Fang chun
I imagined a time of the year when you begin to sense gradual warmth in the air, with tender sunshine adorning mountain surfaces in pale violet in the distance. I harmonized such scenery with Mr. Jia Peng Fang's beautiful erhu tone to write this piece. Doesn't the phrase in the midsection recall the sound of melting snow?
Late Autumn
I was deeply influenced by G. Mahler's Der Einsame im Herbst ("The Lonely One in Autumn") from the symphony, Das Lied von der Erde ("The Song of the Earth"), second movement, to compose this piece. (It is very interesting to note that the composition of this symphony was based on the works of Chinese poets such as Li Tai-Po, Meng Haoran, and Wang Wei.) The song carries on with a vision of a quiet stroll among mountains in late autumn. Halfway through the song, the powerful percussive sounds of the cello's Bartok pizzicato (an executing technique with fingers plucking the strings against the fingerboard) performed by Mr. Masami Horisawa, enhances the lonesome tranquility even greater.
Moonlight
This is arranged as a new version of "Moonlight" in an album from a few years ago. I tried not to interfere with the image of the original piece, yet I aimed for a new and distinct "Moonlight." Here, you can listen to the effective percussion by Ms. Wakako Masuda. Please enjoy the deepened musical world of Mr. Jia, as he was newly inspired by the formation of different instruments and accompaniment.
