[Chen Lechang] Symphony No.1 'Tanggu' (Score-Video)

陈乐昌 —— 第一交响曲 “塘沽”

This symphony was composed in 2004, it has 4 movements:
00:08 - I. The vicissitudes
11:44 - II. Homeland
19:18 - III. Spirit of a martyr
27:40 - IV. Setting sail

Performers:
杨力 / 天津交响乐团

The symphony "Tanggu" was written by composer Chen Lechang in 2004 at the request of the Tanggu District of Tianjin. The main theme music of the piece is taken from the fishermen's tones of Tanggu, trying to reflect the historical changes and real life of Tanggu in four movements.

First Movement: The vicissitudes

Since 1948, the Yellow River has been diverted three times to enter the sea from the east of Tianjin. About 800 years ago, Tanggu was formed by the Yellow River, the mother river of the Chinese nation, as the sea receded and the land became a magical land. The ancestors who came to Tanggu to make a living began to settle in Dagu and Beitang, forming the earliest villages in Tanggu. The title of the first movement, "The vicissitudes", reflects not only the change of Tanggu from sea to land, but also the historical sense of the piece. The first theme of the movement is derived from the fishermen's tones. Under the undulating sound pattern of the bass, the deep and broad first theme shows the sea-like heart of Tanggu people. The second theme, played on the bamboo flute, is fresh and lyrical, a reflection of the Tanggu people's longing for a happy life. The middle part of the movement depicts a stormy sea and people fighting in the waves. After the rain clears, the movement recreates the second theme of longing for happiness and the broad first theme.

Second Movement: Spirit of a martyr

In the early years of the Yuan Dynasty, Tanggu welcomed the first pioneers, who came down the river from the Haihe River and the Ji Canal, and gathered along the shell dyke from the south to the north. From then on, they worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, diligently living and producing, reproducing and creating the initial civilization of Tanggu area. The sea gave them the conditions for survival, they fish in the sea, catch crabs in the lotus pond, live in peace and harmony. The fast woodwind phrases in the movement show the children's chasing and laughing by the sea. The soft string melody in the middle section is like the expression of the young people's pure love. The coda ends with a joyful scene of people celebrating the harvest of their labor.

Third Movement: Spirit of a martyr

The movement expresses the Tonggu people's resistance to foreign aggression over the centuries. The movement is a reminiscence of Tanggu's sufferings, but also a glorification of the indomitable and tenacious struggle of the Tanggu people. The beginning of the movement depicts the Dagu Kou Fortress, which has a gloomy weather and is on the alert. The first part of the theme is depressing and unyielding. In the middle part, the theme of shouting and war seems to be a scene of heroes fighting bravely. On recapitulation, the first part of the theme rushes to a landslide climax. The coda is a tribute to the heroes.

Fourth Movement: Setting Sail

The first and last parts of the fourth movement are a reproduction of the first movement, but the background against which the first theme is set is not only the undulating sea, but also the roar of the engine, which makes the first theme break the waves like a high-speed ship. The second theme is also not only a vision of happiness, mellow, high sound makes people feel that they are already living in the reality of happiness. The middle of the movement is a reproduction of the theme of the second movement, but more cheerful. In the coda, the heroic theme of the third movement is reproduced, and the sound becomes very clear, a reminiscence of the heroes in the heaven. Finally, the first theme composed of fishermen's horns pushes the whole piece to the climax with an unstoppable force in the brilliant sound of brass and percussion.

(translated by Deepl)

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[RobHersh-strh]

How great.such love sounds like out of Africa.