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Dear Freegigmusic Friend:

This site is free and always will be.

If you use the sheet music and would like to say "Thank You", would you please consider making a donation in any amount?

Your kindness would be greatly appreciated.

Enjoy your music!

violinist Wanda Sobieska, founder of freegigmusic

Alto Solo

(for any solo instrument, alto clef)

Composer Title Link
W.M. Sobieska Five States of Change: Wood PDF View & Download »
W.M. Sobieska Five States of Change: Metal PDF View & Download »
W.M. Sobieska Five States of Change: Fire PDF View & Download »
W.M. Sobieska Five States of Change: Water PDF View & Download »
W.M. Sobieska Five States of Change: Earth PDF View & Download »

About

"Five States of Change" is a suite of five short pieces for any instrument solo.

The movements may be played in any number, in any order, and in any key -- feel free to mix & match as you see fit.

Cultural Reference

Each movement alludes to an instance of the Wǔxíng -- a fivefold conceptual scheme found in Chinese philosophy. It has traditionally been employed in many fields, including such disparate examples as feng-shui, divination, astrology, medicine, music, military strategy, and martial arts.

One common translation of the term Wǔxíng is "Five Elements". However, according to my humble research, this term implies a correlation to Western thinking which is not entirely accurate. As the Eastern concept relates to more of a process than an endpoint, an exact counterpart does not exist. Five Agents, Five Stages, or Five States of Change may be more fitting translations.

I have chosen the last term in titling the suite. Each movement strives to capture the character of its individual eponym.

As the music itself is entirely European in nature, that is where the reference to Chinese culture ends. That said, I believe that even in such limited form, this reference brings an extra spark of interest to the work as a whole, which stems from an entirely genuine curiosity on my behalf. May the suite serve then as a humble tip of the hat to the amazing wealth of an ancient tradition.

Compositional Considerations

The challenge in writing these pieces was to imply sufficient harmony and rhythmic momentum in a single melodic line so that it could stand on its own without accompaniment while avoiding unnecessary technical complexity.

While the movements vary in difficulty, they are aimed at being accessible yet interesting to a wide range of musicians.

So in keeping with the theme of Chinese philosophy, there is a yin-yang of factors attempting a balance at work here :-)

Transpositions

Please play these pieces in whichever key best suits your instrument, your musical preferences, or your mood at the moment. For each individual piece, the key that I feel best complements its character is listed first.

Licensing

I am making these pieces available to all for free in a Creative Commons equivalent of the public domain. This means there are no copyrights. You can use them any place for any purpose. The only thing that I request is that I am given credit as the composer.

Furthermore, you are free to adjust or modify them according to your -- or your instrument's -- needs.

Source Files

Sibelius and XML files are available for these pieces specifically upon request.

artwork depicting the Four Symbols of Chinese mythology
Original artwork: "Four Guardians" by Wanda Sobieska.
An imaginative take on the Four Symbols of Chinese cosmology.
Colored pencil on paper.