相⾒歡 – Xiang Jian Huang (Joy at Meeting)

 20,00 Including tax

solo marimba 7′ video

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I made many arrangements for the Netherlands Wind Ensemble and one of them was a compact version of Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen with an extremely challenging marimba part. The musician who would perform this part had to cancel a few days before the first rehearsal…. Of course small panic but he said that a student from Taiwan named Yu-ling Chiu would be able to play this part, even on this short notice. And so she did. What an amazing musician! I worked with her on many occasions after that and promised to write her a piece for her Masters exam at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

I also asked her to give me her favourite poem to base this composition on and she brought me the following: 

<相見歡> 作者: 李煜

無言獨上西樓,月如鉤。

寂寞梧桐深院鎖清秋。

剪不斷、理還亂,是離愁。

別是一般滋味在心頭Joy 

Xiang Jian Huan  (Joy at Meeting)      by Li Yu  ( 937 – 978)

Joy at meeting

In silence, alone, I climb the western tower
to see the sickle of the moon
A wutong tree stands lonely in the autumn-locked courtyard
Our ties have been cut but not severed by sorrowful parting
An unspeakable taste is in my heart

Performance notes

At certain points in the score the text has to be recited. This can be in Chinese or in the english translation. It is a good idea to include the text in the concert program.

Yu-Ling Chiu

Yu-Ling Chiu, Bernard Haitinkzaal, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 10th of April 2016