06.11.2022 NRC Ma Sicong 110 Memorial Concert

MA SICONG 110 MEMORIAL CONCERT 马思聪诞辰 110 周年纪念音乐会

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2022 EMILIE K. ASPLUNDH CONCERT HALL PHILIPS MEMORIAL BUILDING 7:00 PM

PROGRAM Ma Sicong Video Show BEAUTIFUL HOMELAND (Selected from Homeland Cantata) ......................................... 1947 HOMETOWN (Lyrics by Ma Ruixue) .................................................................................... 1972 THE MOON (Selected from Mountain Song of Amis) ...................................................... 1974

Andy Fei, Tenor May Zhang, Soprano Great Philadelphia Area Chinese Chorus Zhen-Mei Wang, Piano AMIS SUITE .............................................................................................................................. 1973 I. Spring II. Solitude III. Mountain Song IV. The Moon V. Dance on the Hill

Ruotao Mao, Violin Zhen-Mei Wang, Piano

CONCERTO FOR TWO VIOLINS ........................................................................................... 1983 Second Movement: Andantino

Xiao-fu Zhou, Ruotao Mao, Violin Zhen-Mei Wang, Piano POEMS FROM TANG DYNASTY ............................................................................................ 1973 I. The Moon Over the Fortified of Heaven (Li Bai) II. Bringing the Wine (Li Bai) III. Enduring Yearning (Li Bai) IV. Autumn Evening in the Mountains (Wang Wei)

Andy Fei, Tenor Charlotte Wang, Piano LULLABY .................................................................................................................................. 1935 LAMASERY ............................................................................................................................... 1941

Xiao-fu Zhou, Violin Zhen-Mei Wang, Piano

Intermission VIDEO SHOW THREE CANTONESE DANCES .............................................................................................. 1953 Feathered Costume Dance Walking Horses Lion Playing the Ball

Xun Pan, Piano

CELLO CONCERTO................................................................................................................. 1960 Second Movement

Hai-Ye Ni, Cello Xun Pan, Piano

NOSTALGIA ............................................................................................................................. 1937 Selected from Inner Mongolia Suite

Hsiao-Mei Ku, Violin Zhen-Mei Wang, Piano RONDO NO.2 .......................................................................................................................... 1937

Tao He, Erhu, Zhen-Mei Wang, Piano POEMS FROM TANG DYNASTY ............................................................................................ 1974 The Setting Sun (Li Shangyin) Meeting was Unbearable (Li Shangyin)

Zhi Jiang, Soprano, Zhen-Ping Wang, Piano RONDO .................................................................................................................................... 1950

Yazhi Guo, Suona, Zhen-Ping Wang, Piano PASTORAL ................................................................................................................................ 1944 SPRING DANCE....................................................................................................................... 1953

Huayi Wang and His Students: Michelle Qing, Tyler Wu, Michael Shen, Christopher Pan. Katherine Mao, Miranda Qing, Katherine Dong, Cosner Yang, Evelyn Fu, Catherine Chu, Piano DRAGON LANTERN DANCE ................................................................................................. 1953

All Violins Catherine Chu, Piano Please silence all cell phones and electronic devices.

PROGRAM NOTES Beautiful Homeland: Music written in 1947, text by poet Jin Fan (金帆), is the last section of “Homeland Cantata”. It proclaims the simple bucolic beauty of the motherland.

The text states: The Sun is rolling through green wave of the sea, shining on our beautiful land. Let us dedicate the brilliance of the sun to our dear land. We are born into its arms, and we will embrace this land again when we die.

The mountains, rivers and endless prairie, such beautiful motherland, she has five thousand years of brilliant history, 400 million beloved descendants. Together, let’s sing the sunshine song, praise our dear motherland, our 400 million people and the magnificent land of glory.

Hometown: The music was written in 1973 in Philadelphia, and the lyrics was written by his daughter Ma Ruixue (马瑞雪). The song expresses the yearning for the native land.

The text: Across the water, over the mountain, grandma told me that’s our homeland. In the spring, seeding the rice, the bird is singing on the tree, the willow shoots out new sprout, the azalea is blooming on the hill. The summer brings a busy season of fertilization, with a hope of a better growth of the plants, and a short break to build a new house. The fall starts the season of harvest and the grains are filled into the barn, wind-bells ring in the clear blue sky, doves fly over the fields. The winter celebrates the New Year, every household beaming with happiness. After sunset the family gathering at home, enjoy the thrilling recitation of the storyteller. However, rampant tide came, everything is changing, no more singing bird or flying doves. Across the green water, over the mountain, Grandma told me, that’s our homeland.

The Moon: Mr. Ma took his wife to Taiwan to perform seven times during the 20 years after he came to the U.S. 1986, The Ma Sicong couple and their son went to Taiwan for the Chinese New Year. This was the last time he went to Taiwan before his death. During these seven times he visited Taiwan, Ma Sicong heard many local folk melody and customs of Taiwan, enjoyed the folk songs and dances of the Gaoshan (高山) and Amis (阿美) ethnic groups, and was attracted by the colorful local minority music, also gained inspiration from it. He created two violin suites "Kaoshan Suite" and "Amis Suite", and a cappella "Amis Mountain Song" after those visits. The Moon is the second song, selected from the a cappella "Amis Mountain Song” composed in 1974. Ma Sicong stated in his letter in March 23, 1974: "The Lyric is selected from the Taiwan Folk Songs written by Yan Wenxiong (颜文雄). Because the lyrics are only in the phonetic pronunciation of the Amis language, I mix some lyrics from other songs, and they are suitable for singing.”

The text: Look at the moon coming out from the east brightly and shining on the ground, golden all over. Look at the moon above, and the night wind blows the shadows of the coconut trees. Look at the moon hanging high in the sky, shining brightly on the white rock. Golden flower, Silver flower I don't love, only love brothers with talent (love sister as fairy lady) Amis Suite: The Amis Suite was written in 1973. It mainly expresses the joy of life of the Amis people. The melody of third movement “The Mountain Song” comes from the one of the complete Amis fisherman’s song, which has hardly changed. This is one of a series of works written by Ma Sicong based on the folk melodies of Taiwan’s aborigines, after his first visit to Taiwan during his staying in the United States. As five pieces of paintings, each of the five movements reflects one episode from most typical customs of different ethnic group of the Aborigines and his own receptions about each episode.

Concerto for 2 Violins: Composed in 1983 it shows the maturity of his musical evolution.

Although it uses traditional western compositional format, structure and principal, its musical language is deeply rooted in the Chinese folk style. Veering away from simply adopting folk

melodies of earlier era, this composition creates a Chinese style of his own, integrating the local ethnic songs into an encompassing national feel. This is particularly reflected in the second movement where it is often lauded as the second “Longing for Home”. The use of a more complex harmonic integration speaks to a new emergent musical identity while retaining the simple emotional bond he has to his native land. In his own words, he explains, “Second movement, slow, a quite fixed figure set violin’s profound melody. Up and down phrases repeated restlessly, expresses the feeling of longing for home.” He was expressing this same feeling when he wrote the solo piece “Nostalgia” in 1937. Here, forty-five years later after he first wrote “Longing”, Ma Sicong once again expressed the feelings for his beloved homeland. In his dairy, he wrote, “the double concerto now sounds rather profound and sentiment, the theme for the second movement came out easy, but it’s very touching.” (8/30/1984) Tang Poems: The six songs on the program today (four now and two later) are from two different sets, “Six poem of Li Bai”, and the “Eight Tang poems”, composed after his escape to the U.S. in the early 70’s. Ma Sicong hoped to capture the metrical rhythm of Tang poems. He said, “I hope these songs can allow people to feel like they are back in the Tang Dynasty.” In the creation of these two art song collections, Ma Sicong made major changes to the original poems. These changes are mainly reflected in two aspects: one is the modification of the original poems’ titles, and the other is the modification of the original poems’ words. These changes are more refined and eye-catching than the original poems, which highlight the themes of the poems and deepen our impression and understanding of the poems. These revisions appear to be quite different from the title of the original poem, but they aim to point out the meaning more directly, so that we can have more clear understanding of the profound content to be expressed in the poem.

The Translation of these songs: THE MOON OVER THE FORTIFIED OF HEAVEN (关山月) by Li Bai The bright moon lifts from the Mountain of Heaven In an infinite haze of cloud and sea, And the wind, that has come a thousand miles, Bears at the jade Pass Battlements….

China marches its men down Po-teng Road While Tartar troops peer across blue waters of the bay.

And since not one battle famous in history Sent all its fighters back again, The Soldiers turn round, looking toward the border And think of home, with wistful eyes, And of those tonight in the upper chambers Who toss and sigh and cannot rest.

BRINGING TO THE WINE (将进酒) by Li Bai Do you not see the Yellow River come from the sky, Rushing into the sea and ne’er come back?

Do you see the mirrors bright in chambers high Grieve o’er the snow-white hair though once silk-black?

When hopes are won, O drink your fill in high delight, And never leave your winecup empty in moonlight!

Heaven has made us talents, we’re not made in vain.

A thousand gold coins spent, more will turn up again. Kill a cow cook a sheep and let us merry be, And drink three hundred cupfuls of wine in high glee!

Dear friends of mine, Cheer up, cheer up!

I invite you to wine Do not put down your cup!

I will sing you a song, please hear, O hear! Lend me a willing ear!

Do not care for bells and drums, rare dishes you take!

I only want to get drunk and never wake.

How many great men were forgotten through the ages?

But great drinkers are more famous than sober sages.

The prince of Poets feast’d in his palace at will, Drank wine at ten thousand a cask and laughed his fill.

Why should host complain of money he is short?

To drink with you I will sell things of any sort.

My fur coat worth a thousand coins of gold And my flower-dappled horse maybe sold To buy good wine that we may drown the woe age-old.

ENDLESS YEARNING (长相思) by Li Bai I am endlessly yearning to be in Chang’an.

Insects hum of autumn by the gold brim of the well； A thin frost glistens like little mirrors on my cold mat； The high lantern flickers, and deeper grows my longing.

I lift the shade and, with many a sigh, gaze upon the moon, Single as a flower, centered from the clouds.

Above, I see the blueness and deepness of sky.

Below, I see the greenness and the restlessness of water……

Heaven is high, earth wide； bitter between them flies my sorrow.

Can I dream through the gateway, over the mountain？ Endless longing, Breaks my heart.

AUTUMN EVENING IN THE MOUNTAINS (山居秋暝) by Wang Wei After fresh rain the mountains are bare.

Autumn permeates evening air.

Among pine-trees bright moonbeams peer; Over crystal stones flows water clear.

Bamboos whisper of bathing maids; Lotus stirs when fishing boat wades.

Though fragrant spring may pass away， Still here’s the place for you to stay.

Lamasery: The second movement from “Tone Poem of Tibet”, written in 1941. The tone poem includes Shuyi, Lamasery and Sword Dance. Here Ma Sicong is seeking a rather rough style and original strength. He said: “my Tibetan tone poems are very rough, like a wild animal, which deliberates some special colors, and some horrible dissonant chords. It originated from the music written for a documentary film, which was shot by the China Film Studio in Chongqing, one of the episodes was an introduction to Tibet. The theme of the Lamasery is adopted from theme of the film.

Lullaby: Written in 1935 for solo violin, his earliest surviving and still frequently performed music.

In this piece, Ma Sicong uses a tune from his native village of Guangdong Province, called “Bai Zi Diao”(白字调) that his mother use to hum to him as a child. By combining a new harmony into this melody, he gave this simple folk melody a more colorful flavor. It vividly expresses motherly love.

This composition is the first officially published, professional violin solo music of China.

Three Dances: Composed in 1950, for his friend Henley Orer in Beijing. The music has strong French Impressionism influences. Ma Sicong devotes much attention to the SOUND of the music.

He later said about this music: “I want to hear the sound very much like leather in the Drum Dance, clear and melodious in the Cup Dance and silky feeling in the Scarf Dance.”

Concerto for Cello: Written in 1962, it was one of Ma Sicong’s last works before the Cultural Revolution. It is the first cello concerto ever written by a Chinese Composer. The Concerto was requested by Central Conservatory cello professor Hung Yuanli and Ma Siju (Ma Sicong’s sister).

However, it was never publicly performed nor published until the 1997 publication of Ma Sicong’s Complete Works. During the Cultural Revolution, the manuscript was kept hidden in the old brick kitchen range by Ma’s sister Ma Siju, and was returned to the composer in 1984. The Concerto has the traditionally western concerto format of three movements. The entire second movement has no strong contrast: smooth with a strong root in folk flavor.

Nostalgia: Part of a three-movements suite composed in 1937. The composer considers this seminal work as the marker when he began to use folk tunes as motives in his composition.

Nostalgia, the second movement is the most famous. Its tender melody has been an enduring symbolic link between many overseas Chinese and their native land. It is often performed as a stand-alone solo piece by violinists all over the world. Using the simple motives from “Riding Horses on the City Wall”, it originally expresses the longing of a young man stranded in a foreign land. He yearns for his homeland and his loved ones on the plateaus of Inner Mongolia. Ma Sicong’s music utilized the bittersweet yearnings of the original song.

Rondo No.2: Composed in 1950. The thematic material is taken from Meihu tune in Northern Shaanxi. The entire music is euphemistic and beautiful, full of local flavor. The music originally written for violin, this is the first time, trying on a traditional Chinese instrument – erhu.

SETTING SUN (残阳) by Li Shangyin Where the sun has entered the western hills, I look for a monk in his little straw hut; But only the fallen leaves are at home, And I turn through chilling levels of cloud.

I hear a stone gong in the dusk, I lean full0weight on my slender staff….

How within this world, within this grain of dust, Can there be any room for the passions of men?

MEETING WAS UNBEARABLE (相见难) by Li Shangyin It’s difficult for us to meet and hard to part; The east wind is too weak to revive flowers dead.

Spring silkworm till its death spins silk from lovesick hart; Candles only when burned up have no tears to shed.

Art dawn I’m grieved to think your mirrored hair turns grey; At night you would feel cold while I croon by moonlight.

The three hills it is not a long way.

Would the blue birds oft fly to see you on the height!

Rondo: Composed in 1937 as a solo violin music, it employs a simple folk melody and is set to virtuoso techniques, same year of the “Inner Mongolia Suite”. Here once again, he used Mongolia folk song “Qingbie (情别)”. The tempo of the original song was in Andante. But Ma Sicong uses it in

a faster tempo, which gives the theme a lively and dancing character. The first theme is very upbeat, enthusiastic, cheerful and full of life. The second theme has not much melody, but is very humorous.

Hope the traditional Chinese instrument suona will bring out stronger folk flavor, as composer always wished.

Pastoral: Written in 1944, the theme was taken from a Suiyuan folk song. The original folk song is only a simple melody in two measures. However, the composer took this simple melody, and made it into a piece of music which depicts the quiet and beautiful countryside through its distinctive folk style, expresses composer’s deep love for the nature. The composer’s pure and sincere personality is clearly reflected in the music as well.

Spring Dance: Composed in 1953, the opening theme absorbs intensive and exciting elements of Chinese folk tone, and with a rather feminine softness lyrical and lingering melody in the middle, the differences between them formed a sharp contrast in character. In order to highlight the dance characteristics of the music, Ma Sicong used the simulation of the acoustic effects, repeating the same type of harmony and the rhythm of the gongs and drums in the piano accompaniment.

Dragon Lantern Dance: Written in 1952, the theme is from a Shanbei folk song “Liu Zhidan”. It describes the lively scene of celebration for holiday festivity, expresses the warm and delightful feeling of the northern people.

- Program Notes Compiled by Zhen-Mei Wang - Tang Poems translated by 许渊冲 and Witter Rynner

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