Liza Lim: Transcendental Étude • Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra

recorded July 19, 2025, First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica 2025 Santa Monica Music Festival piano - Andrew Zhou Program Note: Transcendental Étude (2022, rev. 2024) was commissioned by Musica Viva Australia and first performed by pianist Kirill Gerstein in Melbourne on June 11, 2024, this solo piano work (with optional shruti-box) spans approximately 8–9 minutes. Drawing on the legacy of Liszt’s transcendent études, Lim forges a boldly contemporary path: the piece is built in sweeping arcs of “symphonic proportions,” inviting the pianist into a rich exploration of tone, resonance, and harmonic overtones. Throughout, repeated-note gestures magnify into shifting timbral landscapes—the emotional power lies not in motif alone but in its evolving sonority, as echoed in Adorno’s reflections on Beethoven’s transformations. The optional shruti-box adds a sustained, drone-like foundation, deepening the piano’s resonant spectrum and evoking Lim’s interest in non-Western sonic traditions—colors and textures bloom around a piano haloed in harmonic overtone. Structurally, the étude moves through dynamic climaxes and reflective passages that challenge both technical precision and interpretive imagination. In concert, Transcendental Étude offers a profound journey through timbral invention, virtuosic depth, and sonic introspection—an inventive homage to tradition and an expansion of the piano’s expressive horizon. There is also a political dimension to the notion of transcendence. Lim quotes from the power ballad "Baraye" by the Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour, written in 2022, which became an anthem of protest following the death of Mahsa Amini. Lim writes in the front matter to the piece: "Women. Life. Freedom. (in solidarity)". To help us support musicians and produce future concerts, please donate at: https://www.kco.la/support