals. They are, however, defined further by time, register, timbre and loudness, all of which join to shape the progression of each of the parts. The progression of vertical relations is in turn the result of the linear progressions interacting with each other.

This product is Printed on Demand and may take several weeks to fulfill. Please order from your favorite retailer.

These structural principles are based on the philosophy of I Ching, or The Book of Changes. The linear progressions, however, are guided by the concepts of shufa, or the art of calligraphy, according to which pressure, direction, continuity, speed, and viscosity must all be coordinated to propel the flow of ink with desired contour, density and texture. Despite these influences, there is no intention to make the music appear to be "Oriental" or "Chinese."

The Chinese term for Windswept Peaks, Shan Tao, is an aesthetic expression that is widely used in literature, visual arts, and music - particularly the music for qin, the zither, which greatly influences my musical thoughts. Shan means mountain; tao means "powerful waves." The cross currents of these waves of sound over mountain peaks can be aesthetically captured by the calligrapher's brush with as little artificiality as a single limpid stroke. Therefore, again, there is no attempt for Windswept Peaks to "sound" programmatic or descriptive. Instead, as in calligraphy, the goal is to internalize momentous events and emotions into a distilled artistic expression through coordinated flow of the four parts.

Windswept Peaks (Set of Parts): Chamber Quartet isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

No sample pages found.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Publisher: Edition Peters
Page Count: 164
ISBN10: 0-30-073881-1
ISBN13: 979-0-3007-3881-9
SKU: 98-EP67359A

More about this title

About the Composer: Chou Wen-chung

Chou Wen-chung (1923-2024) was a Chinese-American composer whose work bridged Eastern aesthetic philosophy and Western compositional practice. A student of Edgard Varèse, he developed a distinctive approach that drew on the principles of I Ching and Chinese calligraphy while maintaining rigorous modernist structures. His music has been performed internationally and studied in universities across North America and Asia.

Chou's pedagogical influence extended through decades of teaching at Columbia University, where he mentored multiple generations of composers. His writings on the intersection of Chinese philosophy and Western music theory remain influential in contemporary music education.

Why we love this

Windswept Peaks rewards performers willing to engage with intricate architectural thinking. The piece's foundation in double modes and interlocking pitch systems creates a coherent harmonic language that challenges without obscuring the musical intent, making it ideal for chamber ensembles ready to explore post-1950s modernism with philosophical depth rather than surface complexity.

What to expect

The music unfolds with the patient, deliberate quality of brush strokes composing themselves across a surface. Four independent voices maintain their own momentum and character while remaining locked within a shared harmonic system, creating an effect of both autonomy and interconnection. The overall arc suggests vast, shifting landscapes observed from different vantage points simultaneously.

Who it's for

This work is essential for advanced chamber ensembles with experience in 20th-century modernist repertoire and the maturity to engage with complex structural systems. Violinists, cellists, clarinetists, and pianists seeking serious artistic challenge will find both technical rigor and genuine musical reward in navigating its formal architecture.

How to get the most out of it

  • Study the modal structures independently before rehearsing as an ensemble. Each musician should understand how their linear progression relates to the double mode system so choices about tone color and articulation serve the larger architecture.
  • Attend carefully to register and timbre differentiation. Chou specifies these as structural elements alongside pitch, so decisions about vibrato width, bow pressure, and resonance contribute directly to the unfolding form.
  • Work the vertical alignment in sections before attempting continuous passages. The interaction of four independent linear progressions requires precise ensemble listening and may benefit from isolated study of how the parts relate at key structural moments.
  • Treat pressure and continuity as performance variables analogous to the calligraphic concepts Chou references. The flow and texture of each phrase should reflect intentional choices about how to shape each line across time.

How to use it

Program Windswept Peaks on a concert devoted to post-1950s chamber music or alongside other works exploring non-Western philosophical frameworks in Western notation. This piece commands a dedicated hearing and works best when audiences are primed to listen for structural coherence across independent instrumental lines rather than expecting traditional harmonic progression.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and internalizing complex modal systems with different ascending and descending pitch orderings
  • Coordinating independent linear progressions while maintaining awareness of vertical harmonic relationships
  • Interpreting performance indications tied to register, timbre, dynamics, and texture as structural elements rather than expressive ornament
  • Ensemble listening and alignment across four independent instrumental voices
  • Approaching modernist scores that integrate non-Western conceptual frameworks into notational systems

You May Also Like