Fantasia on the Theme of Guanglingsan for Zheng and Mixed Ensemble
Shih-Hui Chen
Fantasia on the Theme of Guanglingsan for Zheng and Mixed Ensemble
The musical materials in this piece derive loosely from Guanglingsan, a melody popular in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A D ) and among the most well known pieces from the classical repertoire Although originally performed on guqin, it also became an important work for zheng later on. Despite the tragic content of its narrative Guanglingsan tells a story of revenge, that of a sword craftsman's son during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) the two distinct emotions and styles presented in the melody made a deep impression on me The meditative character in the melody’s opening and ending provide a strong contrast to the fast, energetic music flanked within Together, they suggest a rich, full range of musical expression and vitality.
The structure of the Fantasia, therefore, echoes this original melody with the slow-paced opening (subtly introduced in a fragmented way), while the faster middle section invokes a warrior-like spirit The rich and elegant Guanglingsan melody is most apparent in the final section where the longer and more lyrical melody is presented in a contrapuntal manner Furthermore, it is worth mention that, unlike my previous works that utilize only strict notation, Fantasia employs some graphic notation/improvisations for the soloist and the orchestra to allow freer and more effective expression on the traditional Chinese instruments.
The original version for the Fantasia on the Theme of Guanglingsan was written for the Chinese orchestra and commissioned by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra for the final round of the 2015 TCO International Conducting Competition. It was premiered by the TCO and zheng soloist Jiuan-Reng Yeh on January 30, 2015.
Instrumentation /
Dizi (Di)
Soprano Sheng (S. Sh) / Alto Sheng (A. Sh)
Pipa (Pp)
Alto Ruan (A. Rn)
Percussion 3 (Chinese tom-tom ), (small Chinese gong, suspended), 1 (small Tam-tam, suspended), (Vibraphone)
Zheng tuning Tam S. Chinese gong Chinese T.T. Vibraphone
Zheng solo
Erhu (Eh)
Cello (Vc)
Duration: ca. 12 minutes
X | Left side of the bridge
*Solo Zheng, S.Sh and Tam together.
Fantasia on the Theme of Guanglingsan for Zheng and Mixed Ensemble
Shih-Hui Chen