Stillness. Strength. Delicacy. Eternalness. These are the qualities reflected in composer and UBC music professor Dorothy Chang’s composition "From a Dream."
Depicting China’s famous Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), the work will be performed this Sunday, February 8 as part of a larger performance put on by Vancouver’s acclaimed musical group, the Orchid Ensemble, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
The ensemble, which features Lan Tung (erhu and voice), Jonathan Bernard (percussion), and Yu-Chen Wang (zheng), is known for its eclectic mix of Chinese instruments. The group infuses their Chinese roots with a diverse range of influences, including Indian, Jewish and Central Asian music.
Chang was first approached by the ensemble in 2008, when they asked her to write a new piece for their “Mountain high, River flow” project.
“When Lan Tung approached me, I saw it as an exciting opportunity to work with the group on one of their collaborative projects and to write for a really interesting combination of instruments,” said Chang.
The process of composing "From a Dream" began with Chang meeting multi-media artists Aleksandra Dulic and Kenneth Newby.
“All of us met together and viewed imagery and video of Huangshan itself: the famous 'sea of clouds,' ancient pine trees, waterfalls and craggy peaks,” said Chang. “However, rather than trying to create a musical representation of these elements, I instead tried to reflect the more abstract, poetic qualities of Yellow Mountain.”
"From a Dream," which is composed in five main sections, opens quietly, and gradually gains momentum as the music moves between improvisatory expression and rhythmic and driving sections. Chang hopes listeners will be “drawn in by the music’s changes in colour and character,” and will “be able to appreciate the quiet sense of beauty” during Sunday’s performance.
The concert’s program will also feature Zhang’s "No Rush and Fire," Tung’s "Dancing Moon," as well as Farshid Samandari’s "Ghosts of the Living." The traditional repertoire includes the music of the Uygurs (northwestern China), the Yunan folk song (southwestern China) and a famous erhu solo entitled Listening to the Pines (Ting Song).
The Orchid Ensemble will take the stage at 2 p.m. at Pyatt Hall. For more information, please see their website. You can buy tickets online or at the door.