While the initial inspiration for this work came from a modern Chinese animated series, *GG Bond*, its true significance goes far beyond narrative depiction—it explores inner vitality, spontaneity, and the transformation of psychological energy into sound.
In this work, the saxophone and percussion instruments act as a psychological archetype: impulse and consciousness. Their musical dialogue embodies the essence of expressionism—not stylistic imitation, but its spiritual core, where sound becomes an externalization of the inner self. The saxophone's tremolo integrated into the melody, its distinct dynamic variations, timbre contrasts, multiphonic elements, fragmented melodic lines, and rhythmic distortions and repetitions, combined with innovative percussion instrumentation—such as the combined timbre of (Placing a finger cymbal on the surface of the cymbal,) and "Hit the finger cymbal on the surface of the drum"—along with the equally varied and repetitive rhythmic formation, all contribute to this effect.
At the end of the piece, the saxophonist completes the final percussion note, and in some parts, the player raises the saxophone up to the left and right. Near the end, the percussion part includes a finger cymbal falling on the snare drum. These are concrete examples of expressionism manifested in the musical elements.
The name Dancing Clownfish is inspired by Nemo, the clownfish from the animated film Finding Nemo, whose personality is remarkably similar to that of GG Bond. Fearless and humorous, restless and energetic, its forwardmoving actions symbolize human instinct and emotional freedom. Beneath its lighthearted and humorous surface lies a tension, embodying the core paradox of expressionism: the coexistence of chaos and clarity, instinct and consciousness. Through this fusion, the work is both a portrait of a character and a reflection of the composer's own self-identification with a new culture and inner world.
Duration: 6'20''
Premiere: Ades Performance Space, February 19, 2024
