Huang An-Lun Piano Poem ''Gulangyu''

[promusician]

Not going into further details about this composer, I will like to recommend this piece in particular. It is actually a symphonic variations featuring the piano, comprised of an introduction, a brief theme, 14 variations and ends with a blast. The piano part is quite difficult according to the composer's writing style. It also imitates various instruments like pipa (traditional chinese) and also percussions. It has rapid parallel thirds, different patterns of octave passages. ''Gulangyu'' is a small island in Xiamen province, it is famous as it is the birthplace for many famous pianists (geniuses), one of it being Hsu-Fei Ping, Huang's best friend. Huang dedicated his piano concerto No.2 to Hsu, and was premiered by him. Hsu suggested Huang to composed a work for its beloved hometown ''Gulangyu'' and was not fulfilled after Hsu's tragic death. Hsu died in a car accident in Harbin at the age 48. This piano poem, composed in 2006, 5 years after his death, was a memoriam to Hsu.
Talking about Hsu Fei Ping, many people summoned him to play the ''Yellow River'' but he rejected. He said, politically, this work was created solely due to the Cultural Revolution; musically, it was just combining folk elements into a four movement piece, it could hardly be called as a concerto, also, lack of creativity.

Here is the best video I can find, on tudou:
Piano Poem ''Gulangyu''
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/SrIDfPUhkDY/
Piano Concerto No.2 (by the same composer, Hsu playing)
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/jQl9ECUH4eA/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/1Kxj_SUGPg0/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/djgl_4Wvy2c/

Sources for the texts are translations from Chinese articles.

[Amphissa]

Gulangyu is an interesting composition. I have never heard it before. I have not listened to the Piano Concerto movements because I do not like listening to parts of works. Is the complete concerto available?

There are other compositions by this composer on YouTube, including a piano solo piece called Chinese Rhapsody, which is probably his most familiar work, and his Violin Concerto, and other orchestral works.

I like his music. It is mostly tonal and Romantic in its idiom .......... with some modern incursions that may be too radical for the mods here at UC. 

[promusician]

Thanks for your comments. The 2nd piano concerto is complete, but the link doesn't work at that time. I have checked and it works fine now. There is also a 1st piano concerto, which is much powerful than the 2nd but less romantic.The 2nd movement of the 2nd PC is very beautiful in the romantic idiom, reminiscent of Rach.
Piano Concerto No.1 'Great Dragon'
http://www.tudou.com/plcover/AejPYKWi0B8/

Here are 2 preludes by the same composer, one of his earliest compositions:
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/Kbk-ZLr-UN4/#

Also, one of his greater works but sadly underplayed, Dance Poem No.3
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/hbii-jyxAtA/

[C R Lim]

Please see my new post on this composer.