Impressions from Tianqiao

Program Note:

The composer tries to paint a picture of Beijing Tianqiao in the olden days. Tianqiao is a street where street artists and buskers perform to make a living. There are a wide variety of performance from singing and talking (Quyi Shuochang) to acrobatics.

The piece is in traditional sonata form. The primary theme is melodious and was inspired by the singing of Chinese Quyi. The secondary theme is in dance movement and imitates the acrobatic performances. The exposition ends in an fiery Allegro which demonstrates the lively atmosphere at Tianqiao. The three themes presented in the exposition is then freely developed. The recapitulation begins with the secondary theme and the primary theme which appears later becomes the climax of the entire piece. The recap of the allegro brings the piece to a sudden and violent stop.