Based on the popular Chinese story 'King Chu Doffs his Armour', this concerto is influenced by both Western and Eastern traditions. It is constructed around a classical Chinese solo pipa work (of the same name), and retains the structure of the traditional manuscript. The musical influences are distinctly Chinese, but Zhou Long adds an introduction, cadenza, and coda in keeping with the Western concerto tradition.


Programme Notes:

'King Chu Doffs his Armour' is a popular story that dates back to 202 BC, when an epic battle was staged between the kingdoms of Han and Chu, culminating in the tragic suicide of the noble warrior King Chu. This work is based on the Chinese classical solo pipa piece of the same title, found in the Hua Qiu Ping Pipa Music Collection of 1818, as well as in the later Yang Zheng Xuan Pipa Music Collection, edited by Lin Shi-Cheng. The concerto focuses on describing the sensitive inner mood of King Chu during the tragic scene in which he bids farewell to his concubine. For this concerto, the composer has retained the original structure of the traditional manuscript and added an introduction, a solo cadenza, and an extended coda, in keeping with concerto form.