Hearing Wabi Sabi in Debussy’s Feuilles Mortes
Debussy’s works are considered the musical epitome of Impressionism. This is despite the composer himself rejecting the term “Impressionism” to describe his music. Instead, Debussy was influenced by the aesthetics of the orient. His works have drawn inspiration from Javanese gamelan and Japanese woodblock prints. It is therefore ironic that we have traditionally employed Impressionist ideals to listen to and perform Debussy’s music. This presentation explores an alternative lens, the Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi, to discover Debussy’s music, specifically, his prelude “Feuilles Mortes (Dead Leaves)”.
In this encounter with the music of Claude Debussy, ceramic artist Abraham Ling’s artwork becomes a quiet companion to sound. Ceramic arts are often rooted in the philosophy of Wabi Sabi, each piece embracing impermanence, imperfection and carries the passage of time within them. He will share what Wabi Sabi is and how it influences his working processes and artistic output in his wood fired ware. Pianist Khoo Hui Ling will extrapolate and apply the concepts behind Wabi Sabi in interpreting “Feuilles Mortes”, culminating in a performance of the Prelude. Together, music and ceramics invite a slowing down, an awareness of beauty not in perfection, but in what is passing, incomplete, and quietly alive.
In the process, the following research questions will be discussed by the artistes:
• How might Wabi Sabi influence how we perform and listen to music?
• How do ceramics and music intersect?
• Might these cross cultural and interdisciplinary exchanges provoke subtle shifts in our artistic beliefs and approaches?
In what is increasingly a polarized world, the artistes hope to show that tradition and innovation are perhaps not opposites. Rather, the interweaving of differing traditions - West and East, music and ceramics, can spark new ways of finding our artistic voices.
A pianist, pedagogue, researcher and entrepreneur, Dr. Khoo Hui Ling maintains diverse interests in life. She is the founder of The Music Studios, a collective of private music teachers in Singapore and a former lecturer at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Her eclectic array of musical projects has been heard in creatively programmed recitals in the US, Europe and Singapore. Forays into multidisciplinary performance have led to inter-cultural collaborations and productions with dancers.
Dr Khoo Hui Ling
Abraham Ling is a ceramic artist who draws inspiration from the ancient wood-firing tradition in Ipoh, Malaysia. He recently built an Aquagama kiln, revitalizing a nearly forgotten technique grounded in the interaction of air and water. A major turning point was his solo exhibition at Tanjong Pagar Art Hub in 2024, highlighting a decade of rigorous creative growth. He has also curated numerous exhibitions locally and internationally, guiding their conceptual frameworks and spatial narratives.