Wei-Ting Hsu: Re La (Commissioned Work, World Premiere)

Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra / Chih-Sheng Chen / National Recital Hall, Taipei, Taiwan 2013.6.29

This piece was composed based on the erhu’s tuning of the D and A strings just before a performance. At the sound of the final tuning, the music from the heart begins. “Re La” starts with the D and A followed by a chord that leads the listener into the 3 main sections (fast-slow-fast). The simple five note chord conveys happiness, then becoming a cheerful allegro. The second section is moderato, with the distinctive tones of the erhu playing the melody. The final section is presto, with rich and colourful rhythms leading to a happy ending.

(Translation: Anthony Ko / Edit: Patty Chan)