About this work:
CHEN YI: Landscape Impression for Orchestra (2023) DURATION: APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES
Landscape Impression for Orchestra was commissioned by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Music Director, Zhang Xian, with generous support of the TBD Fund. First performed by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Zhang Xian on June 1-4, 2023, in Newark, Princeton and New Brunswick.
Instrumentation: 2 flutes (2nd = piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 B flat clarinets (2nd = bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 C trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani (5), 2 percussion players (I. suspended cymbal, triangle, and 3 temple blocks; II. bass drum, tam-tam, 2 bongos and 1 conga), harp, and strings.
The music is inspired by the two ancient Chinese poems by Su Dong-Po (another name Su Shi, 1036-1101), written in 1072 and 1073. The two sister poems are entitled Landscape, and The West Lake respectively. My musical sound imagination came from the text in the poems:
Landscape (1072)
Like spilt ink dark clouds spread o'er the hills as a pall,
Like bouncing pearls, the raindrops in the boat run riot.
A sudden rolling gale comes and dispels them all,
Below Lake View Pavilion sky-mirrored water's quiet.
The West Lake (1073)
The glittering waves delight the eye on sunny days,
The dimming hills give a rare view in rainy haze.
The West Lake looks like the fair lady at her best,
Whether she is richly adorned or plainly dressed.