Description
World(s) by Neil McKay. Three pieces for solo koto or harp. Duration ~7 minutes.
1. Pengawit - Balinese beginning piece; employs a five-tone pélog scale associated with music of Southeast Asia.
2. Ai - Japanese blueness; presents an idealized version of American blues.
3. Veranderungen - German variations; combines Western twelve-tone melody with Asian timbre.
The three pieces may be played separately or as a set in any order.
Born in British Columbia in 1924, composer Neil McKay became a U.S. citizen in 1963. He joined the faculty of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Music Department in 1965 where he taught composition and related subjects until his retirement in 1987. He died December 8, 2016, at the age of 92.
