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Three Chinese Poems
For Flute and Cello (2022)
Program Note:
“Three Chinese Poems” is based on short written works “Nostalgia” by Yu Guangzhong, “Quiet Night Thoughts” by Li Bai and “Looking Out To Sea, Warmed By The Spring Air” by Haizi. Each of these poems contains a unique combination of introspection and sadness. The first poem “Nostalgia” is in four stanzas and depicts a story told from the perspective of one who undergoes a timeline of growing up with his mother, getting married, experiencing his mother’s passing and finally being separated from his homeland. The second, “Quiet Night Thoughts,” while short, is extraordinarily picturesque, also depicting one’s homesickness while looking at the moon in the clear night sky. The last poem, while initially appearing triumphant and uplifting, also has a dark undertone. “Starting tomorrow, I will be carefree and happy…” does this mean that one is already happy or strives for happiness that one wishes they had? This duality becomes even darker when one learns of the background of the poem and the history of the poet who wrote the poem; I will leave the listeners to explore this for themselves.
The flute and cello weave together in these three short works to create contrapuntal and sonic and tapestries that take the listener to various emotional regions such as longing, anger, thoughtfulness and ecstasy.
Performances:
February 10, 2024: Jacobs School of Music Chinese New Year Concert, Recital Hall in Bloomington, IN
July 7, 2023: KOE, Avaloch Farm Music Institute in Boscawen, NH
June 10, 2023: KOE, HCS Bensonhurst Community Center in Brooklyn, NY
April 4, 2023: Students at the Jacobs School of Music, Recital Hall in Bloomington, IN
November 14: KOE, Arts on Site in New York, NY
November 13: KOE, Arts on Site in New York, NY
November 12: KOE, Arts on Site in New York, NY