Viaje
(2016) | 9 minutes
Commissioned by Dolce Suono Ensemble, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
SCORING solo flute, string orchestra
ALSO AVAILABLE
flute & string quartet | flute, cello & piano
PREMIERE
21 February 2016, Carolina Theatre, Durham, NC.
Mimi Stillman, flute
Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle
Lorenzo Muti, conductor
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Programme Note
Experiencing Spain for the first time and learning about the stories of Spanish legend El Cid inspired me to compose this 9-minute thrill ride. I was particularly drawn to the relationship between El Cid and his two daughters as they went through an innocent childhood, separation, distrust, and finally, reunion. I imagined the flute as the voice of the daughters, and the cello as the voice of their father. A musical dialogue between the two emerges in the middle of the piece, as if recalling a long-overdue conversation between father and daughters. It wasn’t until the piece was finished that I realized that I had unconsciously married my musical roots as a Chinese-American with my new found love of Spanish music.
“Viaje” (Spanish for voyage) was commissioned by Dolce Suono Ensemble, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
—Zhou Tian
Reviews
“Zhou Tian’s Viaje fused the composer’s Chinese American sensibility with the lore of ancient Spain so convincingly that the exotic flute solos for Stillman sounded like the most natural thing in the world.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Viaje is a prime example of 21st-century global multiculturalism…The flute passages and orchestration evoke all the gallantry and tenderness of the subject.”
—Broad Street Review
“‘Viaje,’ in contrast, was a fast, bravura piece that evoked Spain, but not in a conventional way. The syncopation, the colorful writing, and especially the central dialogue between the flute and cello, beautifully rendered, made this a complete pleasure to hear.”
—Reading Eagle
“There is a fascinating blend of Spanish fire and Chinese-American stylistic colours going on here, with romantic expressiveness in the central section framed by animated phrases and rhythmic syncopation – all in all a highly enjoyable piece.”
—Dominy Clements, Music Web International
“The dramatic opening surged with strong rhythms and featured fast, racing runs for the flute. The clarity and focus of Stillman’s soaring highs was delightful. There were several fine duets between Stillman and principal cellist Roman Placzek along with forays by concertmaster Tasi Matthews. ‘Viaje’ was engaging enough to make one hope for future repeats as well as other Zhou pieces.”
—Cultural Voice of North Carolina
For flute
- Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
- Viaje (flute & string quartet)
- Viaje (flute, cello & piano)
- Viaje (flute & string orchestra)
- Irises (flute & piano)
- Duet (flute & piano)
- Hidden Grace (flute, viola & harp)
- Reading an Anthology of Chinese Poems… (flute, viola, harp & narrator)