Acknowledgments This project reflects my background as Recorded on Steinway Model D in a pianist. I gratefully dedicate the pub- the Recital Hall at Graves Piano and lished CD to my parents and my family, Organ Company in Columbus, Ohio, for their unconditional love and support September 26 and November 19, 2010 The Piano in China through the years. Recording Engineer / Producer: great appreciation goes to my teachers, Chad Loughrige Development & Expression Zhu Yafan, Nicholas Zumbro, Paula Fan, and many others who have strongly influ- Cover Design: Jian Wang and Ying Lin of enced my life and career. Program Notes: Tianshu Wang thanks to my colleague and mentor, the Chinese Spirit Five Concert Studies, Op. 52 by professor Seymour Fink, the knowl- Alexander Tcherepnin is published by edgeable scholar, for your patience and Schott Music. Buffalo Boy’s Flute by valuable suggestions; to my dear friend, He Luting and Music at Sunset by Li Dr. Sylvia Eckes, pianist extraordinaire, Yinghai are published by People’s Music for your great encouragement; to Publishing House. Eight Memories in Dr. Rosemary Platt, my American Watercolor by Tan Dun are published mother, you are my inspiration. by G. Schirmer, Inc. The Jasmine thanks to Capital University for Flowers by Chu Wanghua is published awarding me the Gerhold Grant toward by Shanghai Music Publishing House. this project. Pi Huang – Moments in Beijing Opera special thanks to Paul and Graves by Zhao is published by Central Piano and Organ Company, for your Conservatory of Music Press. Studies generous support, so I am able to on the Life Cycle of the Phoenix by complete this project. Jonathan Green is available directly from the composer.

www.albanyrecords.com TROY1289 albany records u.s. 915 broadway, albany, ny 12207 tel: 518.436.8814 fax: 518.436.0643 albany records u.k. box 137, kendal, cumbria la8 0xd tel: 01539 824008 © 2011 Albany Records made in the usa DDD warning: copyright subsists in all recordings issued under this label. Introductionr The piano made its first appearance in China in the late 19th century, having been brought there by an Italian missionary. Chinese piano composition itself did not begin until the 1930’s. This compact disc contains piano music written by seven composers from five different countries. The common thread is their use of traditional Chinese elements and their manifestation of a Chinese spirit. The music selected, spanning the period from the 1930’s to 2007, traces the formation and development of a true Chinese style of piano writing. The examples often contain transcriptions of traditional folk melodies and instruments, one of the primary dimensions of Chinese piano music, and more importantly, they demonstrate the path composers traveled in developing a truly original piano composition. This represents a profound cultural achievement. In addition, a contemporary American piece is included to display the fusion of Eastern and Western elements.

The Music Beijing Opera, he fell deeply in love with The Russian born composer and pianist the Chinese culture. He became the godson Alexander Tcherepnin (1899- 1977) lived of the famous Beijing Opera scholar, in Paris at the beginning of 1930’s. In Rushan (齐如山), who gave him a Chinese 1934, his manager arranged a world tour name of “Qi Erpin” (齐尔品). His studies designated primarily to study and collect culminated in the composition of Five Asian folk materials. When he arrived in Concert Studies, Op. 52: each of them is China, he was fascinated by the country’s inspired by a particular type of art includ- rich cultural heritage and he canceled the ing folk theaters (Shadow Play and Puppet Tianshu Wang remainder of the tour to settle in China for Shows), native instruments (the Lute and three years. He taught composition at the the Pipa), as well as the Buddhist ceremony National Conservatory of Music (now (The Chant). In the second and third Shanghai Conservatory of Music), and movements, the composer was imitating pursued intensive research on the tradi- typical Chinese instruments. The lute tional Chinese art forms. Taking lessons (guqin) is a 7-string long zither that has a on the Chinese instrument, studying uniquely soft timbre. The special result is achieved by using both pedals throughout life of the village. The form of the work is which transcribed from a traditional piece of my childhood. Therefore, I wrote my the entire piece without change. The pipa ABA. A tuneful pentatonic canon opens for the pipa. The music portrays a land- first piano work as a diary of longing. The is a 4-string plucked instrument whose the piece, unfolding a marvelous ink paint- scape of a night at the waterbank. Drums, work is subdivided into eight short pieces. main playing techniques feature alternating ing for the listens: two cute buffalo boys clarinet (xiao), and pipa among other Pieces 2, 3, 4, 8 are based on my favorite fingers and strumming. Homage to China are improvising on their bamboo flutes Chinese instruments are imitated on the folksongs from my childhood in . was Tcherepnin’s favorite piece, as he while leisurely riding on the buffalo’s back piano, using a variety of fluent pianistic I composed the melodies of the other four. dedicated it to Miss Lee Hsienming (later in the blooming filed. The middle section techniques. The music smoothly strolls In the music, the composer is seeking, as known as Ming Tcherepnin) as a love is a fast and energetic folk dance, which through many contrasting sections. This he stated, for “the voice of the human offering. All five movements use pentatonic develops from one short phrase appearing piano transcription was written in 1975; it soul” and for “the silence of the nature.” scales, the typical sound of Chinese music. in different keys. The last section is a has gone through many revisions. The ver- Chu Wanghua (b. 1941) is a Chinese Tcherepnin combined his mature Western decorated version of the first, a typical sion on this disc was published in1996. composer now living in Australia. His compositional skills such as counterpoint, occurrence in Chinese bamboo flute music. chinese-American composer Tan Dun collaboration in the creation of the Yellow free modulation, meter changes, and chord Buffalo Boy’s Flute describes a tra- (b. 1957) rose to international fame as a River Piano Concerto made him famous clusters, to creative a captivating synergy. ditional Chinese concept, the notion of result of winning the Academy Award in in and outside of China. A pianist himself, tcherepnin’s love for China ran very the bond between nature and humanity. 2001 for his score to the mystical martial his major compositions are primarily for deep. While teaching at the National Musically, the composition is one of strik- arts film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. the piano. The principal theme of The Conservatory of Music, he dedicated him- ing simplicity. According to Tcherepnin, Also a Grammy Award winner, his multi- Jasmine Flowers is familiar to the western- self to help young Chinese composers find the work showed “originality, clarity, and faceted compositions include operas, sym- ers because of Puccini’s use of it in his their own voice in piano compositions. In a sure hand in counterpoint and form.” phonies, concertos, as well as chamber beloved opera Turandot. Tan Dun also November of 1934, he sponsored a monu- Composer He Luting ultimately became music. Eight Memories in Watercolor for used the same tune as he composed the mental competition, “Contest of Piano one of the most important and influential solo piano was premiered in the United music for the Medal Ceremonies at the Compositions of China National Flavor.” musicians in China. States by Lang Lang in the Kennedy 2008 Beijing Olympics. The song was yet The winning piece was Buffalo Boy’s Flute Li Yinghai (1927- 2007) was one of the Center in April of 2003. In the composer’s used again at the opening ceremony of the by He Luting (1903-1999). most important and prolific composers own words, he says: Eight Memories in 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Written in Buffalo Boy’s Flute became the first of China. As the president of the China Watercolor was written when I left Hunan 2004, Chu’s piano solo version combined published original Chinese piano compo- Conservatory of Music, Li was responsible to study at the Central Conservatory of two charming folk tunes (both bear the sition. The music reminds people of the for the flourishing development of Chinese Music in Beijing. It was my opus one. The same name, one from and the special atmosphere in traditional Chinese national music. His own compositions Cultural Revolution had just ended, China other from Zhejiang) to create a fresh, paintings, the so-called “method of xie yi,” create marvelous synergies by blending just opened its doors, I was immersed in and impressionistic flair. or free-hand brush work that is expressive western compositional devices with the studying Western classical and modern the rising Chinese composer Zhang of a refined pastoral poem which speaks Chinese materials. Music at Sunset is music, but I was also homesick. I longed Zhao (b. 1964) is currently a Professor of of the beauty, the peace, and the colorful a representative work of the composer, for the folksongs and savored the memories Composition at the Central University for Nationalities in Beijing. Pi Huang – from SUNY Fredonia, the University of incorporates elements of east and west in in Keyboard Companion. Moments in Beijing Opera was completed Massachusetts and the University of an attempt to create a magical landscape dr. Wang is Professor and Head of in 2005, and took the top prize at the North Carolina at Greensboro where he in sound. (Jonathan Green) the Keyboard Area at Capital University’s “Palatino Contest of Piano Compositions was a University Excellence Fellow. Green Conservatory of Music in Columbus, of China National Flavor” in Beijing, 2007. is a member of ASCAP, the Conductors The Pianist Ohio. She received the Praestantia Award The music vividly describes the typical Guild (board member), and of Phi Mu Acclaimed by the press as a “superbly for Distinguished Teaching in 2011, the scenes in a traditional Beijing Opera pro- Alpha Sinfonia. talented pianist” who plays with “prodi- highest honor given to a faculty member duction, through a display of “recitatives,” Study on the Life Cycle of the Phoenix gious technique and eloquent phrasing,” at the university. Prior to Capital, she “Arias,” fighting scenes along with was composed for Tianshu Wang in 2000, Steinway Artist Tianshu Wang has graced served on the piano faculty of Sweet Briar percussion punctuations and imitations and it is dedicated her. Dr. Wang premiered concert stages in the United States, China, College in Virginia. She is also a professor of typical instruments used in this theater. the work at the Mid-Atlantic Chapter Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan. and chair of the Piano Department at the One striking feature of Chinese traditional meeting of the College Music Society at Winner of many competitions, including a Shenyang Conservatory of Music in China, music is the flexibility of rhythm, as in the James Madison University in March 2001, national first prize, she is active in both where she teaches for part of the year. introduction of this piece, the composer where her performance and the piece solo and collaborative performance and dr. Wang holds degrees from the did not mark a specific time signature. received strong praise from the keynote has performed with major orchestras University of Arizona (M.M. and D.M.A. the entire music is built upon three speaker, David Amran. The composition in China and the United States. She has in Piano Performance) and the Shanghai pitches – G, B-flat, and C, which are skill- takes a western approach to musical chi- been a regular juror of the National Conservatory of Music (B.M. in Piano fully blended in its charming melodies and noiserie including rapid figurations on a Piano Competition in Beijing since 2005. Performance). Her teachers include Zhu harmonies. With a variety of meter, mood, collection of exotic pitch sets while trying Respected as a distinguished artist and Yafen, who also taught Lang Lang, and and color changes, Zhang has masterfully to evoke musically the imagery of the teacher in her native China, she was fea- Nicholas Zumbro, a student of the legend- transformed the theater music into a mythical phoenix thrashing in the flames tured in a cover story of the country’s most ary Rosina Lhévienne. brilliant and effective solo piano piece. as it fights for survival, being consumed prestigious piano magazine, Piano Artistry. tianshu Wang’s biography appears Jonathan D. Green (b. 1964) is Provost in the inferno, and rising peacefully from tianshu has presented lectures and in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who and Dean of the Faculty at Illinois the ashes as it is reborn. Even among the recitals in numerous state, regional, and of American Women, and Who’s Who Wesleyan University. He is the author of calm final moments of the composition, national conferences; she has given mas- in China. The CD set Encyclopedia of six music-reference books. As a composer, the phoenix shows us a glimmer of his ter classes at California State University Chinese Classical Piano Music in which he has received awards from ASCAP, the earlier precociousness perhaps suggesting (Long Beach), Ohio University, Central she is featured as a major performer, North Carolina Arts Council, and the to us that we are hearing a single cycle of Conservatory of Music in Beijing, has been a best seller in China; and her Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. a recurring process. The tranquil coda Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in chamber music CDs, recently released by His compositions include numerous songs, purposefully pays homage to the Le jardin Singapore, and the Rajabhat University Albany and Mark Records, have been choral works, three piano concertos, and féerique movement of Ravel’s Ma mère in Bangkok, Thailand, among others. Her well received enthusiastically by both the seven symphonies. He received degrees l’oye, another piano composition that article on piano pedagogy was published public and critics. Tianshu Wang he T Piano in China t roy1289 Development & ExpressionoftheChineseSpirit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 wa

r ning: c T Music atSunset[7:46] Li Yinghai(1927-2007) Buffalo Boy’sFlute[2:54] He Luting(1903-1999) Chant [5:30] Punch andJudy[2:50] Homage toChina[2:26] The Lute[4:24] Shadow Play[3:10] Concert Studies,Op.52 Alexander Tcherepnin(1899-1977) The PianoinChina TROY1289 ianshu o p yr igh W t subsis ang tel: 01539824008 box 137,kendal,cumbriala8 0xd albany recordsu.k. tel: 518.436.8814 f © 2011 915 broadw albany recordsu.s. www.albanyrecords.com t s in all , , A piano lbany r ec a or y R , albany ecords dings issued unde ax: 518.436.0643 , ny12207

m a de

in the u r

t his label. s a DDD

18 17 16 15 14 13 redWilderness[2:07] 12 11 10 9 8 TanDun(b.1957) *premiere recording Total Time=64:55 Study ontheLifeCycleofPhoenix*[7:10] Jonathan Green(b.1964) Pi Huang– Zhang Zhao(b.1964) The JasmineFlowers[7:07] Chu Wanghua(b.1941) Sunrain [1:34] Floating Clouds[2:17] Ancient Burial[2:07] Blue Nun[:58] Herdboy’s Song[1:56] Staccato Beans[1:32] Missing Moon[2:30] Eight MemoriesinWatercolor

Moments inBeijingOpera[6:33]

C P T Wang Tianshu

roy1289 t hina in iano he