Reviews

REVIEWS of "Surrealistic Soundscapes"

Albany Records TROY 1378

The present CD contains a generous sampling of music by Hong Kong composer and pianist, Dr. Man-Ching Donald Yu, who was born in 1980. As a pianist, Yu made his debut at the age of 16 with the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra, and eventually earned a B.A. degree from Baylor University. Further musical studies took him to the Internationale Sommerakademie Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg, and he completed his education, being awarded a Ph.D. in composition and music theory at Hong Kong Baptist University. He is currently on the faculty of the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

The more than 150 compositions in Yu’s portfolio range from instrumental, vocal, and chamber pieces to large-scale operatic, choral, and symphonic works. The music on this, the second CD devoted to the composer’s music, has been selected to give an overview of the breadth of the genres in which this composer writes. Yu’s style, given that the reader likely is (as I was) encountering his name for the first time, forms an arresting and personal intermixing of tonal and atonal languages, with the musical colors and gestures of his native country infiltrating the mix.

Yu’s First Symphony (he has written two to date) is a powerful work, and rather dark in timbre, perhaps a cousin to the symphonies of Allan Pettersson. A three-movement work of some 20 minutes’ duration, the symphony remains one of its composer’s more substantial pieces. The more-or-less atonal language is softened by Yu’s use throughout of lyrical melodic elements. The work is cast in a cyclical form wherein motives from each of the movements show up in the others, serving to solidify the structure of the work. The quiet opening flute solo of the second movement yields to an energetic section that keeps the entire orchestra very busy, as motives are tossed adroitly from one orchestral choir to the next. The third movement begins with several ominous strokes on the timpani and the somber tone of the work continues, drawing on minor seconds and other dissonant intervals, but the symphony ends with a powerful and more-or-less affirming major triad.

From the Depth is Yu’s setting of Psalm 130, sometimes known by its Latin title, De Profundis. Many composers (this writer included) have set this stirring text, in which the exiled ancient Israelites cry out in despair from their Babylonian captivity. Yu’s stated intention in setting this psalm is to reflect on various unspecified unjust acts that have occurred in the world in modern times. There are plenty of these from which to draw one’s inspiration, to be sure. After a suitably solemn introduction, a soprano solo soars above the orchestra, and is shortly joined by the chorus, intoning the text in gentle harmonies. In the central portion of the work, the music reaches its dramatic zenith, becoming more agitated and chromatic. The work, like the symphony, is a powerful one, even in its quieter moments, although it is cut from a more tonal cloth than is its predecessor.

The harmonic language of the Octet for Strings reverts to that used in the symphony, and much of the work is ethereal and almost surreal in its effect upon the auditor. Tremolo and other devices are used to enhance the pitch set (0,1,4, e.g., C, D♭, E) that spins forth the work. The pitch set is expanded and contracted in various ways as the piece proceeds through slow outer sections alternating with fast, rhythmic sections in 6/16 meter. Sunset in My Homeland, scored for clarinet, violin, and piano, was written for the Equinox Trio, which is comprised of those instruments. This work follows a long tradition of music inspired by art—in this case, a 2001 painting, Sunset, by Chinese artist Zhang Guanghai. Here, I hear somewhat more overt references to Chinese music, with pitch bends in the clarinet and guzheng-like sounds from the piano in its lower register. Like the painting, this music also tends towards the dark side of musical expression.

In the next four works, we get to hear the considerable pianistic abilities of the composer. The Maximum Speed of Raphael’s Madonna is a work for flute and piano, and is also inspired from the world of art. In this case, the painting is the Salvador Dalí surrealistic canvas of the same name. The musical language is largely abstract and atonal, as it is in the following Dalí-inspired work for solo piano, Explosion (after the painting of the same name). In this work, a number of abstract variations are worked out in this brief and rather virtuosic piece. Dalí, clearly a favorite painter of the composer, also served as the inspiration of Disintegration for piano and tape, the painting being his Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory. The tape part was produced by the Granular Cloud Generator, and maintains a shimmering presence throughout the work, while the pianist plays musical filigree over this sonic background. It’s all extremely evocative and effective—all the more so if you know the original Dalí painting, which if you know anything about his work, you very likely do.

In his vocal music, Yu seems to trend more towards tonality. This is true, at least, of the Two Poems by Ya Hsien, and From the Depth, discussed above, as well as his Requiem to which I listened on his website. Two Poems was commissioned by the International Writers Workshop, and sets the poetry of the renowned Taiwanese poet. The texts, “Autumn Song” and “Blue Well” set a largely conjunct melodic vocal line against a kind of musical commentary by the piano, oftentimes in the extremes of its register. The CD closes with Breeze, a work for solo flute, in which the solo lines are interrupted by trills, sounds of breathing, fillips, and other effects.

The recorded sound of this CD, especially in the works for larger forces, is a bit rough around the edges, and the orchestras occasionally betray a ragged edge in their otherwise generally good readings. One could also find fault with the intonation of the soprano soloist in From the Depth. However, these are peccadilloes, and did not detract from my enjoyment of Yu’s finely wrought music. Consequently, I recommend this disc most heartily to those who find themselves absorbed in the music of our time.

FANFARE: David DeBoor Canfield

Man-Ching Donald Yu is an intriguing composer who writes in several different styles. The first work on this disc is his First Symphony which has three movements that are grouped together on one 20-minute track. The first movement is something of a prelude to the stronger and darker music to come. There is a great deal of melodic material, especially for the Lugansk orchestra’s brass section. It is buoyed up by the strings and punctuated by gestures from the percussionists. It seems quite cinematic to me and might really tell a murder mystery if we let it. Perhaps the brass is the culprit and the violins are the mysterious lady in the middle. In his full symphonic mode, Yu is very Western and quite modern, but he does use melody as one of the strands with which he weaves his magic. From the Depth is a Christian religious work based on Psalm 130. It begins with opulent low tones from a very well-played cello. Yu says he wrote the work because of the many injustices he sees on this earth. In some ways his resplendent choral writing seems to show some influence from Mussorgsky. He hammers his point home with passionate tones. I might have liked a soprano soloist with a more lyrical sound, but Amanda Li gives us a most dramatic rendition of her lines. The Ukraine String Octet begins Yu’s Octet with dissonance, but melody soon sneaks in with various types of little motifs. The violins are enchanting. Their sustained tones build like a storm that rises to a great peak. Eventually it wanes, leaving us with a gentle rain.

Sunset in my Homeland is played by the Equinox Trio of Malta: Tricia Dawn Williams, violin; Lino Pirotta, clarinet; and Tatjana Chircop, violin. Here Yu paints a musical picture of Chinese contemporary artist Zhang Guanghai’s setting sun. In The Maximum Speed of Raphael’s Madonna, Yu writes his impressions of the Salvator Dalí surrealist painting. A long flute solo, beautifully played by Bonnie Chung, is eventually decorated by entries from the piano. The piano passages represent the four round objects in Dalí’s painting, which can be seen online. Explosion for Piano and Disintegration for Piano and Electronics are two piano solos that Yu plays definitively. My favorite pieces on the disc are the Two Poems by Ya Hsien for Baritone and Piano. The lyrical Autumn Song and the more dramatic Blue Well are Chinese versions of Lieder with meanings to be pondered at length. I hope to hear them at a recital some time. The finale on this CD is the somewhat impressionistic Breeze for Solo Flute. I found everything on this recording interesting and generally the sound is good. Only during From the Depth which was recorded at the Hong Kong City Hall, did I hear some coughing, probably from an audience member.

FANFARE: Maria Nockin

This disc brings together works in various genres by the Hong Kong-based composer and pianist Man-Ching Donald Yu (b. 1980). The music was composed between 2006 and 2011, and each piece seems to have been recorded around the time of its premiere. The cantata From the Depth may even be the premiere performance, although this is not specifically indicated; it is a live recording from 2011 of a work completed the previous year.

While the symphony is the most substantial in terms of length and size of the forces involved, all the instrumental works share a distinctive postmodern tonal palette and a tendency to contrast episodes of tension with moments of atmospheric stasis, the latter often dominated by high sustained notes or clusters.

The symphony (lasting just under 20 minutes) is in three movements: the first serves as a riveting introduction, while the following two contain the real argument of the work. The second movement builds to a busy brass-dominated climax, while the third sits in a more monumental vein, closer to the composer's Chinese roots. Yu's orchestral textures show a highly skilled hand at work, and the dramatic thrust is palpable: here is a composer with something to say and the means to say it. From the Depth is similarly well scored. A setting in English of Psalm 130 for soprano, choir and orchestra, it has something of the concentration and dramatic intensity of Flagello.

The same stylistic characteristics permeate two substantial chamber offerings: the Octet for Strings (2009) and the trio Sunset in my Homeland for clarinet, violin and piano. The opening sections of the octet and the trio exist in a world of menacing post-Bartókian night music. The composer creates a real sense of time held in suspension (a common trait of Chinese art), and an atmosphere of anticipation- so that when movement comes it feels inevitable. The Octet in particular is a succinctly structured, compelling composition, and could find a place as the ideal 21st century companion to the Mendelssohn Octet on a concert program.

The other works are shorter and of lesser import. The two piano pieces (inspired by paintings of Salvador Dali) display Yu's prowess at the keyboard, while his settings of two poems by the Taiwanese poet Ya Hsien (2006) are more oriental in flavor, as the vocal line follows the contours of Chinese language over an impressionistic piano accompaniment. They benefit greatly from the warm, mellifluous baritone of Caleb Woo Wing Ching.

Performances and recordings are more than acceptable throughout, despite the differences of time and place. The Lugansk Academic Philharmonic (a Ukrainian orchestra) under Chernyak plays the symphony with clarity, strength and commitment, and clearly believes in the work. The Equinox Trio of Manila is similarly committed to the clarinet trio that was written specifically for them. In the cantata I would have preferred a purer soprano than that of Amanda Li- her vibrato has a tendency to get out of control- but otherwise the performance is strong and, again, full of purpose.

his release is recommended, particularly for anyone interested in hearing a taut new symphonic voice.

Fanfare: Phillip Scott

Reproduced with permission. Copyright@2013 by Fanfare, Inc.

Review on Sign of Spring for double bass and piano

From Sunday Times (Malta) (14th April, 2013): Culture and Entertainment Music

The second item was the world premiere for Sign of Spring composed in 2012 by Man-Ching Yu. Born in Hong Kong, this composer is frequently inspired by paintings. The work is tinged with an Oriental touch, while intermingles with impressionistic Western elements; a bit like a Toru Takemitsu composition. Williams sounded particularly assertive in the more abstract sections of the work where some passages are fairly demanding. Cincievski offered an interesting complementary role throughout the recurring glissandi, tremoli, and pizzicati.

Review on Fishing in Snow for trumpet and piano

From International Trumpet Guild Journal/October 2013

His composition Fishing in Snow will undoubtedly be popular among trumpeters looking for a short composition that features extended techniques, while still tonal in nature......This work in best suited for trumpet players at the advanced undergraduate level or higher. Based on Liu Zongyuan's poem Fishing in Snow, from the ancient Tang Dynasty, this composition features a wide variety of sounds, from subtle gestures to extreme, flashy effects. The writing utilizes pentatonic and chromatic pitch combinations reminiscent of the music of Joseph Schwantner; Yu is an expert on Joseph Schwantner's works. Trumpeter who enjoy Schwantner's works will most likely enjoy this piece for its similarities in compositional style.

As mentioned previously, the B-flat trumpet part features some challenges that make it more suited for the advanced-difficult category.......Various assortments of rhythmic values and combinations are featured for both instruments. In many instances, hemiola and composite rhythms are formed between the piano and trumpet. Quick mute changes and some extended techniques also are featured in the trumpet part. Flutter tonguing, wide vibrato indications, and extensive half-step pitch bends are reminiscent of shakuhachi flute writing and can create some difficulties for the trumpeter. The range required in Fishing in from F-sharp to C-sharp''', with a good portion of the composition sitting within the fifth and sixth partial ranges; so endurance is a consideration. Trumpeters should also expect to spend considerable time in rehearsal with piano.

Fishing in Snow is recommended for duos looking for a new composition that challenges both performers equally. Overall, this work is effective in many performance situations, due to its unique character and style. (Brian Walker, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX)

Review on Ballades of Four Seasons by Esteban Meneses (Orlando, Florida) 8/30/2015

From Classical Music Examiner

New Score Chamber Orchestra premieres music by Man-Ching Yu

Now in its third year, the Central Florida-based New Score Chamber Orchestra specializes in contemporary music and transcriptions of renowned composers of the past into a modern form. This weekend the 18-odd-piece ensemble introduced a fresh and intrepid new voice to Orlando audiences: Man-Ching ‘Donald’ Yu, hailing from Hong Kong. Sunday’s performance – the program was presented first on Saturday at Maitland Presbyterian Church – benefited from the modern atmosphere of The Abbey in downtown Orlando; most importantly, it displayed the talent of soloists and ensemble alike, with a captivating world premiere as the center piece.

Man-Ching ‘Donald’ Yu’s intelligent use of harmony results in enigmatic elusion, disquieting tension, and a thoroughly engaging sense of atmosphere. An exclusive premiere for the New Score Chamber Orchestra, Ballades for Four Seasons infuses original orchestral coloring and applies forward-thinking harmony to the poetry of Li Bai, a Chinese poet of the mid-Tang Dynasty.

The orchestration juxtaposes the threatening rasps of brass instruments in the low register – expertly accentuated by percussion – against woodwinds in fiendishly high pitches. The disquieting grunting of the cello and bass are soon answered by flute and clarinet in the opening of ‘Spring.’ Stetson University’s Lynn Musco was especially noteworthy, making her clarinet yelp in a fascinatingly distressing high register.

Taiwanese soprano Shelley Jauh-Shiang Chen was the featured soloist. The Texas State University graduate possesses a powerful tone, capable of intermingling with the ensemble in the menacing quieter moments, and of projecting a fullthroated outpouring in climactic moments. Conductor Todd Craven held the ensemble together with precision, allowing each instrument and its family to resonate loudly in the most unnerving moments of Yu’s deliciously dissonant score, while minding orchestral interplay and the role of the soloist throughout the four movements.

Where Yu, 35, especially succeeds with his captivating Ballades for Four Seasons is in the economy of means, the unpredictable use of harmony, and the tight structural mold; compact, yet expressive, and self-assured, though not pretentious, the piece teeters on skittish chromaticism while delivering a straight impact. The earnestness of its exploratory spirit never makes concessions or resorts to typical orchestral maneuvers for its adaptation of Bai’s familiar subject: the four seasons.

Review on Double Concerto "Urban Amber" for harmonica, Zhong Yuen and Chinese Orchestra

(7月9日)大公赧--棟篤笑西域尋芳文: 王爽

委約新作品《都市琥珀》（世界首演）由余文正博士為中阮、口琴與樂團而作。受現代油畫啓發，余博士糅合中國音樂色彩及後現代印象派元素，以新音樂為載體，使音樂與作曲家對環境、社會、人文的反思有機結合，讓觀眾在碎片化的音型與複聲部對比的循環往復中，尋找遺失時光的蹤跡。青年口琴演奏家李俊樂的精湛技藝顛覆了大眾對口琴吹奏的傳統認識。

Review on "Ring" for harp and piano (June 29th, 2021),

From Freier Schweizer (In German). Written by Nadia Tattersall (Verein Beflueglet)

Die Komposition <Ring> von Donald Yu wurde uraufgefuehlt

Zur Musik inspirierte den Komponisten das postmoderne minimalistische Kunstwerk «Ring» des Künstlers Robert Mangold. Donald Yu lässt sich gerne von Kunstwerken inspirieren, die sich auf seinen kreativen Prozess in der Musik übertragen lassen. Die Komposition spiegelte die Einfachheit eines gelben Kreises wider, der von einer schwarzen dünnen Linie umringt war. Der gelbe Kreis entsprach den Tonhöhen, die von der Harfe gespielt wurden, während die dünne schwarze Linie die Noten des Klaviers repräsentierte. Hier wurde deutlich, dass Donald Yu aus einem visuellen auch ein wahres gleichnamiges musikalisches Kunstwerk geschaffen hatte, und somit dem Publikum die Möglichkeit gab, das Mangolds Kunstwerk nicht nur anzuschauen sondern auch zu «hören». Die Idee ist so originell und wurde dazu auch noch hervorragend vom Duo Praxedis umgesetzt, dass uns nur die Hoffnung bleibt, in Zukunft mehr davon hören zu können.

Review on Symphony No. 2 "World"

From Zaholovok.com.ua (October 13th and 21st 2013)

The true culmination of symphonic music festival in Uzhgorod was the world premiere of Symphony No. 2 for chorus, soloists and orchestra composed by the 30-year-old Hong Kong composer Man-Ching Yu. The Symphony consists of two parts: "In the garden world" and "Peace of God". An amazing combination of diatonic and chromatic music - a philosophical reflection on the composer's creation, the relationship of man and God, and a kind of satire on civilized human activities. The coloring of the work intensified effects - color light vibration, which is typical in the music of Man-Ching Yu.

Finally, there is a somewhat unusual spot this time for the Academic Transcarpathian Folk Choir: the end of the concert will feature the world premiere of Symphony No. 2 "World" composed by Hong Kong composer Man-China Donald Yu for chorus, soloists and orchestra. The work is written in the style of Neo-Impressionism. Plots of the texts were about creation, God and human being. Not only the choir members needed to learn the complex choral score, but they also need to sing in English.

Man-Ching Donald Yu is a renowned Hong Kong prolific composer, pianist and music theorist. The musical style of Donald Yu is characterized by the combination of Eastern and Western musical traditions of postmodernism.The composer's extremely wide range works range from the chamber, vocal, choral, chinese instrumental and electroacoustic music to concerti, operas and symphonies. Most of the work were played at prestigious festivals in Europe, Asia, North and South America. In particular, the Delhi International Arts Festival (India), International Festival of Contemporary Art "Two Days and Two Nights of New Music" (Odessa, Ukraine), International Spring Festival Manoel Theatre (Malta), the International Music Festival of St. George (Greece) and others. His previous works were selected to be premiered in Lugansk and Chernivtsi before. One interesting and noteworthy thing is that, his passion for music owes Mozart, whose genius nurtures and inspires the imagination of this composer.

Review on "Clouds in my Dream", "Tunneling", "Contemplation"

From Augsburger Allgemeine (July 8th, 2013)

In "Clouds in my dream", inspired by a Chinese modern painting, the electronics answer with the foregoing piano by "sound shadows" of this cloud-dream in a range from subtle / fine to drastic effect. "Tunneling" features the physical generated, plastically "dropping" tones and mutated billows that cumulate with Yu`s piano playing intensely. In the "contemplation" for solo piano the composer exhibits a radical way of sparse sound-disposition, through the expressive outburst to the final spiritualization of the musical material that fades away in a suspense manner.

Review on "Circle of Life"

From In time, between times, out of time, the Claquers, written by Tetiana Novytska (October 16th, 2023)

Man-Ching Donald Yu's work "Circle of life" for viola and piano (2022), which had its world premiere that evening on the stage of the "Contrasts" festival, cyclic time is contrasted (in the extreme sections, with a repetitive ostinato at the base, with a clear regular division of durations) and the time is frozen (in the middle part, built from a sequence of long extended sonorities). I would like to specially mention the tandem of violist Ustym Zhuk and pianist Myroslav Dragan, in whose creative synergy these temporal rifts were portrayed very clearly.