Mei Hua for string quartet (2004), ca. 15’
The musical material of this piece is loosely derived from a popular Nanguan melody, Mei-Hua (Plum Blossoms). Nanguan, a traditional southern style Chinese/Taiwanese music, dates back to 500AD. This same melody serves as a basis for all three movements. In the fantasia like first movement the Nanguan melody is first subtly introduced in a fragmented way. By its end, a more complete and continuous version of the melody appears. The second scherzo like movement takes the faster and active passages from the first movement as a basis for playful and energetic music. The rich and elegant Nanguan melody is most apparent in the lyrical, contrapuntal final movement.
Mei-Hua for String Quartet is dedicated to Nai-Yuan Hu and the Formosa Quartet. This commission was made possible, in part, by support from the Caramoor International Music Festival; it received its World Premiere on June 28, 2007 at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts by the Formosa Quartet.
Score available from Trigon Music Press
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