Seven Episodes of Lin An

Seven Episodes for Lin An is a large-scale vocal symphonic work composed for soprano, tenor, baritone and orchestra in 2011 with texts by renowned ancient Chinese poets including Bai Juyi, Su Shi, Ouyang Xiu, Lu You, Wang Changling, Yang Wanli and Lin Zexu. The work has incorporated a wide variety of orchestral and vocal techniques which express the composer’s profound admiration for magnificent ancient Chinese culture; through the medium of music, he wishes to display the richness of China's traditional spiritual heritage to the whole world. Folk songs and music originating from Hangzhou and from Jiaxing and Huzhou in the Zhejiang province are woven together in intricate melodies whose emotive texture harks back to the artistic conception of ancient Chinese literature and the profound culture of the Wu and Yue kingdoms. The Seven Episodes for Lin An is the first composition to incorporate settings of famous ancient Chinese poetry within the sphere of contemporary Chinese music. Xiaogang Ye