Chou: In the Mode of Shang

Description

This composition results from an artistic project that had begun in 1953, when the Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship awarded Chou Wen-chung a fellowship for research into ancient Chinese music. That grant led him to write three exquisite orchestral pieces collectively known as musical brushwork. All in the Spring Wind (1953), And the Fallen Petals (1954), and In the Mode of Shang (1956). These works combine consistent application of spatial pitch distribution, the infusion of a Chinese modal mixture, and the Western idea of conservation of material, demonstrating his ability to unite classical Chinese traditions and Western contemporary music. In the Mode of Shang displays his ingenious application of a classical Chinese modal mixture, known as Fan-diao, to reinvigorate traditional Chinese modes, in this case an ancient mode called shang. Melodic themes are also intricately interwoven into musical entities that intersect and engage with one another, setting in motion a process of continual transformation and growth.

The world premiere, with a reduced instrumentation, was conducted by Carlos Surinach at New York's Composers' Forum in 1957. In the Mode of Shang in its full instrumentation was heard on November 3, 2023, played by the Xinghai Conservatory Chamber Ensemble conducted by Bing Chen, in Guangzhou, China, in a festival celebrating Chou Wen-chung's centennial.