Chen Yi: Percussion Concerto

Commissioned by Evelyn Glennie and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in 1998, the Percussion Concerto for percussion and full orchestra was premiered on March 8th, 1999 in Singapore, and dedicated to Ms. Glennie, the SSO, and SSO Music Director Lan Shui. Deeply inspired by the style of Beijing Opera, the concerto consists of three movements: I. The Night Deepens; II. Prelude to Water Tune; III. Speedy Wind. The first of these features the Chinese dagu, while, in the second, the percussion instruments act as textures to support a spoken recitation by the soloist. In the third movement, the high woodblock leads a group of percussion instruments, and is eventually eclipsed by tom toms and gongs during the climax of the work.