Score for Two Yellow Rivers
Audio recording
01:45
2006

Piano version - rivers are superimposed to create a duet [mp3]
Flute version - notes from each are alternated [mp3]

The Huang He River in China and the Missouri River in the United States are both also known as the Yellow River. They are among the longest rivers in their respective countries and in the world. Both have very high silt content, are of remarkably similar length (within 350 miles), and traverse a relatively west-east path with a large northward hump.

The major bends in both rivers were straightened and centered on a horizontal line so that their course resembles a waveform. Using a grid, the undulating of the rivers' path was translated into pitch, the center-line being middle C with each square of the grid being a pitch in the C Major scale. The melodies formed are used for the two compositions above.

The image above is the original map of the two rivers superimposed.