Xuan

Description

Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, Piano — Commissioned by Ithaca College School of Music for its annual Choral Music Festival, Xuan in written for a standard mixed choir, premiered by Ithaca College Chorus directed by Prof. Larry Doebler, on November 10, 2001.xa0 The piece is dedicated to Prof. Karel Husa on his 80th birthday on Aug. 7, 2001, with the composer’s deep love and admiration.The text is taken from the book Dao De Jing, written by Lao Zi of the sixth century B. C. [Zhou Dynasty].xa0 The book forms the Chinese thought Taoism.xa0 The word “Dao” means “the way the universe works.”xa0 The word “De” means “power,” which is a term that refers to the potential energy that comesxa0 from being in the right place and in the right frame of mind at the right time.xa0 The word “Jing” meansxa0 “classic.”xa0 “Xuan” means profound and ineffable.xa0 The following is the English translation of the text Xuan:The Dao that can be explainedIs not the Dao of the Eternal.The name that can be namedIs not the name of the Eternal.The nameless originated Heaven and Earth.The named is the Mother of All Things.Thus, without expectationOne will always perceive the subtlety;And, with expectationOne will always perceive the boundary.These two have different names,Yet their source is the same.Together they are called profound.Profound and mysterious,The gateway to the Collective Subtlety.—Chen Yi