A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
(2009) | 9 minutes
SCORING A 3(picc) . 3(corA) . 3(Eb.Cl) . 3(cbn) / 4331 / timp / 3 perc: vibraphone, chimes, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, bass drum / hp / cel. / str
SCORING B 22(corA)22 / 4231 / timp+2 / (hp) / str
SCORING C 22(corA)22 / 2200 / timp+1 / (hp) / str
PREMIERE
10 October 2009, Weidner Center, Green Bay, WI. The Green Bay Symphony, Christoph Campestrini, conductor.
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PURCHASE SCORE (Scoring A: full) |
PURCHASE SCORE (Scoring B: reduced) |
PURCHASE SCORE (Scoring C: chamber orchestra)
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Programme Note
The inspiration for A Thousand Years of Good Prayers comes from an old Chinese proverb of the same name. It suggests that a good relationship takes a thousand years of prayers to bring about. As a composer, I was fascinated by this story-like idea from ancient times and sought to create a piece that conveys a sense of spiritual blessing. The work opens with a thunderous bass drum hit and soaring horn lines before unfolding into a walking pace with interwoven layers of sound. As the music rises and falls, the textures gradually thin out, leading to a sense of transparency and clarity. The opening material then returns in an unfamiliar way. I think of the piece as a journey—from a somewhat rough start to a simple, harmonious closure.
©Zhou Tian
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers was commissioned and premiered by the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Christoph Campestrini. It received The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Glick Award in 2010.
Reviews
“The first half of the evening [at the Houston Symphony] was an unqualified success. Zhou Tian’s attractive A Thousand Years of Good Prayers effectively communicated the goals of the composer, which he eloquently and succinctly described from stage. The simplicity of the piece’s was what made it so appealing. The horns proclaim a disjunct melodic statement at the beginning of the work, featuring dissonant leaps and sharp dotted rhythms, and, over the ensuing ten minutes, Zhou proceeds to gradually smooth over these rough edges, ending in a serene cushion of string sound.
Zhou’s harmonic language and orchestration mix Ravel and Barber with a hint of his native China, albeit without the edgy grit of Chen Yi or flamboyant theatricality of Tan Dun. Still, the piece feels first and foremost like an honest musical utterance, which is important in today’s day and age. Unabashedly tonal, with a true sense of tension and resolution, the arc of the piece convinces through and through. This is an impressive essay from a 30-year old composer, and Zhou Tian is certainly a compositional voice to watch. This was the one work where Koenig seem to bask in the sheer color of the orchestra, letting phrases linger nicely. The orchestra played with complete conviction and respect for a new score.”
—ConcertoNet
“An exquisite piece”
—Tom Alvarez, Examiner.com
“The music’s initial turbulence gradually gave way to harmonious tranquility, but it took some heavy lifting to carve out that serene space. A torrent of thoughts, dreams and fears ebbed and flowed, with the dragon of chaos always lurking at the margins. The buffeting was intense, but it didn’t take long for the music to reveal its tender heart. By and by, a thick and lush string section poured out a gorgeous, yearning melody that dimmed to dusky hues and ended in stillness.
It’s great to have locally based talents like Tian, whose music is appreciated around the world, to put a fresh perspective on the older masterworks that make up most of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra’s repertoire. Gradually distilling clarity from chaos, Tian’s music proved to be a microcosm of the whole evening.”—CityPulse
“Zhou Tian’s evocative tone poem inspired by an ancient Chinese proverb…began with striking drum rolls and brass fanfares. Then, it moved through dramatic expressions of yearning woodwind figures against throbbing strings, gradually reaching its intended Zen-like state of spiritual bliss.”
—Houston Chronicle