Product Description
SEVEN CANADIAN FOLK SONGS
IN CHINESE STYLE
Septet for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass and Piano
An-lun Huang, op.36 (1986)
James Campbell, the famous Canadian clarinets, commissioned a septet from Huang for the China
tour of the Canadian Chamber Group in 1984. Campbell suggested that An-lun combine the folk music of Canada and China in this new work. The result was the septet, Seven Canadian Folk Songs in Chinese style", became the most exciting hit piece of the tour. The world premiere was taken place at the Festival of the Sound at Parry Sound, Ontario, before the China tour. It was performed by seven leading Canadian musicians, Moshe Hammer(violin), Steven Dann(viola), Sophie Rolland(cello), Joel Quarrington(bass), Anton Kuerti(piano), Robert Aitken(flute) and James Campbell(clarinet). The piece was so warmly received both in Canada and China that a record has been released. It was also the most successful piece for the "Canada-Hong Kong Festival", Hong Kong, 91.
In addition, in 2002, successfully, the Canadian Symphoniatta performed its orchestral version, conducted by Tak-ng Lai, in Paris, France.
However, Huang found the musical similarity of the two nations--the pentatonic mode. Written in Chinese idea, the septet gives the opportunity both to the Chinese and Canadian audiences to find themselves in each other through the Seven Canadian folk songs. The septet is divided into seven "attacca" parts. No.1 begins the music into a very quiet British Columbia Indian folk tune, performed by flute and clarinet, and occasionally, the piano gives few chords to support them. No.2 comes a Alberta Indian lyric song with all instruments. The folk songs of No.3 and 4 are Ontario Forest mans old tunes which bring the music to the exciting part. The No.5 is a Saskatchewan Indian traditional tune, the "war song". Its heavy dynamic shows the typical native Canadian rhythmic patterns. Wooden spoon is a Canadian folk instrument. The clarinet player plays it in No.6 of a vivacious Quebec folk dance. And in a Newfoundland lyric song, No.7, the septet goes to its brilliant ending.
The attached mp3 was recorded a Russian master and Fei-ping Hsu, one of the greatest Chinese pianist.
Duration: 18 min.
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