Yangzhou’s Jiangdu County is famous for its rice paddies. The folk song ” Pulling out a Reed Catkin” originally served as a rice transplanting song. During busy farming seasons, one person would lead the singing in the fields, with others responding in a call-and-response manner. According to legend, Jiangdu has had a long-standing tradition of song competitions. Before one such competition, a singer fell ill and lost his voice. He brewed medicine using reed flowers and quickly recovered. During the competition, he sang a tune inspired by the reed flowers, astonishing the audience with his performance.
The melody possesses the elegant and leisurely pastoral style characteristic of Jiangnan tunes. In this piece, there is a strong emulation of the instrumentation concepts found in Chinese chamber music. This lighthearted and lively melody is played by the piano and oboe in succession. The clarinet and saxophone imitate the pizzicato of string instruments, while the claves take on the role of the clappers, adding rhythm to the piece. The composition concludes in a crisp and lively atmosphere.(Luo Fu Work)
Double Bass