The Magic Notes of Zhao Jiping

Index Order

1 Celebration Overture for Chinese Orchestra

2 Symphonic Suite Raise the Red Lantern
    Second Movement First Night
    Fourth Movement Predestination

3 Symphonic Poem Monk Jianzhen Sailing Eastward
    Shakuhachi: Sun Yongzhi

4 The Family Legend – The Moon at Dawn over Lugou Bridge for Chinese Orchestra
    Conductor: Zhao Jiping

5 Dance Drama The Desert Smoke Suite (Fourth Movement: Elegy)
    Conductor: Zhao Jiping

6 Guanzi Concerto The Silk Road Fantasia Suite
    The Song of Baliu
    The Lilt of the Ancient Roads
    The Music of Liangzhou
    The Dream of Loulan
    The Dance of Qiuci
  Guanzi: Guo Yazhi

7 Theme from TV Series "The Water Margin" Song of the Valiant

8 From the Movie "Red Sorghum" Take Courage Go Forward My Dear Girl

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My collaboration with Mr Zhao Jiping began many years ago. I conducted the Central Folk Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra section of the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China in the recording of the soundtrack music for the films, Raise the Red Lantern and Five Girls and a Rope. Written by Mr Zhao, they have won major awards in China and in international film festivals. To me, each collaboration was a memorable and rewarding experience, and I had learned a lot from him.

I am most delighted that the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra had the opportunity to share the stage with Mr Zhao in a concert featuring his compositions. As a composer of international standing, he has favoured us with his knowledge of music despite his short stay in Hong Kong. On behalf of the HKCO, I would like to extend our heartiest thanks to Mr Zhao for being with us.

The concert The Magic Notes of Zhao Jiping was one of the highlights of the 2003 Hong Kong Arts Festival. An annual event highly regarded by the international community for its choice of quality programmes, the Festival underscores Mr Zhao’s artistic and music achievements as those of international standing.

A large part of the programme of the concert is captured in this DVD recording. Two pieces to note are The Family Legend - The Moon at Dawn over Lugou Bridge and The Desert Smoke Suite (Fourth Movement: Elegy) as they were conducted by Mr Zhao himself.

It is not very often that one can hear the composer himself conducting, except perhaps for the rare few who had the opportunity to see him performing with the mixed orchestra of the Shaanxi Traditional Opera Research Institute in the yangbanxi (or “model opera”) production of The Story of the Red Lantern during the Cultural Revolution. I earnestly persuaded him to guest conduct at the concert for two reasons: one was that I wanted to express my deep regard for this great composer, and on the other, I was hoping that by conducting the premiere of Elegy, which he wrote in remembrance of his wife, he would allow us to share with him a profoundly emotional experience through music.

Our thanks are also due to Mr Yu Chiu-for, who has devoted a lot of time and effort into the studio work of this DVD. With his music background and the keen eye of a film director, he has captured the most memorable moments of the concert through expert editing. I can still remember to this day the impact of the first edition of clips for the DVD, when I saw a close-up of Mr Zhao’s face, his eyes brimming with tears, and heard the equally touching voice over.

This DVD is not only a re-creation of the concert featuring the magic notes of Zhao Jiping, but also our sincere tribute to all composers who have dedicated their efforts to the development of Chinese music.

Yan Huichang
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor
Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra