The Musics of“Happy Chinese New Year”Themed Firework Show
I. The Great Jubilance
Overture of Spring Festivel by LI Huanzhi
LI Huanzhi, a renowned composer and music theorist has created a well-known orchestra work during 1955-1956, named “Suite of Spring Festival”. The suite blends in tones and rhythms of Shanxi Yangko and techniques of western orchestra, presenting vividly the joyful scenes dancing and singing at Spring Festival. The suite comprises four chapters, the first of which is “Overture of Spring Festival” depicting the Yangko dancing at the festival.
Zi Zu Diao (Tune of Black Bamboo)
This ode on everyday love gained its popularity in Suzhou and before long became a song title of Hu (Shanghai) Opera with its lyrics revised by generations of artists into an implicit but interesting love song: “I gave a straight black bamboo to my darling as a Xiao (a Chinese bamboo flute). He played with it with his mouth and produced a beautiful melody. I then asked him: ‘Is it a satisfying Xiao?’” The tune is played by string instruments, erhu, pipa and flute, accompanied by harp, and in a sense shares the temperament of Jiangnan Sizhu (a traditional stringed and woodwind instrument).
II. The Return of Spring
“Pastoral”, Beethoven’s Symphony No.6
Ludwing van Beethoven (1770－1827) is a German composer. Among his immortal nine symphonies, the sixth one stands out with strong uniqueness. The heroism and militancy that are normal in his symphony works are herein replaced with a sense of easiness and relaxation, which could be felt right from the first chapter. The sunny F major played by first violin is considered the gentlest start in symphony documentations. We hereby start a joyful countryside journey accompanied by music in such gentle and relaxed pace.
III. The Glitter of Stars and the Moon
“The Planets” by Gustav Theodore Holst
Gustav Holst (1874—1934) is a Swedish English composer. Holst’s suite “The Planet” was created between 1914 and 1916 and gained him tremendous glory. “The Planet” is the most successful and popular piece among the very small number of classical music that is theming the universe. The suite comprises seven titled melodies, which are “Mars: envoy of battle”, “Venus: envoy of peace”, “Mercury: a winged envoy”, “Jupiter: envoy of joy”, “Saturn: envoy of elderly”, “Uranus: the magician” and “Neptune: the mystic”. Among the above, “Venus: envoy of peace” is tranquil and serene, where a violin plays a beautiful and touching second subject of ethnic style.
IV: Universal Celebration
Beethoven, “Chorus”, Symphony No.9
Ludwing van Beethoven (1770－1827) is a German composer whose work “Symphony No.9” is also known as “Chorus Symphony”. Regarding no matter its content or artistry, this work serves as the milestone of symphony creation, which reflects the ethos of the time and at the same time the artist’s own creed of life and arts as well as his exceptional personality. The fourth chapter of Symphony No.9, namely the moving and widely spread “Ode to Joy”, is ethnically featured, and this is exactly where the artist’s greatness and wisdom lie. The depth of thought, brilliance of artistry of the fourth chapter is hard for words to depict, and is considered the miracle of western music history that has never been exceeded.
Guan Xia
GUAN Xia, director of China National Symphony Orchestra, after the composition for TV series such as Weicheng in the 1990s, created Mulan, Pathetic Dawn that have gained much praise. His “Farewell my Concubine”has been performed at places like Lincoln Center as well as the Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall, receiving international critical acclaim.