Introduction to Piano Concerto The Peony Pavilion

Tang Xianzu, known as Shakespeare of China, lived in the same era as William Shakespeare (they both died in 1616), and was one of the greatest playwrights in the history of Chinese drama. Yuanfan Yang's piano concerto is based on the ‘Garden Dreams’ acts of Tang Xianzu’s best-known drama The Peony Pavilion. It consists of three movements:

Mov. 1 (01:25) – The Spring Garden

In the splendid garden behind Du’s mansion, there are bridges, corridors, trees, plants, pavilions, flowers, bees flying, butterflies dancing, water flowing and birds singing. Strolling in the garden, the heroine Du Liniang and her maid Chunxiang admire the beautiful scenery and feel pleasant.

Mov. 2 (07:26) – Lament of Self-Pity

Deep in the garden, the sight strikes a chord in Du Linian’s heart, making her more aware of love and lust. However, her love and lust have been repressed and frustrated in the social culture and customs. She feels confused, gloomy, aggrieved and helpless.

Mov. 3 (16:57) – Love Dreams

Feeling tired, Du Liniang falls asleep and goes off to dreamland, in which the hero Liu Mengmei appears. The young couple fall in love with each other at the first sight. After waking up, the heroine falls into a lovesickness, being full of nostalgia for the hero, and yearns for freedom and happiness.

This work was commissioned by the government of Fuzhou, the hometown of Tang Xianzu, and supported by the UK Beijing Arts Centre. This live video is the world premiere performance of this work, performed by Yuanfan Yang with the Hornton Symphony Orchestra, and conducted by Jack Wong at the Greenwood Theatre London UK on 21st September 2019.