Erhu Solo Happily the Water Flows Chen Xinchun Adapted by Tong Leung-tak
Based on the music characteristics of China’s northeast, this work depicts the rich resources and vastness of the region, famous for its ore deposits, ginseng, mink fur, Carex meyeriana and sika deer, among myriad other treasures. The local people are known for their raw and intense energy as well as their simple, earthy nature. The first section describes both people and scenery, while the second and third portray their hardworking, forward-looking character, as well as their autonomous, free and blissful life.
Erhu Solo Pastoral Capriccio, Scene I Tong Leung-tak
The composer wrote this piece after being assigned to Yangzhou in 1965. Pastoral Capriccio consists of three titles, all in entirely different styles which can be performed independently or together. Scene I has been selected for this concert, which uses folk songs of Jiangsu as the theme. Imbued with lyricism and joy, it conjures up the gratifying feelings of living close to the earth.
Erhu Solo Singing in the Blue Mountains Zhang Wen Transcribed and Adapted by Tong Leung-tak
Based on a song of the same title, this piece was transcribed in 1972 and adapted into a lyrical erhu solo. The composer recorded it himself in 1973, and upon release, it won both critical and popular acclaim.
The music opens with the erhu playing four notes and the orchestra playing a perfect octave in the background, simulating the cinematic effect of panning across a scene of “mountains rising high into the sky, and fields stretching far into the horizon”, with maidens from the Bai ethnic minority, dressed in their national costume, working in the fields.
The first section follows closely the upbeat, joyous mood of the introduction, and highlights the music-loving nature of “the Bai singing maidens as their voices can be heard all over the mountain slopes”.
The second section is an extension and development of the theme. It extolls the rustic, down-to-earth and honest nature of the Bai people.
The third section is a cadenza, which is a repeat of the introduction but with the performance stepping up in intensity and warmth.
The fourth section is the recapitulation of the theme in the form of a dialogue. It works towards the climax with large intervals and glissando, ending in the high register.
Erhu Solo Shua-Shan-Diao Tong Leung-tak
Written in 1961, Shua-Shan-Diao was the debut work of the composer. In it, the music of Yunnan is used to depict the happy and contented life of the young men and women of the ethnic minority groups.
The music is in five sections: 1. Landscape; 2. A view from the mountain top; 3. Joy; 4. Romping on the mountain; 5. Echo.
This piece requires the performer to exude the qualities of sweetness, beauty, purity, truthfulness, clarity, thoroughness, happiness and joy through the erhu’s beautifully limpid tones as well as the player’s heartfelt emotions.
Erhu Solo Morning Star Lilies are Glowing Red When in Bloom Adapted by Tong Leung-tak
This work was adapted from a folk song of the same title in December 1972.
Introduction: the broad, sweeping introduction in free tempo unfolds the scenery of the northern plateaux in China.
Adagio: Morning star lilies glowing in red are in full bloom all over the mountains.
Allegro: This is an animated scene when countless households welcome their kin from afar with overwhelming joy.
Recapitulation: The sea of red flowers on the mountains enthuses the mind and sparks an exaltation that is beyond words.
Erhu Solo On the Slender West Lake’s Shore Tong Leung-tak
The Slender West Lake is a famous scenic spot in Yangzhou, hailed for its beauty that boasts both a northern robustness and a southern delicate charm, rivalling the West Lake of Hangzhou. This piece was written in 1964, when the composer was assigned to a rural post in the Yangzhou region for a year, where he lived, ate and worked alongside the peasants. Based on the local rural song of The Threshing Call, it depicts the peasants’ joy at their bumper harvest on the Slender West Lake’s shore, threshing wheat and planting seedlings. On its fertile soil irrigated by the rivers and canals, Yangzhou rewards its hardworking peasants with endless resources and rich harvests year after year.
Gaohu Solo Maiden of the South Seas Tong Leung-tak and Gong Yuenian
The work is made up of four short sections: ‘Morning in the South Seas’, ‘Women Setting Sail’, ‘Joy of Harvest on the Seas’, and ‘Home with a Big Catch’. It is a depiction of a hard day’s work of fisherwomen in the South Seas.
Jiangnan Sizhu Zhonghua Liuban Notation and Accompaniment by Tong Leung-tak
The work is based on the Chinese set tune Lao-Liu-Ban in folk instrumental music. Building on the regular liu-ban, a new and much expanded work is created by slowing down the tempo and adding embellishments. The structure is also thus changed as the music develops. While the traditional silk-and-bamboo ensemble would use one erhu as lead, Tong Leung-tak has succeeded in adapting the zhonghua liuban, i.e., ‘embellished liu-ban in moderato’, into a work for three erhus. There is added lyricism to the melody, appealing mellifluousness and easy flow – qualities that are attached to music in the region south of the Yangtze River. The mood has a cheerful, buoyant touch, with a strong forward-looking optimism.
Jiangnan Sizhu Going to the Fair Notation by Tong Leung-tak
The version of the traditional Going to the Fair now popularly played is named New Going to the Fair. It opens with the set tune, Xiaobaimen, followed by Yu’erlang, before it moves onto the Old Going to the Fair and the Coda. Since the middle section of Yu’erlang is a repeat of the opening, and the later section an embellished Old Going to the Fair in slow tempo, most players would not include them in the performance. The tune is often heard on festive and celebrative occasions, and has a distinctly light-hearted touch, in particular in the allegro sections.
