傩-Nuó

傩-Nuó (part I), for piano and electroacoustic sounds

傩-Nuó as a culture phenomenon appeared as early as in the Xia and Shang dynasties in southwest China, dating back more than 3,000 years. It was part of the ancient Chinese sacrificial rites, which originated from the worship to the totes in primitive society. One of the most important objects in Nuó worship is the bird of god. Characterized by Nuó’s special features - such as ferocious wood- carving masks, unique dresses and adornments, the strange language used in performance, and mysterious scenes, in reflect of the fact that ancient people wanted to scare away the imaginary monsters and demons. Nuó has been considered as the oldest mask theatre in China.

傩-Nuó(part I),for piano and electroacoustic sounds was composed in 2013, fascinated by discovering this ancient and mysterious ritual ceremony. The music tries to create an imaginary journey to trace and unfold the folklore.

Listen to the piece: 傩-Nuó (part I), performed by Jingwen Tu