SKU: PR.114408650

UPC: 680160013180. 8.5 x 11 inches.

The Laurel Tree is rooted in the world of mythology, for it reflects the legend of Daphne and Apollo. As the story goes, Cupid, in a fit of spite, shot Apollo with an arrow that rouses love, then shot Daphne with an arrow that vanquishes love. Upon seeing Daphne, Apollo fell passionately in love. When he approached her, Daphne fled in terror, and Apollo chased after her. Just as she was about to be caught by Apollo, Daphne cried for help to her father, the river-god Peneus. She begged him to change her, to destroy her beauty, so that Apollo would no longer persue her. And so, Peneus turned her into a radiant laurel tree. The Laurel Tree looks at the legend of Daphne in psychological terms. In an essay titled Schizophrenia - the Inward Journey, Joseph Campbell refers to the image of Daphne turning into a laurel tree as the image of a psychosis, and shows that the imagery of the mythological hero journey matches that of schizophrenic fantasy. The movement titles and the structure of the piece are influenced by Campbell's writings on mythology, particularly his universal formula of the hero's journey. The first movement is based on the legend as described above, up to the moment Daphne is turned into a laurel tree. The second movement explores Daphne's inward retreat, deep into her psyche and backward in time, toward chaotic and terrifying experiences, to recover something missed or lost. The third movement tracks Daphne's return journey of rebirth to life, in harmony, at peace, richer, stronger, and more joyous.

SKU: HL.48025215

UPC: 196288133438.

Er Huang was commissioned by Carnegie Hall, New York where, in 2009, it received its world premiere with solo pianist Lang Lang and the Juilliard Orchestra under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. Chen wrote about the work, 'Music has its own life – for me the germination of any musical work is like a tree growing out of the ground, and the eventual outcome of this life is entirely unknowable in advance.' Commenting on the connection between Er Huang and its source of inspiration, the Er Huang tunes from the classical Peking Opera repertoire, he says that, 'the way I applied musical elements from Peking Opera to my own writing was not really based on musicological studies. Rather, these tunes were an essential part of my childhood in Beijing, and always intertwined with memories of my family and the society I lived in at the time. Many people from my generation would be able to hum these tunes by heart. These days, however, these familiar tunes have been almost entirely forgotten, as the younger generation is much more occupied by western pop culture. This is why, when I quote these tunes, I often do so with a great sense of nostalgia. Traditional Chinese music has a very strong character, and the organic assimilation of something that I feel most akin to, over time, into my own musical language, has become an essential part of my artistic expression.'.