Ji-Dong-Nuo

Description

Piano — Ji-Dong-Nuo is the name of a folk ballad of the Yao ethnic people in southwest China, borrowed from the name of a quail who sings beautiful tunes.xa0 According to legend, there was a girl who loved singing.xa0 However, she became unhappy after she married, since she had to stop singing under the order of her father.xa0 She was divorced because of her depression.xa0 On the way back home, she heard the happy bird singing on the hill, she changed her mood and broke out to sing a beautiful song. Her husband was deeply moved and loved her as before.xa0 The song has been passed on and given the title Ji-Dong-Nuo, to describe the beautiful story.xa0 My little piano solo piece was inspired by Ji-Dong-Nuo, drawing some pitch material from the folk tune, while keeping the characteristics of the girl and the style of Chinese traditional instrumental performance.—Chen Yi “A unison beginning opens out into short, animated passages largely based around the eastern five-note scale, moving through mercurial changes of mood and finally melting away into happy-ever-after nothingness.”xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0 —Erica Jeal, The Guardian (UK), November 17, 2005 “Ji-Dong-Nuo…relays a charming fairy-tale in delicate, short-breathed gestures exploring various registers of the keyboard, the modes and mannerisms of this lovely, affectionate little piece occasionally evoking Debussy.”xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0 —Christopher Morley, The Birmingham Post (UK), November 15, 2005 Ji-Dong-Nuo is the name of a folk ballad of the Yao ethic people in southwest China, Borrowed from the name of a quail who sings beautiful tunes. According to legend, there was a girl who loved singing. However, she became unhappy after she married, since she had to stop singing under the orders of her father. Once, she heard a happy quail singing on the hill and she broke out singing a beautiful song of her own. The song has been passed on and given the title Ji-Dong-Nuo to describe the beautiful story. This piano solo piece was inspired by Ji-Dong-Nuo, drawing some pitch material from the folk tune while keeping the characteristics of the girl and the style of Chinese traditional instrumental performance.