Wushu for Piano

Wushu is a Chinese discipline that combines slow movements with martial arts. The melodic and harmonic material for this composition comes from the five Chinese pentatonic scales, Yu, Shang, Gang, Jue, and Zhi. While these scales do not align with equal temperament, their equal temperament equivalents are used. After a slow introduction, the slow waltz begins with an antecedent phrase followed by a consequence phrase. Throughout the piece, the antecedent phrase changes while the consequence phrase repeats with transformations. A rapid figure appears at the end of the consequence phrase representing the rapid martial arts movements of Wushu and it inserts itself more often as the composition builds in intensity. The shape of the composition is one where it builds in complexity and then relaxes before the final intensity push.