Calligraphy and musical gestures in the late works of Chou Wen-chung

Drawing on the composer's insights that link Chinese calligraphy to compositional aesthetics, this article explores the correlation between calligraphic principles and the shaping of musical gestures in Chou Wen-chung's late works. As a calligrapher, Chou transforms the combinatorial sequence of calligraphic strokes to evoke a 'living' image. Likewise, his music is generated from his unique system of variable modes, and the individual notes serve as agents that shape the build-up and dissipation of energy, among other forms of polarities that govern the structural processes according to the duality of yin and yang.