Chinese Dreams

„A fascinating East-meets-West album" BBC Music Magazine

Du Mingxin (*1928)

Mermaid Suite

Dance of the Waterweeds

Coral Dance

Straw Hat Dance

Wang Yu Shi/Lin Er Yao

Sunflower

Walter Niemann (1876-1953)

Alt-China – Fünf Traumdichtungen op. 62

1. Die Glocken der Pagode

2. Chinesische Nachtigall

3. Die kleine Li-li-tse

4. Die heilige Barke

5. Fest im Garten

Wang Luobin/Zhang Zhao (1913-1996)

In that place wholly far away

*****

Abram Chasins (1903 – 1987)

3 Chinese Pieces

1. A Shanghai Tragedy

2. Flirtation in a Chinese Garden

3. Rush Hour in Hong Kong

Cyril Scott (1879 – 1970)

Lotus Land op. 47,1

Chu Wanghua (*1941)

Kangding Love Song

Quiz Song

Wang Jianzhong (*1933)

Silver Clouds Chasing the Moon

Liuyang River

Glowing Red Morningstar Lilies

For centuries, ancient China has fascinated the western world with its exotic music, artistic painting, calligraphy, and harmonious gardens. The so-called Chinoiserie, a western art movement that took Chinese style elements as an influence, was also adopted by many composers. Walter Niemann composed his impressionistic suite "Alt-China", Cyril Scott "Lotus Land" and Abram Chasins wrote the entertaining "Three Piano Pieces".

Piano pieces based on Chinese folk songs or opera themes were the only way for Chinese composers to continue composing for western piano during the Cultural Revolution. This is how many works were created during this time, which still inspire us today through their artistic combination of western composition techniques with beautiful Chinese melodies with catchy tunes.

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