SKU: HL.50601001

UPC: 888680707118. 8.25x11.75 inches.

Commissioned work by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the BBC Proms.

“'The Infant Minstrel and His Peculiar Menagerie' is a symphonic fantasy for solo violin, choir, and orchestra. Violinist Vadim Gluzman performs the lead role of a traveling musical storyteller who introduces a collection of wondrous tales by the mysterious author Erroneous Anonymous. The Infant Minstrel guides listeners in a voyage of imagination. Auerbach's new composition speaks to the young and the young at heart with child-like, yet enigmatic and humorous poems in the tradition of 'nonsense' authors such as Edward Lear, Lewis Carol, Hilaire Belloc, and Mother Goose, as well as Edith Sitwell, Shel Silverstein, Edward Gorey, and Tim Burton. The text is relevant, yet timeless; absurd, yet profound; simple, yet multi-layered. We meet characters such as the Common Corporant, the Moon Rider, and the Flying Pig that enjoys sitting on a cloud watching the crowd. The work embraces with humor the traditions of the British and Gaelic bard and the troubadour, whose songs told embellished and exotic tales. It also finds inspiration in the menagerie – a diverse collection of creatures and curiosities – and the sideshow presentation of oddities and the bizarre.” (Lera Auerbach).

SKU: PR.312418590

UPC: 680160595785. 8.5 x 11 inches. Text by Chen Yi.

Often called the Ellis Island of the West, Angel Island in San Francisco was used as an immigration station in the first half of the 20th century, processing some one million Asian immigrants. Because of U.S. policy of the time, many spent years on Angel Island awaiting entry. Recently named a National Historical Landmark, Angel Island and its history is the inspiration behind Chen Yi's Angel Island Passages, commissioned by the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Chen explores the experiences of the immigrants, even using poems carved in the walls, to express the mood, the patient yearning, and the ultimate release and embrace of a new country. Angel Island Passages was premiered June 4-5, 2010 by the SFGC and the Cypress String Quartet at the San Francisco Conservatory. For advanced performers. Duration: 15'.
Commissioned by San Francisco Girls Chorus (Executive Director Melanie Smith), and premiered by the SFGC and Cypress String Quartet on June 4, 2010, conducted by SFGC’s Artistic Director Susan McMane, at San Francisco Conservatory, CA, the 3-movement song cycle Angel Island Passages is written for children’s chorus and string quartet, with multimedia projection on the walls of the concert hall, produced by visual artist Felicia Lowe.  The creative idea of this work was initiated by Dr. McMane, who invited me to write the music, and sent me the book “Island, poetry and history of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940”, by Him Mark Lai, Genny Lim, and Judy Yung for reference in 2009; also inspired by the Angel Island stories, and through cooperation with Felicia, who shared with me her film “Carved in Silence” and video productions “Chinatown” and “Road to Restoration”.I named the first movement of my work as “1882”, which reflected the dark mood under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.  The collective poems carved on the wooden walls in Angel Island expressed deep emotion in sorrow and anxiety.  The music in the second movement “Longing” is sad and sentimental.  The third movement is called “We Are America”, which is ever-moving, energetic and optimistic.  The text sung in the beginning in Chinese means “I am an American”.  It’s sung in Cantonese dialect, then in Mandarin.  As the music develops, from homophonic to polyphonic with increasing layers, the climax is reached when the text is turned to English “We Are America”, which symbolizes the flourishing society with the great contribution from thousands of immigrants during the years.  The music fades out towards the ending of the work, which pushes the scene to a remote picture, to look forward to the future peace of the world.I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with such inspiring creative artists in this project, and hope the work is meaningful to our new society after the premiere performance.—Chen Yi.