New Composition: Princess Chang Ping, Six-Mallet Marimba Concerto

Ju Percussion Group in Taiwan have commissioned Pius Cheung to compose a music piece for their 2012 Annual Concert. This commissioned piece titled “Princess Chang Ping” is based on a scene of a Cantonese Opera theme song of the same title. The story is semi-fictional and is about the life of Princess Chang Ping, one of the last princesses during the downfall of the Ming dynasty in ancient China. The scene of the song that Pius borrowed from depicts the suicide of Princess Chang Ping and her groom at their wedding after the Ming Dynasty has fallen. The piece is scored for solo marimba and 4 percussion. In composing this piece, Pius didn’t try to describe the story in much detail, but instead, he wanted to capture the feeling of tragic love on multiple levels. Love between bride and groom, daughter and family, people and nation.

“Princess Chang Ping” is divided into two sections, the first of which is rather quiet and slow. The theme is first introduced through the solo marimba part, then goes into harmonic/melodic development and tension, describing the turmoil of the separation and struggle of the love between Princess Chang Ping and her groom. This section ends in Eb Major, hinting at the beautiful wedding of the two, with an underlying dark tone, as they planned to commit suicide.

When the drums come in at the second section, the music rises to the next level of dramatic and musical tension. Here, Pius wanted to capture the true internal drama of what goes on inside the princess’s mind when faced with lost of family, country, and having to ‘give up’ love as soon as she was able to reunite with and finally married him. As the music rises to the maximum tension, the drama is resolved by a big note on a huge wooden box, which Gustav Mahler employed to signify death. That’s the moment when the princess died. The piece ends in a soft lament of the princess’s ghost, and a funeral song where the players are humming the theme of “Princess Chang Ping”.

The YouTube video clip, a presentation by Ju Percussion Group at their press conference for concerts ~ 5/11 National Concert Hall (Taipei), 5/13 Taichung, 5/20 Kaoshung; is the finale of “Princess Chang Ping”.

Audio Clips: Pius Cheung, Colors of Marimba Concert with HKPO

Click “PLAY” icon to play the excerpt of the live recording of marimba concerto pieces performed by Pius Cheung in the Colors of Marimba Concert with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra on 23 and 24 March 2012 at the Hong Kong City Hall, Concert Hall.

– BRIGHT SHENG, Colours of Crimson – Fantasy for Marimba and Orchestra (Asian Première)

– GERSHWIN, Rhapsody in Blue

Video: Pius Cheung – Marimba Concerto for String Orchestra and Timpani (chamber reduction)

Excerpts of Pius Cheung’s Marimba Concerto for String Orchestra and Timpani, reduced for chamber ensemble. Pius Cheung performs live with the Aarhus Sinfonietta at the 2012 Percussion Plus Nordic Percussion Festival.

Photos: China Debut Solo Marimba Recital at Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing

Photo shots of Pius Cheung taken at his China Debut Solo Marimba Recital at Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing on March 27, 2012.

Link: UO Today #507: Pius Cheung

Pius Cheung, assistant professor, Percussion, discusses his performance career on marimba. He also talks about his recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variatons. UO Today, the Oregon Humanities Center’s half-hour television interview program, provides a glimpse into the heart of the University of Oregon. Each episode offers viewers a conversation with UO faculty and administrators as well as visiting scholars, authors, and artists whose groundbreaking work is shaping our world. Link to original