Jian'er Zhu - Festival Overture (1958)

[@asa.pankeiki]

Been listening to a lot more Chinese classical lately and I wish I’ve done this sooner; these composers are underrated as heck!

[@smoothielova]

What others would you recommend?

[@theghattlings8995]

Yeah what others would you recommend? This piece is great.

[@Cmaj7]

Qigang Chen, Wenchen Qin, and Xiaoyong Chen are a few recommendations

[@franciscusrebro1416]

Also Tan Dun

[@sunnyxia5872]

Chen Yi, Sicong Ma, Zhou Tian, Zhou Long to name a few more

[@MisterMalleable]

This overture is giving me some subtle Bernstein vibes

[@thelastclassicist]

Can we all agree this doesn't get enough attention?!

[@kevwang0712]

Chinese instructions at 2:03 - If the ensemble is small, the violas may reinforce the cellos to make the theme sound fuller For me personally, this piece conjured up nightmares of playing the cello in third-rate pickup traditional Chinese orchestras (for those who don't know, almost all traditional Chinese orchestras use western cellos and double basses for their low strings, since traditionally Chinese music did not have low strings, or indeed any bass instruments for that matter), playing even more banal "festive" pieces similar to this. To unfamiliar ears, melodies like this sound sweet, but once you've played a hundred pieces that have the exact same structure and are all based on the pentatonic scale, it gets tiring really fast.

[@CommunistBearFighter]

The music itself is not banal, even if the cello part is lol

[@tytywuu]

I feel you (chinese classical orchestra player here; not playing lower strings though)

[@Cmaj7]

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival !

[@Polymath9]

Same goes to you!

[@gdoublell1002]

You too! And thanks for posting as always 🙏🏾

[@yu-jiyao24]

中秋快乐～

[@querilloquerilian]

謝謝您～

[@chiehann7809]

Thank U!

[@partitayu]

I am so glad I have found this! This is so wonderful! An amazing work with scores as well! ❤

[@curtiscurry5775]

I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this piece or the composer! Such a wonderful work!

[@altoclef6688]

An American-Chinese blend on a Russian foundation? I have absolutely no knowledge about Chinese classical music, so this was interesting. A piece to cheer you up!

[@Brad4Ellis]

Specifically, Shostakovich‘s beloved Festival Overture.

[@altoclef6688]

@@Brad4Ellis I don't find them that similar. Brass fanfares and woodwind fast figures are normally to be found in festive pieces. So, what am I missing?

[@Brad4Ellis]

@@altoclef6688 We have different responses. That’s perfectly fine. My x-ray ears tell me this piece is intentionally based at the outset on a tribute to Shostakovich. Proportion, aspects of the written figures, etc., leads me to draw my own conclusion, but I don’t insist that I am correct: this is too subjective for that.

[@klscomus]

This is one kickass overture that belongs on many a concert program anywhere in the world! Fantastic piece!

[@agogobell28]

This is so, so, so 50s. It reminds me so much of the kind of stuff American composers for wind band were putting out around that time, as well as a little of Shostakovich, honestly. Very bombastic, very flashy, very upbeat (but I guess that’s to be expected for a Festival Overture anyway).

[@northside7772]

Very polished, bright in mood and well-orchestrated, it reminds my Western ears of the Shostakovich Festival Overture as well as music by Bernstein and Copland but with Chinese melodic mannerisms.

[@Darkflame_Knight]

Beautifoul piece. I've never heard this composer. Thank you!!!

[@keyspark]

great piece!

[@sveinungnygaard1505]

What a cool piece! I have to check out the rest of his work

[@jianguowan2064]

Jian'er Zhu is Greatest Chinese composer!

[@MegaCirse]

When the world falls apart, when the structures of a civilization falter, it is good to return to that which in history does not flex, but on the contrary recovers courage, gathers the separated, pacifies without bruising. It’s worth recalling that the genius of creation is also moving in an history devoted to the destruction.

[@eldertonlewismusic]

Fantastic piece! Really reminds me of Copland's Billy the Kid Suite for some reason 🎶

[@grumble2009]

Nice! Brass went for it in the last few bars :)

[@hostrauer]

Shostakovich's "Festive Overture" debuted in 1954, and this piece was obviously heavily influenced by it. A lot of Chinese (like Jian'er Zhu) and Japanese (like Yasushi Akutagawa) composers from the mid-20th Century were heavily influenced by Shostakovich.

[@antoniocoppola7644]

the chinese Tiomkin. Really great !

[@anguslee1446]

There's some Shosty vibe to this piece. Hmm.

[@shinvanbee1852]

Shostakovich influence indeed.

[@AndreyRubtsovRU]

...Talk about the title, haha

[@AndreyRubtsovRU]

Somehow from the first second one is sure there is a slow second theme in cellos :-)

[@drazlet]

While I can see some of the comparisons to more well known composers, I honestly don’t think they really work. This is just fundamentally so distinct. It’s great

[@Finetales]

Great piece and great recording. Shame the bass trombone was inaudible in all of its big moments towards the end though :(

[@medvevaros1051]

Shostakovich festival Overture

[@pogeman2345]

Sounds like the sort of piece you'd hear when watching those 80s kung fu movies.

[@anthonyjacome2467]

Based

[@Tamadehenzhan]

danke

[@stephenjablonsky1941]

Chinese festival indeed!

[@zoltan902]

He should have gone to compose for Hollywood. The orchestrations and harmony are very impressive, but the melodies are super kitschy.

[@Cmaj7]

I guess you can call it kitsch, but I have a real penchant for Chinese melodies, especially the pitch bends and glissandos.

[@zanedouglass]

Where might I find this score?

[@marcius7308]

🇭🇺🙂🔭🎶🎶🎶✨✨✨

[@CheekyFest]

am I the only 1 who hears hints of West Side Story?

[@theghattlings8995]

How so?

[@CheekyFest]

@@theghattlings8995 Can't put my finger on it - and havent listened to it since 4 months ago..

[@CheekyFest]

@@theghattlings8995 Looks like Sam Loeffler agrees with me

[@willbeginner1575]

Китайский Д.Д. Шостакович...забавно

[@XinhaoZheng]

Did you use my source?

[@Cmaj7]

yes

[@zanedouglass]

Where can I find this score? (and others by this composer?)

[@XinhaoZheng]

@@zanedouglass Give me your email address.

[@zanedouglass]

Xinhao Zheng [e-mail] Thank you!

[@ardeshirbabak7860]

@@XinhaoZheng Do you know where could I find this score and other scores from this composer? thank you in advance

[@田中角栄-m4j]

ショスタコの祝典序曲にクリソツやん

[@ejb7969]

The entire opening section and much of the ending is a shameless ripoff of the Shostakovich Festival Overture written in 1956, 2 years before this thing. The orchestration of each phrase and changes in musical character such as 1st vs 2nd theme, all are lifted directly from the Shostakovich piece. Especially the dum-dadadum-dadadum-dadadum rhythm. Whatever isn't stolen from Shostakovich is worse than the Shostakovich. Listen to the Shostakovich and you'll see.

[@brianbarry5039]

Thank You! I was thinking I was the only one that picked up on the similarities.

[@Cmaj7]

The influence of Festive Overture is obvious. Zhu was studying at Moscow Conservatory or just recently left at the time. But I would hardly call anything worse (personally, I prefer this piece). It's combined so well with Chinese melodies and the slow parts are so delicate and sweet.

[@Greykeys88]

@@Cmaj7 I absolutely prefer this to the festival overture as well :D

[@harryweir5414]

It's certainly inspired by Festive Overture, and it is clear where that influence is, but it's not a complete rip off. This is how composers work. Besides, Festive Overture was inspired, in a similar way, by Glinka's Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture. I actually quite like this piece, especially how it doesn't completely follow the structure of Festive Overture and is happy to go it's own way.

[@Icedmanta]

It's called "Festival Overture", the inspiration is given directly in the title, it's not as though the composer has even tried to be subtle. The way motifs from Shosty's piece are incorporated and blended with traditional Chinese melodies is beautiful though, and this piece more than stands on its own. It feels more complete and less repetitive than its predecessor. In love with this new discovery. Did you not even stop to consider how this may be paying homage to Shostakovich? Often in composition "stealing" another composer's motifs is a respectful endeavor, and certainly that would be the case here.

[@muslit]

Horrible.

[@user-wk2gi5cp9y]

ok

[@peanut8154]

You're allowed to be wrong :D