Tona Scherchen

Tona Scherchen, born 1938 in Switzerland, is the first composer who brought Chinese elements into European avant-garde art music. After spending her early years in China with her mother, composer Xiao Shuxian, she returned to Europe to be with her father Hermann Scherchen in order to pursue further music education, that was the year 1956, just a year before China fell into political chaos.

Very soon Since 1960s Tona had became an active composer, titles of her music were frequently seen in contemporary music programs. Her works were published by prominent publishers and several articles on her as a composer can be found. Although, after some starred appearances in 1980s, she seemingly had ceased to catch attention.

Tona's music is an adaption of the avant-gard idioms of European 1960s, 70s, synthesized with the language of her own. One thing outstanding in her music, which can be found immediately on the score, is the extremely detailed attention to timbre, or say, the physicality of sound.

This is often result in an astonishingly complex score in which layers and layers of expressions are written. All her music has a certain intensity and vitality, always the ability of medium and performers are fully explored.

Many of her compositions bear a Chinese title, but the influence of Chinese art is more conceptual than literal. The only exception is Yi, a suite for two marimbas, in which she recalled the folk tunes she heard in her Chinese years, it is a moving piece, dedicated to her mother, whom Tona probably were not able to meet for three decades due to political reason.

Only one work by Tona, Lo for trombone and strings, is issued in recordings, though all the others can be found in prints. It is a great wish that the music by this composer of high craftmanship and unusual history background to be heard and appreciated again.