Du Mingxin ( 杜鸣心 ): Piano Concerto No. 1 “Spirit of Spring“ (1988)

Classical Music Discord: Original BiliBili Upload: Composer: Du Ming-xin ( b. 1928 ) Du Mingxin (Chinese: 杜鸣心; pinyin: Dù Míngxīn; b. August 19, 1928) is a Chinese composer known for his work on ballets, concertos and a symphonic Beijing Opera. His early studies include time at the famous Yucai School in Chongqing. He moved to Shanghai in 1948, where he performed as a pianist. He attended the Tchaikovsky Music Conservatory in Moscow from 1954 to 1958, before joining the Beijing Central Conservatory. Piano Concerto No. 1 ( 1988 ) Du Mingxin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 “Spirit of Spring” was written in 1988 and received its first performance at the concert given in Hong Kong to celebrate the composer’s sixtieth birthday. The soloist on that occasion, as on the present recording, was the Hungarian pianist Jenő Jandó. The first movement of the concerto has an energetic first subject, of a vigour that recall the work of Prokofiev. This is in contrast to a romantic second theme that hints rather at Rachmaninov in its texture and feeling, a vein explored by a number of Chinese composers, without Rachmaninov’s sometimes piquant chromaticism. There is a central development and a cadenza grows gradually in intensity, leading to a recapitulation in which the character of the whole movement is re-asserted and its romantic element dwelt on. This is followed by a rapid concluding passage. The second movement is in the manner of a nocturne—dream-like, tranquil and quiet, dominated by a repeated rising figure. Here, as in the Violin Concerto, more overt use is made of Chinese melodic material, suggesting nights in the surviving gardens of Beijing. The final movement, marked Presto giocoso, has a principal theme of cheerful vigour, again in the world of Prokofiev and his immediate successors, recalled in the piano figuration and the impetuous motor energy that propels the movement forward. This is contrasted with a brief episode of overt Chinese provenance. A concluding repetition of the principal theme brings the work to an exciting end. Movements 0:00 I. Allegro appassionato 12:11 II. Adagio espressivo 17:15 III. Presto giocoso Instrumentation Piano & Orchestra Performer Piano: Sheng Yuan Central Conservatory of Music Youth Symphony Orchestra Conductors: Xu Xin, Ji Ruikai The music published in my channel is exclusively dedicated to divulgation purposes and not commercial. This within a program shared to study classic educational music of the 1900 & 2000’s (& some Baroque/Before) which involves thousands of people around the world. If someone, for any reason, would deem that a video appearing in this channel violates the copyright, please inform me immediately before you submit a claim to Youtube, and it will be my care to remove immediately the video accordingly. Your collaboration will be appreciated.