CHINESE RHAPSODY No.5 On the Themes by Xiao-min For Erhu or Violin and Orchestra，Op.61 （2002）

Created by Franz Liszt, the rhapsody is such a music form in which folk tune and concert virtuosity are both constantly emphasized. Following his footprints, An-lun Huang’s Chinese Rhapsodies are also especially effective in the tastes of different Chinese folk tunes.  His most popular one is the “Chinese Rhapsody No.2”, op.18.  Not only did it become the official piece of numerous national piano competitions, it was also played by the Chinese pianist Lang Lang who performed this piece and won the 1st prize at the International Tchaikovsky Youth Piano Competition in 1994.

This “Chinese Rhapsody No.5” is for the erhu, (a Chinese traditional instrument with only 2 strings), and orchestra.  It is based on the original themes by Xiao Min, a village girl from the poor province of Henan, China.

Both Xiao Min and her songs are a  miracle of Chinese music.  At only the level of grade 7, this peasant’s little daughter received her limited education in a primary school of the small village.  Nevertheless, without any training in music, she has created more than 1,100 songs (songs and texts), which have all been warmly received and sung alone by millions of Chinese people since the late 1990s.

A symphonic music, the piece is structured into four parts. Performed continuously and combined with the popular hymn “Near the Cross ” by William N.Doane,  Xiao Min’s songs are to be heard with all of the main themes of this Rhapsody.. 

The world premiere was performed by the Chinese erhu master George Gao with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Tak-ng Lai in Moscow on the June of 2002. George Gao’s brilliant interpretation and his dizzy-Pagagninian- typed-technique brought the erhu performing art into a brand new height. This piece has then became the official piece of the national Erhu competition of China.

The Great Chinese violinist Huang Bin, the winner of the Gold plate of the International Paganini Violin competition, world premiered the violin version in Chicago in 2009, and also got a great success in the Phiharmonic Hall of Berlin in 2012.

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Fagotto Concerto in C，Opus 81c (2012.12)

As the very first bassoon concerto composed by a Chinese composer, it was completed and has been dedicated to the vice dean of the conservatory of music attached to the University of the Southern China Technology, Mr. Mi, He-ping in the early December of 2012. Under the baton of Mr. He, Ping, the dean of the, Mr. Mi and the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the USCT made its world premiere with a great success.

This concerto goes in the Northern China folk style with strong western musical technique. The 1st movement is built in a fast sonata form with a atonal cadenza. The 2nd movement is a romantic Andante Cantabile. The solo bassoon leads the orchestra run to the climax of the passion able energy 3rd movement.

Duration: 20'
Instrumentation:1111,22,1, Bassoon solo and the Strings.

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