published on
This is the Midi version of the piece. I will soon upload the recording of Infant Goddess that was premiered by Peabody Orchestra.
Program note
Somewhere on this planet, there are young girls who have been worshiped as living goddesses. Regardless of whether the girls have wanted the crown, the process of selecting the goddess itself is very tricky. Just to be considered as a candidate, the girls need to meet 32 physical conditions such as white teeth without gaps, dark eyes, long, slender arms, soft hands and feet, thighs like those of a deer, and a small and moist tongue. Only the girls who meet these 32 conditions are shifted to a hut that is full of animal carcasses and their bloodstains. The girls are made to spend a whole night inside the dark, lightless hut by themselves. Among them, the one who does not reveal her fear and who does not cry at all is finally
chosen as their new living goddess.
Young goddesses are asked to live in the temple. While the children who are the same age as the goddesses go to school, learn to socialize, and improve themselves, these young goddesses are only worshiped, sitting in a sacred chair, getting strangers' kisses on their feet. They are not allowed to talk and run. All of their behaviors are interpreted revelation.
They are raised not a human but goddess, however, it is only until when they have their first menstruation. Young goddesses who start to have menstruation are no longer regarded as a goddess. Once they start to have menstruation, they are no longer regarded as holy but impure. People who made them goddess, made them lose their statue of a goddess. However, they, who lived more than half of their lives as a goddess, have no ordinary lives to go back to since they've never had them. No one is trying to take responsibility for the lives of these young goddesses
who are now thought to be disgraced.
They cannot even dream of being married since people believe men who married the women who were once being the goddess will certainly be miserable for the rest of their lives. Some of them are also unwelcomed by their own family either.
Some expelled goddesses, therefore, had no choice but to go out on the streets and sell themselves to be survived. This piece portrays the lives of those little goddesses and the soundscape surrounding them. This piece will let you feel that the beautiful temple which once embraced them, and the beautiful clothes and makeups which once covered them, was not something sublime, but it was just a beautiful mire. I also hope you feel the tranquil brutality from the music which, I believe, is the nature of the life of a living goddess.
- Genre
- Classical