The Song of the Earth

Tracing the essence of the soul through the sounds of nature: this was the driving inspiration of the Chinese poets of the Tang dynasty, whose writings inspired Gustav Mahler to compose Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth), composed in Toblach / Dobbiaco in 1908. Unlike Mahler, who could only come into contact with these ancient texts through their translations, Chinese composer Xiaogang Ye returned to the original sources and wrote his version of The Song of the Earth. With an exceptional sensibility for Tang poetry, Ye brings out the beauty of this lyrical tradition. Chinese percussion, which plays a central role in Ye's work, is the sole protagonist in the two traditional compositions that will be performed. British composer Isabella Gellis also pays her own personal homage to nature with her short piece Valedictions, a tribute to the rustling of ancient tree canopies and their interplay with raindrops.

Programme

Traditional Chinese percussion``:
› A bull fights a Tiger 牛斗虎 (6 minutes)
› A Mouse Wedding 老鼠娶亲 (6 minutes)

Isabella Gellis, Valedictions (8 minutes)

Xiaogang Ye, The Song of the Earth (40 minutes)