| Autumn Moon Over the Placid Lake
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Traditional Cantonese Music
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Jing-qiang Guo, Gaohu (high pitched two-stringed fiddle)
Cantonese Ensemble
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| Birds Return to the Woods
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Traditional Cantonese Music
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Jing-qiang Guo, Gaohu (high pitched two-stringed fiddle)
Cantonese Ensemble
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| The Beautiful Bird (Parus Varius)
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Chi-chun Lee
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Carrie Chin, Sheng (mouth organ)
Accompanied by Small Ensemble
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| Song of Brightness
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Tian-hua Liu
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Erhu Ensemble
Jing-qiang Guo, Wen-jie Xia, Leaders
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| Mongolian Horse Race
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Hai-huai Huang, Arr: Li-qun
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Erhu Ensemble
Si-si Chen, Zhi Ping Yang: Yangqin (hammered dulcimer) Accompaniment
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| Melody of Han River
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Jiang-wen Qiao
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Jun Ling Wang, Zheng (long zither)
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| Night is Deepening
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Traditional, Adapted from Peking Opera
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Bao-li Zhang, Jinghu (Peking Opera fiddle)
Jing-qiang Guo, Wen-jie Xia, Jing, Erhu (Low-pitch Peking Opera fiddle)
Zhen-sheng Wang, Drum
Intermission
The second part of this concert features the music of Xinjiang. The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China has been known for its vibrant music and ethnic dances since very ancient times. Wang Luo-bin, the legendary folk song composer, once said the Silk Road was not only opened by caravans but also enriched by the folk music that accompanied it along the way.
The Uyghurs' best-known musical form is the Muqam, a complex suite of 12 sections. Each of the 12 Muqam consists of a prelude that begins with a long free rhythmic introduction, followed by pieces with characteristic patterns that gradually increase in speed. In November 2005, the Art of Uyghur Muqam was named as a
Masterpiece of the "Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.
In this concert, Muqam Theme Overture, composed by Nusileti Waqiding, is based on the 10th Muqam Nava. We will also play several music pieces related to different Xinjiang ethnic groups. Spring comes to the Pamirs, composed by Da-tong Li, is a piece with complex rhythms and built on a seven-note scale. Campfire Duet and Akaral are composed by Hen-qian Zhu and based on passionate Kazak folk songs, reflecting the open heart and straightforward nature of the Kazak people.
As a whole, Xinjiang music has a strong ethnic color and style. It is concise, bright, and full of vitality and carries a lively rhythm. Mr. Martin Sze, the conductor for today's concert, rearranged several music pieces for traditional Chinese instruments, under the commission of The Chinese Music Ensemble of New York (CMENY).
In additional to the orchestral music, we will also feature folk songs composed by Wang Luo-bin from the Xinjiang and Northwest region of China.
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| Boat Song of Wusuli
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Folk Song based on Hezhen Nationality
Arr. for Chinese orchestra, Yu-yuan Xu
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Liang Chen, tenor
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| Under the Silvery Moonlight
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Folk song of Tartar, Xinjiang
Arr. for Chinese Orchestra: Martin Sze
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Liang Chen, tenor
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| Nostalgia to Homeland
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Guang Xiao, Lyrics
Pei-dong Xu, Music
Arr. Zhiu-qun Yu
Arr. for Chinese orchestra:
Zhen Sheng Wang
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Xue Zhen Feng, soprano
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| Mayila
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Folk Song of Kazak, Xinjiang
Wang Luo-bin
Arr. for Chinese Orchestra:
Wei-hua Deng
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Xue Zhen Feng, soprano
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| Campfire Duet
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Heng-qian Zhu
Arr. Martin Sze
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The Ensemble
Martin Sze, Conductor
U.S. Premiere
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| Spring comes to the Pamirs
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Da-tong Li
Arr. Jia-shen Song
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Lai-gen Wei, Dizi (horizontal bamboo flute)
and the Ensemble
Martin Sze, Conductor
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| Akaral
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Heng-qian Zhu
Arr. Martin Sze
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The Ensemble
Martin Sze, Conducto
U.S. Premiere
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| Muqam Theme Overture
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Nusileti Waqiding
Arr. Martin Sze
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The Ensemble
Martin Sze, Conductor
U.S. Premiere
 This concert has been made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency. Funding also has been provided by JP Morgan Chase SOAR Program of the Asian American Arts Alliance.
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2007 Annual Spring Concert (46th Anniversary)
April 8, 2007 at 3:00 PM
Merkin Concert Hall, 129 W. 67th Street, New York, NY
Yu-chiung Teng, Terence Yeh, Co-Directors
Jing-qiang Guo, Conductor
PROGRAM
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| Jasmine Flower
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Traditional, Arr. Wei-hua Deng
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This is a classic folk song with a very simple yet delightful melody. It uses the pentatonic scale and is played mostly in unison. The sweet melody was adopted by Puccini in his opera Turandot as a recurring theme.
The Ensemble
Jing-qiang Guo, Conductor
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| Caravan of Mules
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Folk tune of North Shaanxi,
Arr: Yu Yuan Xu
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This piece is based on the folk tune in the northern Shaanxi region and describes the happy mood of a caravan of mules carrying goods to market.
The Ensemble
Jing-qiang Guo, Conductor
U. S. Premiere
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| Year of Blessing
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Ming-yuan Liu
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This song is based on a folk tune from Northern China and depicts the joyous spirit of the New Year. This version has been arranged for the banhu and orchestra.
The Ensemble
Wen-jie Xia, banhu (wooden fiddle)
Jing-qiang Guo, Conductor
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Raindrops Falling on Banana Leaves
Lament of the Twin Stars
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These two selections are representative of the Cantonese School of Music, a regional music style characterized by elaborate embellishments and frequent mode changes. The melodies are often spirited and cheerful and are usually played by a small ensemble with the gaohu as the lead instrument.
Jian-qiang Zhu, gaohu (high-pitch two-stringed fiddle)
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| The Waves Thrashing Against the Sand
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Yen-jun Hua
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This is one of the most famous works by Yen-jun Hua (also known as Ah Bing). Originally written for the pipa but this arrangement has been adopted for the sanxuan. The music develops from deep and steely to vivid and animating, and ends with a powerful rhythm.
Lin-song Wang, Sanxuan (three-stringed lute)
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The River Water
(Fantasia for a Manchurian folk song)
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Northeast folk tune,
Arr. Hai-hui Huang
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This classic erhu solo portrays the sounds and imagines of the course of a river in Manchuria, which at times is serene, and at other times, turbulent. This is just like the waxing and waning of a person's life experience.
Bao-li Zhang, erhu (two-stringed fiddle)
Si Si Chen, yangqin (hammered dulcimer)
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| Spring Dawn in Snow Mountain
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Shang-e Fan
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This piece describes the spring scene in the Tibetan mountains. At the foot of the mountain, grass and flowers are blooming, yet the mountain tops remain covered by white snow. This piece is also named "By the River Lhasa", describing the happiness of the Tibetan people welcoming the arrival of the spring.
Jun Ling Wang, zheng (Long Zither)
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| Spring at the Tian Shan Mountain
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Usmanchiang & Li-chun Yu,
Arr: Qi-zhang Pu
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Developed from a solo piece for the rawap, a plucked string instrument from the Uighur Autonomous Region of Xinqiang Province, China, this piece displays the distinct characteristics of music from that region. The melody express the peace and beauty of the life of the people who live at the foot of the Tian Shan mountain range which is topped with glistening snow caps yet provides rich pastures covered with a carpet of emerald grass in the valleys.
Plucked and Struck String Ensemble
Si Si Chen, yangqin (Hammered dulcimer)
Hong-tao Sun, pipa (pear shaped lute)
Intermission
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| Dancing Golden Snakes
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Nie Er
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This song was based on the folk tune known as Dao Ba Ban. The composer transformed it for the traditional Chinese ensemble with a lively and fast tempo.
The Ensemble
Jing-qiang Guo, Conductor
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| Moonlight on the River in Spring Time
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Traditional,
Arr. Peng-zhang Qin & Zhong-rong Luo
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This was originally a pipa solo piece from the collection of Gang-Yuan Li's Thirteen Large Pieces of the Northern and Southern School for the pipa and adapted for ensemble playing with the pipa as the lead instrument. The piece is in the form of theme and variation, each of which is descriptively subtitled. The music depicts a boating scene along the river under a moonlit night, ending with a "bacarolle".
The Ensemble, Jing-qiang Guo, Conductor
Lijian Huang, pipa (pear-shaped lute)
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| Henan Bang-zi Folk Tune
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Guo-liang Zhao
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Bang-zi is a particular music style typically associated with regional folk opera. It derived its name because it is often played with a particular percussion instrument. This composition is from the Henan Province in northern China with the banhu as the leading instrument. The music is energetic and delightful, a style typical of this region.
The Ensemble, Jing-qiang Guo, Conductor
Wen-jie Xia, banhu (wooden fiddle)
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| Dance Song of the Yao People
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Tieh-shan Liu and Yuan Mao,
Arr. Xiu-wen Peng
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The people of Yao, a minority group in southwestern China, are known for their singing and dancing. This modern piece, originally written for the Western symphony orchestra and adapted for the traditional Chinese orchestra, captures the festive mood of the Yao people.
The Ensemble
Jing-qiang Guo, Conductor
This concert has been made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency.
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2006 Annual Spring Concert (45th Anniversary)
Sunday, June 4, 2006, at 2:30 PM
Merkin Concert Hall, 129 W. 67th Street, New York, NY
Yu-chiung Teng, Terence Yeh, Co-Directors
Chen Tao, Conductor
PROGRAM
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The Harvest Sickle
The Moon above the Tree Tops
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Gui-xiong Liao
Fei Qiao
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These pieces are drawn from the Cantonese School of Music, a regional music style characterized by elaborate embellishments and frequent mode changes. Its mood is often spirited and cheerful and is usually played by a small ensemble with the gaohu as the lead instrument.
Cantonese Music Ensemble
Jian-qiang Zhu, Gaohu (high pitched two-string fiddle)
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| Fishing Song
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Tie-ming Yan
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This song is adapted from the folk music of the Hani and Yi minorities of Yunnan province and has four sections: 1) The Fishing Port at Dawn 2) Embarking 3) Boat Full of Fish and 4) Celebration under the Moon. The bawu is a Chinese single free-reed bamboo wind instrument popular in Southwestern China. When air is blown through the bawu, it passes through a single pointed metal reed at the mouth hole, giving it a characteristic mellow, low pitched sound.
Lai-gen Wei, Bawu (reed bamboo flute)
Small Ensemble accompaniment
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| Second Spring Mirroring the Moon
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Yan-jun Hua
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The Second Spring is a famous scenic spot in the city of Wuxi in Jiangsu Province. This melody was composed by the blind street musician Hua Yan-jun (pseudonym Ah Bing) in the 1920's. He used the imagery of the moon reflected in the water while contemplating his personal life. The melody has sad components because of his anguish over becoming blind at thirty five. The mood changes reflect the contrast between the beautiful Second Spring that he visited in his youth and his desperate situation in mid-life. This experience gave him strong insights into the bright and dark sides of human existence.
Jing-qiang Guo, Erhu (two-string fiddle)
Si-Si Chen, Yangqin accompaniment
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| Mongolian Horse Race
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Hai-huai Huang, Arr. Li-qun Shen
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The happy and festive spirit of a harvest celebration is captured in this simple folk tune. Various techniques for the erhu such as bowing and plucking are used to describe the annual horse race held during the celebration.
Jing-qiang Guo, Erhu (two-string fiddle)
Si-Si Chen, Yangqin accompaniment
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| Procession Music
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Traditional
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Music from the school of Jiang Nan Si Zhu, or literally music of Silk and Bamboo from south of Yangtze River, is a refined type of folk music played in central China south of the Yangtze River. This piece is often played at outdoor procession for special occasions.
Silk and Bamboo Ensemble
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| The Beautiful Girl
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Northeast region folk music,
Arr. Xiu-wen Peng
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Originally a folk song in the northeast region of China, this particular arrangement is for the Banhu solo to describe the beautiful girl who is vibrant and outgoing.
Wen-jie Xia, banhu (wooden fiddle)
Small Ensemble accompaniment
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| Crescent Moon at Dawn
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Arr. Ming-yuan Liu
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This is a traditional melody from Northeast China and is also named "Missing at Early Dawn", but better known in China as "Returning to the Maiden Home." Its exuberant tune is set in a distinctive pattern.
Wen-jie Xia, banhu (wooden fiddle)
Small Ensemble accompaniment
Intermission
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| Autumn Lake under the Moonlit Night
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Xun-fa Yu & Zheng-yuan Peng
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This piece was inspired by the poem written by the scholar/official Xiao-xiang Zhang (Song dynasty 960-1279 A.D.) when he visited Dong Ting Lake in which he describes how his righteousness and his open-mindedness offended the Emperor leading to his undeserved demotion. A special low-pitched bamboo flute aptly paints a musical picture of a serene lake at the height of autumn reflecting his desire to return to nature.
Chen Tao: dizi (Chinese horizontal bamboo flute)
Small Ensemble accompaniment
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| The Evening Party (New Year's Celebration)
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Lu-ding He, Arr. Zhong-kang Zhong
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This piece was originally a piano music written in 1934 for the celebration of the New Year. It was rearranged for the traditional orchestra to describe the happy spirits during the New Year celebration.
The Ensemble
Chen Tao, Conductor
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| Sweet Fragrance in the Great Open Country
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Zhong-kang Zhong
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This piece describes the abundance of fragrant flowers in the great open country as spring brings full vitality of life.
The Ensemble
Chen Tao, Conductor
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| The Butterfly Love Story (Excerpt)
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Zhan-hao He and Gan Chen,
Arranged by Jia-zhen Song
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"Liang San-po and Zhu Ying-tai" is a classic Chinese folk story. Zhu Ying-tai, the daughter of a retired official, disguised herself as a boy in order to study in a school where she met and fell in love with a student named Liang San-bo. Before she returned home, she revealed her true identity and confessed her love for him. When Liang went to her father to ask for her hand in marriage, he found out that she was promised to someone else. Sadly, the young couple bid farewell but pledged to remain faithful to each other. Liang returned home and died of a broken heart. On her wedding day, Zhu persuaded her father to allow her to visit Liang's grave. A violent thunderstorm developed; Liang's grave opened and Zhu threw herself into it and disappeared. When the storm abated, a pair of butterflies fluttered away, together for eternity.
This composition was originally a violin concerto with three movements. Adapted for the Chinese orchestra, the Ensemble will play an excerpt of the first and third movements "Joyful School Days" and "Transformation into Butterflies."
Bao-li Zhang, gaohu (high pitched two-string fiddle)
Chen Tao, Conductor
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| General's Command
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Jiangsu Folk Music, Arr. Xiu-wen Peng
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This piece was originally a wind and percussion music from southern Jiangsu. It is re-arranged for orchestral music with special emphasis on the contrast between "loud" and "soft" flavors between the wind and percussion instruments.
The Ensemble
Peng Cheng Yuan, Zhen Sheng Wang, Percussion
Chen Tao,Conductor
This concert has been made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency.
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Carnegie Hall Family Concert, Silk, Bamboo and Chinese Music
A Family Concert of the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall
Sunday, December 4, 2005 at 1:00 pm, Pre-concert demonstration at 12:00 noon
Zankel Hall, 57th Street and 8th Ave., New York, NY
Charlotte Blake Alston, Host
Co-Directors: Terence Yeh, Yu-chiung Teng
Conductor, Jing-qiang Guo
PROGRAM
This concert introduces traditional Chinese music with special emphasis on instruments that were made out of silk strings and bamboo in ancient times. The concert also focuses on music of folk nature and provides many different flavors from several regions of China.
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| Blossoming Flowers under the Full Moon
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Traditional
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A lively traditional melody often played at happy occasions such as festivals, holidays, celebrations, symbolizing happiness and good fortune.
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| Jasmine Flower
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Traditional folk song
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This is a classic folk song. It is very simple yet melodious. It uses the pentatonic scale, and is played mostly in Unison. The melody is so sweet and beautiful, that it was adopted by Puccini in his Opera "Turandot" as a recurring theme.
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| Birds in the Woods
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Guan-le Liu
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This piece is derived from a popular folk song from Hebei Province in northern China. The dizi is used to imitate the birds singing after the arrival of spring.
Lai-gen Wei, Dizi (Bamboo Flute)
Carrie Chin, Sheng (Mouth Organ)
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| Night is Deepening
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Traditional, Arr. Hua Wu
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Peking Opera is the most important opera form in China. This piece is adapted from a popular Peking Opera based on the story of a legendary battle between Kingdoms. When one of the Generals was surrounded by his enemies prior to his defeat, his beloved performed a sword dance to comfort him.
Jinghu (Peking Opera fiddle): Bao-li Zhang
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| Autumn Moon over the Placid Lake
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Traditional
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This is a quiet but refined piece featuring the Gaohu (high-pitched two-string fiddle). It is representative of the Cantonese music style in the Southeast region of China. Cantonese music is typically played by an ensemble with the Gaohu as the leading instrument.
Gaohu (high pitched two-string fiddle): Jian-qiang Zhu
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| Mongolian Horse Race
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Hai-huai Huang, Arr: Li-qun Shen
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The happy and festive spirit of a harvest celebration is captured in this Mongolian folk tune. Various techniques for the erhu such as bowing and plucking are used to describe the annual horse race held during the celebration.
Erhu (two-string fiddle): Jing-qiang Guo
Yangqin (hammered dulcimer): Si-si Chen
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| San Liu
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Traditional, Arr. Guan-ren Gu
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This song is one of the eight famous pieces in the School of Jiang Nan Si Zhu, or literally meaning the "Silk and Bamboo South of Yangtze River". It is also known as "Plum Blossoms". This version is adapted for plucked instruments.
Yangqin (hammered dulcimer): Si-si Chen
Pipa (pear shaped lute): Hong-tao Sun
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| Fantasia in a Hebei Folk Tune
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Shao-yi Yan
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This song originates from folk tunes of Hebei, a Province in north China. Using Banhu (a fiddle where the sounding board is made of wood and the body is made of Coconut shell) as the leading instrument, the music is energetic and delightful, in a style typical of this region.
Banhu (wooden fiddle): Wen-jie Xia
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| Dance Song of Yao People
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Tie-shan Liu & Yuan Mao,
Arr. Xiu-wen Peng
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The people of the Yao, a minority group in Southwest China, are known for their singing and dancing. Songfests are held periodically and people celebrate from morning till night. This modern piece, originally written for the symphony orchestra and adapted for traditional Chinese orchestra, captures the festive mood of the Yao people.
This concert has been made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency.
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