DUO YE No. 2

Chen Yi

About this work:
Duo Ye is a form of age-old traditional song and dance of the Dong minority nationality of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, in which people stand in a circle and dance in slow steps while singing “Ya Duo Ye” in chorus. The lead singer extemporizes the words of the song, extending a warm welcome to guests or celebrating a happy occasion. The composer traveled to the Guangxi district of the Dong and Yao minority nationalities with a group of composers from the Central Conservatory of Music in 1980. The warm scene left such a deep impression on her that she has written a piano solo piece “Duo Ye” as a result of this field trip, which won the Fourth Chinese National Composition Competition in 1985. For the commission of the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China, she rewrote the piece for full orchestra which has been performed at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, with fine review from the New York Times, and toured the States in 1987, conducted by Maestro Chen Zuohuang. As the first American conductor "discovering" the composer and bringing her music to American orchestras, Maestra JoAnn Falletta has performed the piece with The Women's Philharmonic at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. in 1992, and received critical acclaim. With her deep respect and gratitude, the composer dedicated the piece Duo Ye No. 2 to Maestra JoAnn Falletta in 1993. The work is first recorded on the CD The Music of Chen Yi on New Albion Records [NA090 CD] and released in 1997.
Version: Full orchestra
Year composed: 1987
Duration: 00:08:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Standard Orchestra
Instrumentation: 3 Flute, 3 Oboe, 3 Clarinet, 3 Bassoon, 4 Horn in F, 3 Trumpet, 3 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 3 Percussion (General), 1 Strings (General)
Instrumentation notes: orch: 3*3*3*3 4331 timp, perc(3) str(14-14-10-12-8)

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