New Zealand Symphony Orchestra & Darrell Ang – Zhou Long / Chen Yi: Symphony, ‘Humen 1839’ (2015) [FLAC 24bit/192kHz]

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra & Darrell Ang – Zhou Long / Chen Yi: Symphony, ‘Humen 1839’ (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/192 kHz | Time – 56:30 minutes | 1,97 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © 2xHD – Naxos

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Darrell Ang turn their attention to one of China’s leading composers, Pulitzer Prize-winning Zhou Long, on this album of world premiere recordings. Long writes consistently compelling music, demonstrated here by The Rhyme of Taigu, which revives the spirit of Chinese court music from the Tang dynasty, drawing on traditional percussion instruments. Symphony “Humen 1839”, co-composed with Chen Yi, vividly commemorates the public burning of over 1000 tonnes of opium, an event that was to lead to the First Opium War between Great Britain and China.

„Music from two of today’s most highly regarded Chinese composers scored for conventional western symphony orchestra written during the past twelve years. The disc begins not in China but in Japan, with drumming music Zhou Long composed for a modern Japanese Taiko ensemble, though such drumming music also had roots in Chinese music back to the sixth century. It makes for a punchy score for full orchestra where pounding rhythms underline the melodic superstructure that is essentially in a tonality world. The two famous composers came together in the symphony Humen 1839, a work composed to mark the public burning of 1000 tons of opium in Human, the hoard having been seized from British traders, an event that sparked the British-Chinese conflict known as the First Opium War. It’s four colourfully orchestrated movements are ‘pictures’ related to that period of Chinese history, and are laid out in conventional western symphonic tradition its central movements being a scherzo and slow movement, and it is this latter Adagio tragico—depicting the suffering of the people—that stands out as particularly fine when surrounded by the Hollywood influenced outer movements. Zhou Long’s ability to orchestrate and to mix tonality, atonality and traditional Chinese sounds, that creates The Enlightenment, a reflection of Chinese philosophy of Peace, Light and Love. Without sight of the scores I can only comment that the playing of the New Zealand Symphony, under the much sought after young conductor, Darrell Ang, carries conviction, impact and many beautifully played solos…“ (David Denton, David’s Review Corner)

Tracklist:
1. The Rhyme of Taigu 11:00
2. I. Andante luminoso 03:17
3. II. Allegro feroce 09:05
4. III. Adagio tragico 09:55
5. IV. Allegro trascinante 06:16
6. The Enlightened 16:57

Personnel:
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Darrell Ang, conductor

Download:

mqs.link_NewZealandSymph0ny0rchestraDarrellAngZh0uL0ngChenYiSymph0nyHumen1839201524192.part1.rar
mqs.link_NewZealandSymph0ny0rchestraDarrellAngZh0uL0ngChenYiSymph0nyHumen1839201524192.part2.rar
mqs.link_NewZealandSymph0ny0rchestraDarrellAngZh0uL0ngChenYiSymph0nyHumen1839201524192.part3.rar