An-lun Huang: Violin Concerto in B major, the 1st movement

Violin Concerto in B major, the 1st movement, Op.47b(1996)
An-lun Huang conducted the China Youth Symphony Orchestra, violin solo; Lin zhao-yang.
A live performance of the all-Huang's works-concert, for the 47th anniverrsary of the Central Conservatory of Music, at the Beijing Music Hall, June 1997.

Violin Concerto in B,
An-lun Huang
Opus 47b (1996)

This concerto is the second in a serial of three orchestra works the composer composed under the title "Symphonic Concert no.2". The first in this serial is an Overture and the third a Symphony. (The composer's earlier serial, Symphonic Concert no. 1, was written in the 1980's, also in the Overture/Concerto/Symphony format).

This concerto was completed and world premiered by Lu Si-qing, whom the concerto dedicated to, in 1996. The music represents the composer's deep affection for the musical idiom of the Northern Chinese area ( although no folk tunes are incorporated into the music). This part of China is situated north of the Great Wall, where its music is a mix of both the ethnic Han and Mongolian, characterized by its unbounded and untamed rustic quality and the dramatic leaps in musical intervals.

The first movement is full of vitality, written in sonata form. The main theme is in 5/4 and intermixed with a broad and slow second theme, and includes a brilliant musical section. The orchestral climax reflects the mountain ranges in China's north.

The second movement shows the violin in a solid theme of freshness and depth. It closes in an unusual series of overtones, bring the movement to haunting end.

The third movement uses the traditional wind/percussion style of China's North to bring a rhythmic theme to a climax. The main theme uses the mode of 角"Jiao" , one of the five typical Chinese modes, then interchanges with the other four, which are in a same tone centre, they are宮"Gong", 商 "Shang", 徵"Zhi" and 羽"Yu ".

If the first note is C, the Chinese modes system will be line up in a pentatonic scale. Each note could be a tonic of a certain mode:

C D E G A
宮 商 角 徵 羽
Gong Shang Jiao Zhi Yu




The theme is built on the Tonic B, and the concerto is in B, rather than B major or B minor. Chinese music has often been mistaken to be all pentatonic. The themes of this concerto use the seven-note scales. It creates an interesting harmonic quality that is uniquely Chinese. The composer makes use of harmonic techniques of Western music so that the different voices can function toward the tonic centre as a base, and by using the rich contrapuntal method, build a great momentum for the music. In addition, atonal techniques are used effectively for the cadenza of the first movement. The form of the third movement uses an interesting combination of the sonata form and the traditional wind/percussion style of the China's North. The characteristics of the latter is : after each tutti interlude, the soloist must use the theme to create a deferent variation and develop on it. This gives the soloist a generous space to shine. This concerto is intended to show that if traditional music can be combined with the universal musical language rules, some very interesting new development may result.

A CD of the music has been released by ROI, a Hong Kong based Company. It was performed by Lu,Si-qing and the Russian Philharmonic of Moscow, conducted by Canadian conductoro Tak-ng Lai in 1996. After many performances in China, the critical acclaims it as "the finest violin concerto of our time." The Toronto premiere was in 1998.

The Cd of it , performed by Lu Si-qing with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Tak-ng Lai, has been released by the ROI, HK. in 1998.

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