Xians Yellow River Piano Concerto Movement I

Xians Yellow River Piano Concerto Movement I

Section A Measure(s) 1 2 Subsection Comments This section is mostly in 3/4 Call of the Boatmen (F# to E) 1: oboe I, trumpets, violin I) Chromatic scales (piccolo, flute I and clarinet). These scales together with the tremolo in the strings portray the turbulent waters of the river. Rhythmic figure in the strings that represents the rhythmic work chant (Hua you!) singing and actions of the boatmen. Cadenza-like entrance of the piano with accents creating crossed rhythms (Shing-Lee, 1995) This section is mostly in 2/4 This section is based on a two measure motif (mm. 17-18) repeated four times. This call and response imitatates the haozi between the leader of the haozi (piano) and the rowers (orchestra). This section has been described as the ide fixe of the movement (Shing-Lee, 1995). While the section is based on the major pentatonic scale of D (D-E-F#-A-B) this melodic figure is concentrated on the notes DE-A-B. NOTE: Please notice that the EE edition has a misprint. The last not of the piano in m. 17 should be a B and not a G. All the subsequent instances of the same motive are the same. This section is mostly in 3/4 This is a more compact version of section A. many of the ideas that were juxtaposed in the original A are now presented together. For instance The Call of the boatman (this time in the piano at m. 25) is presented simultaneously with the chromatic scales (again in the piano m. 25) and the figure of the work-chant (Hua you!). This section is in 2/4 Similar material than section A in a faster tempo. At m. 47 the first part of the ide fixe is fragmented. The ide is presented four times without the initial D. This acts as a transition to the next section. This section is in 2/4

16 B 17-24

25-38

39-50

51-74

Xians Yellow River Piano Concerto Movement I Hinting to the minor pentatonic scale of B (B-D-E-F#-A). This section is very clearly organized in four measure phrases: 51-54 (piano) with block chords figures supporting the top line that presents the notes D-E as in the opening of the ide fixe. The second subsection is in mm. 55-58 with elements of call and response between piano and bassoon and lower strings. Beginning at m. 59 similar to mm. 51-54 but beginning one step higher in the major pentatonic scale of C (C-D-E-G-A). At m. 67 a bridge built upon fragmentation/imitation of the ide fixe lead towards: This section is in 3/4 Similar to m. 25 M. 83 cadenza section This section is in 4/4 While, due to tempo and meter changes, this section would appear quite different to previous versions of A the melody in flute and oboe in m. 84 is a melodic transformation of the ide fixe. M. 88 piano takes the theme presented by woodwinds in previous measures. In the Cantata version the text talks about boatmen arriving safely to shore. However, in the piano concerto version the committee suggested this section represented soldiers seeing the dawn of the victory (Shing-Lee, 1995). Mm. 93-104. This is new material but, since it is pentatonic it has similarities to previous materials both in pitch and rhythm M. 104-end. Compilation of previous materials mostly from A.

75-83

84-92

Coda

93-113