Premiere Works III

Composers on Their Works

       On Sunday, October 10, Music From China presented "Premiere Works III" at Merkin Hall. This third annual concert of new and innovative works for Chinese instruments featured American and world premieres of eight works representing a wide spectrum of styles and instrumentation.
       Included were the four winners of the 1993 Music From China International Composition Competition: "In Praise of the Moon" by Qin Wenchen (First Prize), "Wilderness" by Ye Guohui (Second Prize), "Intoxicating Night" by Su Kaili and Xu Minnan, and "Order - Silence and Light" by Ho Neng-hsien (Third Prize co-winners).
       Composer Zhou Long's Buddhist Thoughts" and Yuan-Lin Chen's "Two Prose Poems" were especially commissioned for this concert. Erhu solo "Thirteen and One Third" by Tzyy-Sheng Lee and zheng solo "Mystic Peaks" by Xu Xiaoling were given American premieres.
       The following are descriptions of the works, by their composers unless otherwise noted, and brief biographies.

In Praise of the Moon by Qin Wenchen
       "In Praise of the Moon" ("Yanyue Fu") is written for two dizi and a zheng. Fu is an ancient poetic form popular during the Six Dynasties period [206 B.C. to 581 A.D.]. Yanyue is the crescent moon. Since ancient times, the moon has been perceived by the literati as a symbol of man's purity of spirit. I was deeply moved by the impressionistic evocations in the Six Dynasties work "Yue Fu" by the Emperor Xiao Yi. Its lyrical descriptions, especially of man and nature, reveal a compelling musicality. With this inspiration, I set out to express my own perception of beauty and the harmonious union between man and nature.
       In my orchestration, I used two dizi - adi and bangdi - o complement each other, thus producing a wider tonal range and richer texture. Combining the pentatonic scale with other tonalities required nontraditional tuning on the zheng to accommodate tone changes. This piece uses a technique similar to theme and variations, with the theme appearing toward the end of the piece. Variations in the first half are staggered, with the end note of the previous forming the first note of the following. The form I used is borrowed from that of the qin: sanqi (free introduction), rudiao (theme starts), ruman (ritard starts), fuqi (return to introduction), weisheng (coda).
Qin Wenchen graduated from the Inner Mongolia Arts School and entered the Shanghai Conservatory in 1987. He joined the faculty of the composition department of the Central Conservatory in Beijing in 1992 .

Wilderness by Ye Guohui
       This is a small ensemble work written for dizi, zhonghu, zheng and percussion. There is no grandiose explanation for "Silderness." The listener is welcome to interpret its music on a personal basis.
       I lived for a long time in the countryside of southern China. The sounds of the villages (to a large extent a menagerie of musical and nonmusical sounds) all cast their spell upon me. My deepest impression was that these rural sounds were not so simple and lackluster as people thought. I was even more surprised to find that these "traditional" sounds could be placed in the context of "new music."
       In this work I have used instruments most representative of the Chinese bowed and plucked strings, winds and percussion. Also, I have taken the essence of some Chinese folk music and developed it in a contemporary style that bears in mind Asian sensibilities.
Ye Guohui performed with national music orchestras in Hubei province and later studied composition at the Shanghai Conservatory. He graduated in 1991 and joined the Conservatory faculty.

Intoxicating Night by Su Kaili, Xu Minnan
       "Intoxicating Night," trio for pipa, zheng and dizi, takes its musical material from the folk music of the Li minority of Hainan Island and their native rituals as background. Our aim was to preserve the character of the music, at the same time exploring various instrumental techniques to express the feelings of spontaneity, unrestraint, and optimism during the state of intoxication. To perform this score, the pipa's D string (third string) is raised a half step and the zheng's twenty-one strings are tuned to a specified set of pitches.
       The high, sustained notes of the dizi and long, tremolo plucking of the pipa evoke the echoing sound of horn blowing. Percussive chords on the pipa and zheng are the beating of drums that call tribal members to the gathering. In ensemble playing, each of the three instruments at times stands out to display independent character, at other times they are a part of a unified whole. The flow of the music reflects the programmatic portrayal of a festive celebration of wine and dance, intoxication, rousing finale, and dispersal into the forest depths.
Su Kaili is resident composer with the Guangzhou Armed Forces Arts Ensemble.
Xu Minnan studied in the Shenyang Conservatory's composition department and is artistic director of the Guangzhou Armed Forces Arts Ensemble

Order -- Silence and Light by Ho Neng-hsien
       This piece is composed for erhu, dizi, zheng, pipa, sanxian and percussion.
       Early in 1990 I read The Spirit of Louis Kan's Architecture by John Lobell and was greatly impressed by the ideas and works of this far-sighted American architect.
       The central idea of Kan's work can be summarized as "order," which is made up of the "immeasurable" and the "measurable," or "silence" and “light." Kan's idea of order was deeply influenced by the "Dao" of Lao Zi, who said, "The Dao that can be talked about is not the constant Dao; the name that can be named is not the constant name. Nothingness can be taken to name the beginning of Heaven and Earth; and Being to name the mother of the myriad creatures. Therefore, we see in permanent nothingness its inner secrets and in constant being its outer manifestations." Kan's idea of "silence" is equal to Lao Zi's idea of "nothingness," and his idea of "light" is equal to Lao Zi's "being."
       Kan said that "light" sublimates into the material world while Lao Zi named the material world "the myriad creatures," and the myriad comes from "being." Kan thought that order transcends the duality of silence and light while Lao Zi said, "Dao gives birth to one, and one to two, two to three, and three to the myriad."
       So, with the feeling of "ecstasy" inspired by Kan, I have designed a “structure" and "form." By creating the sound effects of points, lines and surfaces, with no subject, no image and no intention, I have used the postmodernist method of separation/derivation/disintegration/concentration/dissemination in an attempt to listen to Lao Zi's dialogue with "Dao" and Louis Kan's dialogue with "order."
Ho Neng-Hsien graduated from the music department of the School of Political Warfare in Taiwan in 1988 majoring in composition under Professors Rung-sen Tung and Hsing-kui Tseng, and from the Language Center of the University of the Armed Forces in 1990.

Thirteen and One Third by Tzyy-Sheng Lee
       I wrote "Thirteen and One Third" for solo erhu in May of 1987. I wanted to use an ostentatious and avant-garde approach and performance techniques to try to instill the life and spirit of the late 20th century into this traditional Chinese instrument.
       The score begins in pianissimo in the extreme high register of the erhu to create an aura of mystery and uncertainty. Its linear texture is contrasted by the point texture of the ensuing section. I applied space notation here to allow the performer greater flexibility in expressing rhythm and pitch so as to enhance the music's instability and flamboyant quality. In addition, I opted for a microtonal effect with liberal use of quarter tones and a variety of ornamental sliding notes. In purposely removing the confines of fixed pitch and pitch relationships, I hoped to reflect the uncompromising aesthetic of Western traditional music with respect to tonal concept.
       The cantabile section of this work is directly influenced by the huqin's role as musical accompaniment in traditional Chinese theatre. A highly exaggerated expression brings the dramatic element to the extreme. I created two bold techniques for the huqin which I applied in the climatic section. The first is to strongly press the open A string in order to make a heavy, scratching sound and pluck the open D string with the thumb of the left hand at the same time. The second calls for the fingers of the left hand to touch the A string near the bridge with the bow passing above the hand, which produces a thin, sobbing sound, while the left thumb plucks the D string.
Tzyy-Sheng Lee graduated from the music division of the Taipei National Arts Academy in 1988 and entered Boston University's graduate school in 1990 where he studied with Professors Theodore Antoniou and Lukas Foss. He is presently enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the University of Pennsylvania under Professor George Crumb.

Mystic Peaks by Xu Xiaoling
       Composer Xu Xiaoling's "Mystic Peaks" for solo zheng was inspired by the great Chinese poet Qu Yuan's (340-277 B.C.) "Mountain Spirit." This poem, from "Nine Songs," depicts the mysticism and tragedy of love between spirits and mortals.
       This composition preserves the classical sound of the zheng while using a contemporary style of expression. It has been acclaimed as one of the more innovative solo pieces for this instrument in recent years. [Editors]
Xu Xiaoling graduated from the composition department of Sichuan Conservatory in 1966 and has written many pieces of traditional Chinese music. She is presently associate professor in composition at the China Conservatory in Beijing.

Buddhist Thoughts by Zhou Long
       Buddhist sutras make reference to eight sacred icons which are often found in bas relief and wall paintings in ancient Chinese architecture. "Buddhist Thoughts," for three Chinese plucked strings -- hongruan, daruan, zheng -- ontains eight continuous sections that evoke musical images of these icons.
       In the first section, "Dharma Wheel," the zhongruan and daruan perform a repetitive exchange of harmonic overtones to evoke the wheel's cyclical turning. A contrasting movement is provided by changing rhythmic patterns on the zheng. This leads directly into "Dharma Seashell," a tonal evocation of this ancient religious object of India. Next, "Precious Umbrella" and "White Canopy" build on the same rhythmic motif with increasing tonal complexity to create a multitier effect like the layers of a parasol. The fifth section is "Lotus Blossom." A melodic phrase of harmonic overtones is shared between the two ruans while the high-register, ripplelike glissando plucking of the zheng hovers in the background. This is an evocation of the untainted, high-minded character of the lotus blossom.
       "Precious Jar" evokes water images. A pure, crystalline texture is created by the ruans' harmonic overtones and the zheng's vibratos and glissando notes. "Gold Fish" combines an assertive melodic line on the bass with animated rhythm to portray a determined but sportive nature.
       The eighth icon is the "Winding Symbol of Infinity." A long melodic line of rich harmonic texture is gradually subdued. The music ends in an ethereal atmosphere of enlightenment.
A graduate of the Central Conservatory in Beijing in composition, Zhou Long received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Columbia University in 1993 and was recipient of a Koussevitzky commission award the same year.

Two Prose Poems by Yuan-Lin Chen
       This small ensemble work is scored for yangqin, daruan, erhu and dizi.
       Poetry is musical prose. Music is poetry without text. The poetry inherent in Chinese instruments and the combination of their unique sounds are important components of this two-section tone poem.
Yuan-Lin Chen received an M.A. in composition from the Central Conservatory in Beijing where he also served on the faculty and was founder-director of the Computer and Electronic Music Studio. He is at present a Ph.D. candidate at SUNY-Stony Brook.

The Tone in Qin Music

by Jinmin Zhou

       No other instrument is as representa-tive of Chinese culture and musical aesthetics as the qin. It is the only one that has been continuously present for more than two thousand years. In contrast to other ancient instruments, for which few musical pieces remain, qin notation has been preserved in thousands of compositions. Music of the qin is also typical in illustrating the principles of structural development in Chinese music.
       The smallest structural unit in music is an individual tone. Unlike traditional Western music, in which the position and direction of movement of each tone are confined within the regulations of tonal concept, in Chinese music -- and especially that of the qin -- the expression of a particular tone is regarded as far more significant than the logical relationship it has with others; and the importance of fixed pitch, essential in Western tonality, is sometimes reduced to a secondary position in order to give the single tone the flexibility of expression.
       Compared with traditional Western music, there are two features of the individual tone in qin music: a versatility of self-expression and a dependence on the instinctive experience of the player, since every individual tone contains numerous possibilities of sound change in several parameters -- pitch, timbre, volume, etc. -- nd these possibilities are produced not according to some rational rule, but depend on the player's physical touch on the string and the psychological feeling of the sound at the moment of playing.
       In qin music, a tone is not just an ordinary sound; rather, it is a complex phenomenon that involves different aspects -- initial attack, vibration establishment, timbre, pitch, dynamic, duration, decay -- determined by numerous playing techniques. In the Ming dynasty handbook of qin aesthetics and performance, Jiao Chuang Jiu Lu, there is an essay on the sixteen rules of the touch of the qin. All are efforts to approach the ideal musical sounds and different timbres: qing (the light touch), song (loose), cui (crisp), hua (gliding), gao (lofty), jie (pure), qing (clear), xu (empty), you (profound), qi (rare), gu (antique), dan (simple), zhong (balanced), he (harmonious), ji (quick), and xu (slow). As affected by hundreds of playing techniques by which the strings of the instrument are manipulated, timbre and the subtleties of pitch changes within a single tone emerge as much more important aspects than definite pitch.
       Under these circumstances it is impossible to build a musical structure upon tonality that primarily features pitch relationship between individual tones. The detailed structure of qin music, instead, is constructed largely according to the player's intuitive response of physical manipulation of the strings, and is a result of interaction between the player and the instrument. This assumption can be verified by the notation and interpretation system of the qin, which, in terms of the composer-notation-performer relationship, is a totally different procedure compared with that typical in Western music.
       In Western music, the notation is a representation of what has been in a composer's mind; it is to record the composer's thought and then to be presented to the performer as a means of basically one-way communication:
Composition Notation
Performance
       The parameters that Western staff notation records are primarily pitch, duration, and, with some verbal assistance, dynamics. But qin notation, composed of abbreviated tablatures, indicates specific playing techniques that result in a certain pitch and timbre yet leave the choices of duration and some other factors open. Since the starting point of this notation is playing techniques, a composer must be a performer at the same time in order to first make the music and then proceed to make the notation. Because the notation leaves considerable flexibility, a performer who reads it must also be a composer to some extent in order to create actual music out of the notation. This is the reason qin notation is said not to be "read" (dupu), but to be "interpreted" (dapu). Thus the composer-notation-performer relationship might be represented:
Composition Composition/
Interpretation
Notation
Performance Performance
       In this process, the dominant position in building the structure is yielded from the rational design to the intuitive experience of the composer/performer, which includes physical and psychological feelings, tactile sensation of fingering, and so forth.
       In comparison with staff notation, the "unrecorded" parameters implied in qin notation carry greater potential for interpretation by the performer. A tone can be something with constant changes in pitch, can at some point be represented with silence (an imaginary sound), and can also be a gradual transformation process among these and other factors. Therefore, with a single tone of this nature, it is not hard to imagine that the chances for a rationally preplanned structure are limited to a minimum.
A graduate of the Wuhan Conservatory, Jinmin Zhou received a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Maryland in 1992.

Chinese New Year With Music From China

Article Index
Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 2
Autumn/Winter 1993
Big5 Version