In the late twentieth century, a wave of Chinese composers affected by the Cultural Revolution emigrated to the U.S., passed through the American university system, and established prominent and interesting careers integrating the music of their homeland with the advanced techniques of European art music. The first generation of composers included
Tan Dun,
Bright Sheng, and
Chen Yi. Huang Ruo, who was born in 1976, the year the Revolution ended, continues the tradition of discovering new ways to bring together the techniques and aesthetics of two very different cultures. On the basis of this CD, Ruo has a distinctively original voice and is no imitator of the composers who preceded him. Using only Western instruments, his music is recognizably the work of a Chinese-American composer and is remarkable for the high drama he creates and for its brilliant and often astonishing orchestration.
The lineage of the four chamber concertos here can be traced to those of Berg and Ligeti. They are intended to be played as a set, and while each has a distinct and individual profile, taken together their cumulative effect is remarkably powerful. Written for ensembles of 5 to 15 players, they require the instrumentalists not only to perform with technical virtuosity, but to act, sing, chant, and speak. Since
George Crumb popularized these devices, they have been overused to the point of cliché, but here they have an integrality and dramatic purposefulness that are crucial to making these pieces so overwhelmingly effective.
The
International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) an eight-member group that was formed in 2001 when its members were students at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, delivers performances of rock-solid technical security and expressive passion. Ruo is a composer to watch out for; his work should be of strong interest to any fans of new music.