Huqin Quartet
Cloud．Wind Wang Se
Clouds are constantly changing, in shape and in colour;
Wind is elusive - it can be a breeze or a gust, here now and gonenext.
And now they meet,
Bringing no pain, disaster, ruffled hearts and disturbed minds,
Only a day where clouds and the wind mix and mingle,
Filled with hopes for the future, prayers and yearnings….
- Wang Se
* The music was commissioned by the HKCO and premiered in June 2012 at the ‘HKCO4U–3+1 Huqin Quartet Concert’, with Yan Huichang as the Artistic Advisor, Eco-erhu by Wong Lok Ting, Xu Hui, Eco-zhonghu by Mao Qinghua, Eco-gehu by An Yue.
Huqin Quartet Skyland Ascended Joshua Chan
As a one-movement quartet written for the Chinese string instruments - gaohu, erhu, zhonghu and gehu, Skyland Ascended is inspired by the Tang poet Li Bai’s Mount Skyland Ascended in a Dream - A Song of Farewell. Consisting of 45 phrases with 285 words, this freeform poem expresses the poet’s longing for a free world in which he does not have to stoop and bow before powers-that-be. This wish is subtly implied by the detailed description of a spectacular dream, in which he travels through the great Mount Skyland, Mirror Lake, Shimmering Streams, eastern cliff, sea, forests, ridges and stone gate, while he encounters sky-cock, lightning, thunder, fairy cavern, rainbow, Lords of Clouds, chariots, phoenixes, tigers, etc..
The music aims to transcribe the scenery into sounds and to describe the poet’s emotions from frustration to happiness. With a duration of 10.5 minutes, this composition consists of three major sections: (1) Moderato (6 minutes), which is like a piece of incidental music closely related to the storyline of the poem, (2) Andante (2.5 minutes), which suggests the dreamy state of the poet’s mind, and (3) Vivace (2 minutes), which describes the final triumph when freedom comes.
-Joshua Chan
Dialogue for Erhu and Gehu, Accompanied by Huqin Quintet Hopping Rotation Joshua Chan
Commissioned by HKCO, this piece aims to describe some of the best moments of childhood, when kids move by successive leaps, jump on one foot, and run around in rotation in playground. The parents who look after the kids are surprised by their children’s excessive energy while alternating their thought between thanksgiving and amazement.
* This music was commissioned by the HKCO and world premiered in December 2014 at ‘String Stories II’ concert, with Chew Hee Chiat as the Artistic Advisor, Eco-erhu by Zhang Chongxue, Eco-gehu by Tung Hiu Lo.
Huqin Trio
New Tales of Tanci Zhao Yuanchun (Hong Kong Premiere)
New Tales of Tanci was created in June, 2020.
The composer drew inspiration from the playing style of ‘Jiang Yueqin’ and the ‘Suzhou pingtan’ genre of music, in particular two huqin compositions in the Suzhou pingtan style composed by Sun Wenming. The greatest highlight of the piece is its combination of three huqin instruments with different tuning conventions: erhu, erquanqin, and untethered erhu. The composer grasps the timber, range, and unique points of each instrument. The erhu performs the role of vocals, the erquanqin plays the role of the pipa, and the untethered erhu plays the role of the sanxian. Through the interplay of dots and lines, fantasy and reality, retreating and approaching, the three forms of huqin vividly capture the rich and lucid storytelling style of Suzhou pingtan, mingling with the gentle speech of southern China. This is an utterly captivating ensemble piece.
Huqin Octet
Asturias (Leyenda) Isaac Albéniz Adapted by Li Bo (Arrangement Commissioned by HKCO / Premiere)
Asturias (Leyenda) is adapted from the classic piece of the same title by Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz (1860 – 1909). The original version of this piece was composed as a solo for piano, but the most popular version today was adapted as a guitar solo. Asturias is located in northwestern Spain and this composition’s adagio passages mimic the impromptu style of a flamenco singer.
Huqin Quartet The Bow Dancing on Strings Li Bochan
The Bow Dancing on Strings for huqin quartet was composed in May, 2014. In it, the composer attempts to uncover new possibilities of huqin ensemble music and display the charm of the bow of the huqin dancing on the strings by creating homophony with the Chinese folk genre of narrative singing and Western Jazz through alternating the linear polyphony with the horizontal theme. The work was premiered at the erhu ensemble concert, ‘Yang Xue and Bows and Strings Dance’ in 2014 while touring to art colleges and universities of China.
Huqin Sextet Fantasy Chew Hee Chiat
The musical conceit is ‘fantasy’, which is different from ‘imaginings’ in that it runs even more wild and free. But that does not mean it is ‘elusive’ because composing is a palpable process, a conscious deployment of musical notes to invite the listener to join the fantasy realm. Many non-standard tones and compositional techniques have been used in this work to provide an alternative to the sounds that we are familiar with.
- Chew Hee-chiat
* Commissioned by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and premiered on 1ST Mar 2014 at ‘String Stories’ Concert held at the Sheung Wan Civic Centre Lecture Hall, with Chew Hee-chiat as the Artistic Advisor, gaohu by Wong Lok-ting, erhu by Xiang Xuan, Xu Hui, zhonghu by Mao Qinghua, gehu by An Yue, bass gehu by Li Wei.
