MidAmerica Productions presents Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra of Beijing, China in Review
Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra of Beijing, China
Lin Chen, conductor
Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall, New York, New York
November 24, 2023
On November 24, 2023, the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) Symphony Orchestra made their third appearance in New York (and second at Carnegie Hall) in a concert featuring eight new works by eight living Chinese composers. Seven (!) of these works were world premieres. Led by the able Lin Chen, it was both an educational and artistically stimulating experience for this listener.
All the works had some programmatic aspect (i.e., folklore, nature, poetry) as covered by the program notes in varying degrees of detail. These descriptions gave each work some context for the listener to grasp. One composer wrote his own program note, which I will discuss later. There were also brief biographies of the soloists and composers.
Before getting into the music, I would like to make note of a few things. The wearing of matching tie and tails by orchestra members made a very favorable impression. It’s a small thing, but the attention to detail and tradition was a sign to me of a serious and reverent attitude, which is not as prevalent today as it should be. The CCOM Symphony Orchestra is filled with excellent musicians and as an ensemble has the potential to be top-tier. Conductor Lin Chen is dynamic in her approach and committed to the music.
The Faint Gingko (US Premiere) by Ye Xiaogang opened the concert. It is the latest work in a series of pieces about subtropical plants. It opens with an extended flute solo that gives the impression of being improvisatory, and the orchestra joins in with music of an Impressionistic quality. It reminded one of Debussy, but not in a derivative way. It was my favorite work of the evening.
For the sake of not repeating myself, all the rest of the works on the program were world premieres.
Chang Ping’s The Realm of Future followed. He wrote the program note for his work, and in my opinion, he mischaracterized his own piece. I am not going to replicate his entire note, but when one reads the words “extremely beautiful… the ultimate interpretation of charm … I embrace it at all costs,” it is not unreasonable to expect something ethereal, not the devastation of a post-apocalyptic scene. If Chang Ping had stated in his notes that the “future” is fraught with turbulence and the terrors of uncertainty, I would have enjoyed the power and unbridled “storm,” but as it was, I was left mystified. What I heard bore little resemblance to the written notes, and this adversely affected both my enjoyment and opinion of this work. Jiajing Wang was the violin soloist, navigating cadenza-like passages with a romantic flair that would have one think that Tchaikovsky peeked in for a moment.
Eternal River – for Guzheng, Harp, and Orchestra by Jia Guoping was next. Chang Su (Guzheng) and Guan Wang (Harp) were the soloists. This is a highly dramatic work, taking the idea of the various states of a river as inspiration – it can be a calm trickle, but it can also rage with anger. Both soloists were engaging, but Chang Su in particular was bold and assertive in her playing. It was a ten-minute journey that was well worth the trip.
The last work on the first half was Guo Wenjing’s Poem by Haizi: The Short Poem for March for Soprano and Orchestra. Yuanming Song was the soprano soloist. The opening section is strongly reminiscent of Górecki’s Third Symphony in both the orchestra and solo soprano before changing direction with an angry outburst, eventually giving way to a lively dance-like motif (which reminded one of Copland’s Rodeo). The strings swell and pull back, all leading to an enigmatic ending. Yuanmong Song’s strong, clear voice filled the hall and one felt the poignancy of Haizi’s poetry without having to know or understand the words.
After Intermission, the first movement from Cang Shan Xu by Qin Wenchen opened the second half. The angular writing and liberal use of dissonance suggests the cragginess of the Chang Shan Mountain. Linfeng Fan, the bamboo flute soloist, was a dynamo. From extended techniques to quicksilver passagework, she made short work of all technical demands (and there were many!) with apparent ease.
Tang Jianping’s The Stone in Five Colors followed. The mythology here is rather involved, but basically is the story of the goddess Nüwa completing epic tasks that make Hercules’s Labors look like walking the dog and watering the plants. Wikipedia has a good article about Nüwa. This work was the most successful in conveying its source material. It was jam-packed with action, ultra-heroic themes, percussion explosions, brutal primitiveness that was relentless, and the attitude of “no quarter given or asked for.” It was thrilling!
Symphonic Poem Finché for Mezzo-Soprano and Orchestra by Hao Weiya was next. Lin Shi was the mezzo-soprano soloist. She showed a commanding stage presence and a voice to match in what was a lovely performance.
At this point, I was curious as to how much collaboration took place among the composers. The concept of sharing ideas and offering feedback with colleagues is not unusual, but many of the works had particular similarities, such as the thunderous use of percussion. That the length of each work was ten to twelve minutes also seemed curious. Perhaps it was all just a coincidence – possibly at some later date I will have the pleasure of hearing more diverse works by these composers.
Zhang Shuai’s East West III: Tao for All was the final work. Easily the most accessible work of the evening, it has a “soundtrack” sound that joins the sounds of East and West in a way that makes them equal partners. It was played with the right amount of panache, in what was a fine end to the evening.
All the soloists, and several of the composers who were in attendance, joined Lin Chen on stage for a bow. The large audience, which had been mostly restrained in giving polite applause, came to life and gave all an extended and enthusiastic standing ovation. Congratulations to all!
