listen to the rain
for string quartet, kamele n’goni and voices

This piece is inspired by the Taoist meditation called fusion of the 5 elements, in which the 8 forces of the bagua – and their corresponding trigrams – are called upon to spin around one’s center, where alchemical balancing and refining of the 5 dynamic agents takes place. Within the body, and in harmony with earthly and cosmic realms.The circular structure both contains and emanates these 8 forces, called by their Ancient Chinese names, forming the 8 following movements:

kan 坎 – water
drawing a circle 1

li 離– fire
drawing a circle 2

zhen 震 – thunder

aum
ah kha ho
cause causes…
cause
cause causes cause
cause causes…
be
be causes cause
because cause causes
cause causes cause
be cause
cause be causes
be causes because
cause causes consequence
causes be cause
cause be consequence
sequence causes cause
be common
becoming cause
come on because
consequence be causes
consequence causes cause
cause causes causes
consequently
cause causes cause
cause causes cause
immediate be


dui 兌– rain (marsh, lake)

kun 坤 – earth
drawing a circle 3

gen 艮 – mountain

sun巽 – wind
drawing a circle 4

qian 乾 – sky
when sky
becomes you
space fuses light
time dilates play
particles on?
gestate epiphany
implode atoms
sculpt one?

drawing a circle 5


Anaïs Maviel – composition, n’goni, singing bowl, voice

The Rhythm Method:
Leah Asher – violin, voice
Marina Kifferstein – violin, voice
Carrie Frey – viola, voice
Meaghan Burke – cello, voice

Tuçe Yasak – lighting

listen to the rain by Anaïs Maviel was made possible by a grant from the American Composers Forum with funds provided by the Jerome Foundation.