Bamboo Song
Item
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Score title
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Bamboo Song
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Composer
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Chen Yi
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Program note
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Chen Yi's BAMBOO SONG is a powerful scene of optimism, inspired by artists who are self-disciplined and consistent, and who seriously care about nature and society. The composer writes: Bamboo Song has characteristics of this quality. I use my music to praise bamboo, with simple thematic material from a Ba Ban tune... pure, noble, and profound. The sonority is deep and spatial. There is a long section of music towards the end using continuous fast notes to imitate bamboo flute playing in southern Chinese folk music ensemble music. This fiery 6-minute work symbolizes indomitable determination towards an ideal future.
Commissioned by and written for Professor Zou Xiang of the Central Conservatory of Music, my piano work BAMBOO SONG was completed in 2019. I believe that Zou Xiang and I share our admiration for those sincere artists who are self-disciplined and consistent, and who seriously care about our nature and society. Bamboo has the characteristics of this quality. I have used my music to praise bamboo, through a simple thematic material borrowed from a Ba Ban tune used in folk ensemble music (Jiang Nan Silk and Bamboo Music), with its variations throughout the piece. The musical image is pure, noble, and profound. The sonority is deep and spatial. There is a long section of music towards the end of the piece, using continuing fast notes without significant pause, to imitate the bamboo flute playing (Kundi performance) in the ensemble. It symbolizes indomitable determination towards an ideal future.
Chen Yi