Concerto No. 1 for piano and orchestra of Huang An-Lun in the performance interpretation of Joseph Banovets
The article is devoted to the problems of interpretation of the specified work of the outstanding Chinese composer. The authors ’and performers’ concept of the selected opus has been revealed. Based on the study of the laws of his dramaturgy, peculiarities of the interpretation of the genre, a complex of expressive means and the originality of musical dramaturgy are revealed. The purpose of the article is to elucidate the concept of piano Concerto No.1 by Huang An-Lun in G minor, op. 25b on the basis of the study of the regularities of drama, the peculiarities of the interpretation of the genre, the analysis of the interpretation of J. Banovets, to reveal a complex of expressive means and the peculiarities of techniques in the field of the musical language of this work. Piano Concerto in G Minor, op. 25b of Huang An-Lun was written in 1982 and is dedicated to Joseph Banovets (born in 1936) - a famous American pianist. July 22, 1984 in China, the world premiere of the piano concert No. 1 of Huang An-Lun with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Guangzhou, conducted by the Canadian conductor Tak-ng Lai. The part of the soloist was performed by J. Banovets. This was the first time in history when a foreign performer participated in the world premiere, recording a concert of the composer in the People’s Republic of China. Three weeks later, the pianist performed three times in Beijing with the Central Opera Orchestra. At the end of the year, Banovets again asked to play this Concerto of the composer in Beijing and recorded it for the government record company China Records and HK Records. In 1986 in Hong Kong, the concert was recorded on CD, where the piano part was performed by Joseph Banovets and the Central Opera Orchestra conducted by Zheng Xiaoying. For the disclosure of the concept of writing it is very important to know the history of the creation of Concert No. 1 and those events that influenced his ideological and artistic conception. Concert Op. 25b, is the second part of the first Symphony Concerto Op. 25, which also includes the symphonic overture "Holy Spring No. 1", op. 25a and Symphony in C Major, op. 25c. These three works are connected not only with a common theme, but, more importantly, they all became the composer’s response to the political events that took place in Beijing in Tiananmen Square in April 1976. In early April 1977, during the Qingming, Huang An-Lun completed his Symphony Overture "Holy Spring No. 1", op. 25a and brought the notes to the monument to the People’s Heroes on Tiananmen Square. He dedicated this work to those who lost their lives for freedom. Although Huang An-Lun left China, having left for North America in 1980, life experience gained in Tiananmen Square in April 1976 inspired him to write his piano concerto in G minor and C major symphony. In these symphonic works, the composer tried not so much to embody his personal experiences, as to express the pain of suffering, the joy of fighting for freedom, hope and the wish of happiness to the entire Chinese people. The composer embodies a monumental symphonic concept, drawing dramatic and tragic collisions. The dramaturgy of the piano concert No. 1 unfolds within the framework of the three-part cycle. Piano Concerto No.1 Huang An-Lun Huang An-Lun has accumulated deep philosophical ideas; his concept is consonant with his time. The concert is inherent in a truly innovative spirit, innovation in the interpretation of the cycle, the originality of the dramatic design, symphonic scope and intensity of development. The role of the pianoforte in the concert is very significant. The solo instrument is entrusted with the most important thematic material, the pianist participates in the development of the main themes along with the orchestra. There is a great variety of combinations of the soloist and orchestra parts, demonstrating such techniques of concerting as opposition, competition, dialogue, ensemble partnership, accompaniment, roll-ups and imitations. The soloist’s part combines features of orchestral and specifically piano color. Often, the voices of different Chinese instruments are heard: zhen, erhu, zither Qin, bamboo flute di. The composer develops a virtuosic beginning at the piano, using a wide range of virtuosic techniques developed in the European concert-performing practice of the 19th-20th centuries. One of the most interesting aspects of the music of Concerto No.1 in G minor is metrorhythm, which plays an important figurative dramatic role. The musical language of the concert is characterized by metric variability, which manifests itself in a variety of ways, but more often than not as one of the means of shaping or dramaturgy of the dynamization of musical action, imaginative contrast or improvisation of utterance. The high level of development of the rhythmic beginning in the concert places serious demands on the sense of the performer’s time, and, to a greater extent, on his rhythmic erudition, understanding the patterns of national-national genres that are the foundation of rhythmic wealth. In the performance of J. Banovets, the pianoforte concert No. 1 of Huang An-Lun sounds in the fullness of the author’s design, giving the listeners a deep impression of the diversity and richness of the artistic content. With his talent, the pianist seemed to be designed to perform this most difficult task. It affects the objectivity of his interpretation, expressed in a very precise implementation of every detail of the composer’s text. The integrity of the performance contributes, first of all, to the rhythm of J. Banovets, who has the characteristics of a purposeful movement to the most important dramatic points. Attention is drawn to the decision of the pianist artistic tasks relating to the creation of a spatial volume of sound, colorful chiaroscuro as important components of musical imagery. Very expressive and sound colors. In some episodes (the second part) piano specificity is revealed due to colorful pedal influxes. The Chinese color of the concert is revealed in the interpretation of the pianist through the implementation of a colossal performance concept, as well as in the impact of the tragedy of the expressive revealing of the intonational relief of the melodic line, the energy of the rhythm, the opposition of motor and meditatively pacified lyrical episodes. Thus, information about the history of the creation and performing fate of the concert in G minor Huang An-Lun, analysis of the piano means of figurative musical expressiveness, rhythmic difficulties, the construction of the performing form of the cycle and its parts, technical problems of sounding, virtuosity, etc., can give the performer guidance for qualitative professional work