Mang (望)
About the work
Mang (望) translates the Moon’s waxing and waning over time into changes in musical form. Beginning with only a few sonic elements, the music builds up sounds and layers until the fullest combination comes together at the full moon. The elements then recede one by one, returning to the new moon.
Musical structure
Centered on Dm7 and D Dorian, the melody incorporates the numerical value of the Moon’s diameter. The middle section modulates to C major and uses the value 27.3, with a Dm7–B7–Em7 progression and a keyboard solo introducing a new atmosphere. After a break and a change in the beat, the music returns to the opening harmony and melody.
Technology & performance
Head tracking connects the performers’ head movements to the Moon’s orbit, while data sonification shapes the movement of sound. A quadraphonic system moves the Moon’s sonic image through space. Its reflectivity of 12–13% is applied to delay, translating numerical information into spatial and sonic changes.
Music & technology
Full submitted program note · English translation
Morphogenesis Program Note
Team photo
TEAM NAME
Moonkeepers (문지기즈)
PERFORMANCE FORMAT
Tech Ensemble
PERFORMERS
Lee Minha (이민하), Kim Jeongwon (김정원), Kim Jihyeong (김지형), Lee Gyobin (이교빈), Lee Junho (이준호)
WORK TITLE
Mang (望)
DURATION
5 minutes 30 seconds
PROGRAM NOTE
The Moon changes continuously with the passage of time. Beginning with the new moon, invisible to the naked eye from Earth, it gradually fills out its appearance and reaches its most complete form at the full moon. It then slowly disappears again, growing fainter. This work realizes this lunar cycle as a transformation of musical form. Beginning with a small number of sonic elements, the music gradually becomes denser as new sounds are added one by one and layers accumulate. As the Moon waxes, the music also grows richer through the addition of sounds and layers, with the greatest number of elements coming together at the full moon. As the Moon wanes again, the musical elements recede one by one, returning to the new moon.
MUSICAL ELEMENTS
The harmonic foundation centers on Dm7, using the D Dorian scale to incorporate the Moon’s diameter of 3,474.8 km into the melody. In the middle section, the music modulates to C major and uses the value 27.3, developing over a Dm7–B7–Em7 chord progression. A keyboard solo creates a new sonic atmosphere. After a break over the same chord progression, a change in the beat shifts the mood. Finally, the opening structure is repeated, bringing the music back to its initial harmonic and melodic atmosphere.
TECHNICAL ELEMENTS
A quadraphonic system is used to express the Moon’s orbital movement. Head tracking aligns the Moon’s orbit with head movements, shaping the motion of sounds produced through data sonification. Sounds developed from a sonic image of the Moon are moved through space to express its movement. The Moon’s reflectivity of 12–13% is also applied to delay, converting numerical information into sonic effects and realizing lunar characteristics as spatial and sonic changes.
Performance video
A video of this performance will be available after the event.