The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto (Complete) @ChloeChuaviolinist
Set in 3rd/4th century China, the Butterfly Lovers tale tells of Zhu Yingtai, the daughter of a wealthy merchant who allowed her an education, disguising herself as a boy to join classes undetected. Her best friend in boarding school is the poor scholar Liang Shanbo; they are attracted to each other and become sworn brothers in a sexually ambiguous romance. Zhu’s father eventually recalls her home for marriage to a wealthy merchant. Liang pays Zhu a visit at her family mansion and to his greatest surprise discovers his sworn brother is really a girl. Liang asks to marry Zhu, but she is already betrothed and to break that would bring shame upon the family. Liang becomes a county magistrate but dies of a broken heart and, at his request, is buried by the road outside the village of Zhu’s fiancé, so the lady would pass by it on her wedding day.
When the appointed day arrives, Zhu is escorted to her fiancé’s house to complete the wedding ceremony. A storm breaks out, and the procession has no choice but to stop by Liang’s grave. The lady steps out of the litter to mourn her lover, richly dressed in her red bridal dress and jewels. Seeing that the tomb opens at her coming, the lady throws herself in without hesitation. The sky soon clears, and the sun shines again, but the bride is no more. All that is left is a pair of butterflies fluttering around the grave.
CHEN GANG (1935 - 2026) & HE ZHANHAO (b. 1933)
Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto (1959)
0:00 Applause
I. Adagio cantabile 0:34
II. Allegro 6:02
III. Adagio assai doloroso 8:49
IV. Pesante – piu mosso – duramente 11:31
V. Lagrimoso 15:16
VI. Presto resoluto 17:50
VII. Adagio cantabile 22:05
Applause 28:27
ʚїɞ 32:13
Chloe Chua, violin
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Rodolfo Barráez, Associate Conductor
Ng Pei-Sian, cello
Jin Ta, flute
Li Xin, clarinet
Audio & Video: msm-productions (Singapore)
Recorded at the Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore, on 10/11 Nov 2023. Photo: Jack Yam. Album on @Pentatonemusic
https://www.pentatonemusic.com/artist...
Composed in 1959 while Chen and He were students at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the concerto utilises traditional melodies and themes of the traditional Yue opera of the Wu-speaking areas of Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, juxtaposing pentatonic melodies with Western harmonic support.
In addition to emulating the stylistic quirks of Chinese opera, quintessentially Chinese musical mannerisms such as grace notes and portamento effects called huá-yīn (滑音, literally “slipping” or “sliding sound”) abound in the score.
An Adagio cantabile, the first of seven sections, opens with a flute solo taking the role of its Chinese counterpart (the dizi) faithfully, in a cadenza ad lib evoking a fluttering butterfly. The violin enters, representing Zhu in a happy time full of youthful hope. She meets Liang (the cello) on the road to school in Hangzhou, and sparks are kindled.
Three fruitfully busy years in school follow in the vivacious Allegro. The Allegro assai doloroso shows the pair about to graduate and saddened by their parting. The Pesante movement follows, where Zhu arrives home and is informed of her arranged marriage, with the music of the violin clearly showing her inner turmoil.
The arrival of Liang and his discovery of Zhu’s true identity are the background of the Lagrimoso, where solo cello and violin play an intensely emotional duet. Presto resoluto has the violin and cello raging against fate (the orchestra) before the pair resign themselves to fate – Liang grows sick and dies. This section ends with Zhu’s eventual suicide, evocatively depicted in the violin solo which ends abruptly on a high note.
The final movement is another Adagio cantabile, an epilogue recalling the first movement, but further developing the original theme to a bittersweet climax. The ending is truly remarkable: amidst the serene hush of fate looking sympathetically upon the departed couple, the forlorn violin intones one last, wistful farewell. The flute returns briefly now to escort the pair of butterflies into immortal memory. They fade mystically away on a quiet high D chord on strings.
The soloist at the 1959 premiere was the esteemed Chinese violin pedagogue Yu Lina (b. 1940). She was 18 at the time, not much older than Chloe during this performance.
He Zhanhao is credited for writing the concerto’s main theme, while Chen Gang fleshed out most of the work’s development. They belonged to the first generation in a new China exposed to both Chinese traditional music as well as music from the western symphonic tradition. He continues to be a composer, conductor and a professor at the Shanghai Conservatory.
Today, the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto remains the most famous and beloved musical retelling of the tale. Its unforgettable melody is synonymous with the legend. (Edward C. Yong & Leon Chia)
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