Premier performance of Xiang He Ge 相和歌 by Joel Hoffman for the performers Zhang Weiliang (xiao) and Xuefei Yang (guitar). This comes via Xuefei Yang’s amazing YouTube channel. Here’s the blurb about the work via her YouTube:
The piece is a “source and (8) variations.” The source appears in full right in the middle of the piece as the 5th section of the piece, with 4 variations either side of it. The ‘source’ is the block of musical stone and each variation is a unique carving out of that material in that the composer literally removes material from the source movement to create each musical ‘statue’ in order to give each variation a distinct personality. The last section, variation eight, is a statement of the melody of ancient Han Dynasty melody 相和歌, which itself is ‘carved out’ of the source.
And some more info via Joel Hoffman’s website:
Xiang He Ge 相和歌
2017 / ONIBATAN MUSIC
A one-movement work for xiao (Chinese flute) and guitar. This is a set of variations based on material from a Han Dynasty song called “子衿” (“The Blue Collar”) from the Book of Odes (诗经). The text is an eloquent, wistful narration in which a young woman reveals her love to her admirer from afar. This work was commissioned by xiao virtuoso Zhang Weiliang. The premiere was given at the NCPA in Beijing on 18 October, 2017, by Zhang Weiliang and Yang Xuefei.
