Jin Yin / Spectrum of new instrumental works by living Chinese composers

With Jin Yin, we present a spectrum of new instrumental works by living Chinese composers, each with a unique perspective on Western and Far Eastern musical sensibilities. The Civitas Ensemble named their album for the Chinese phrase meaning “Golden Tone” because they treasure these works for their clarity of musical expression.

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“There is much to appreciate in the melding of the exemplary lucidity of the Civitas Ensemble and the dynamic Chinese-Modern brilliance of the five composers involved. This is one of the finest such offerings I have heard, the very best in a long time. Strongly recommended.”

– Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review

Performers

Yuan-Qing Yu – Violin
Kenneth Olsen – Cello How we help

J. Lawrie Bloom – Clarinet
Winston Choi – PianoHow we help

album details

James Ginsburg – Producer
Bill Maylone – Engineer
Ken Orgel– Steinway Piano TechnicianHow we help

Bark Design – Graphic Design
Lampo Leong Studio – Cover Art
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About thE recording

Jin Yin (“Golden Tone”) comprises world-premiere recordings of works by Yao Chen, Vivian Fung, and Lu Pei, plus specially made new arrangements of pieces from Zhou Long and Chen Yi.First recordings include Yao Chen’s mystical, rhapsodic Emanations of Tara, named for a revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism and written expressly for the Civitas Ensemble; Vivian Fung’s Birdsong, a virtuosic piece for violin and piano that opens and closes with evocations of bird calls; and Lu Pei’s alternatively vigorous and lyrical Scenes Through Window, imbued with both American minimalist rhythms and South China folk traditions. Leading off the program, Zhou Long’s engaging Five Elements evokes metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, while Chen Yi’s serene, ethereal Night Thoughts was inspired by a Tang Dynasty poem. Both receive their first recordings in the composers’ own arrangements made specifically for the Civitas Ensemble.How we help

CD Program

ZHOU LONG – Five Elements. Yihan Chen, pipa; Cynthia Yeh, percussion; Emma
Gerstein, flute and piccolo.
‍CHEN YI – Night Thoughts
‍LU PEI – Scenes Through Window. With Emma Gerstein, flute
‍VIVIAN FUNG – Bird Song
‍YAO CHEN – Emanations of Tara. With Yihan Chen, pipaHow we help

jin yin's relevance to our work

Zoltán Kodály’s duo for violin and cello is a masterpiece that showcases the two instruments in their most glorious forms, as the ultimate virtuosos and as communicators of folk musical language. The freedom and energy that flows through the entire piece is irresistible.How we help

A dominant figure in Hungarian music, Dohnanyi is regarded as the most versatile musician to emerge from that country since Franz Liszt. His compositional style is a delicious mix of Richard Strauss’s tone poems and Sergei Rachmaninov’s symphonies. This sextet was his last large scale chamber music, in which we are featuring two amazing guest artists, CSO (horn) Oto Carrillo and (viola) WeiTing Kuo.How we help

DePaul’s new performance venues have caught the attention of many performers and ensembles, and being in a university setting gives us greater access to students thus further our mission on education. This is a great way to kick off the 2019-2020 season.How we help

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