Category:  Symphonic / Orchestral , Chamber Music

The content of the suite refers to the historical journey of Marco Polo (1254-1324), who travelled along the famous Silk Road from Venice in Italy via the Central Asian and Mongolian north and discovered the magic of China for himself. The work uses some motifs from my opera "Marco Polo" (Guangzhou 2018), which are freely formed as a new piece of music.

Movements: MARCO POLO – SUITE for Erhu, Viola & Orchestra
1: CROSSING THE TAKLAMAKAN
2: MONGOLEAN HORSES
3: TEAHOUSE IN HANGZHOU
4: HOMESICK & FAREWELL

Duration: 21 Minuten

Publisher of notes/sheet music: Manuskript , 2020

Instrumentation: Erhu solo & Viola solo
Flute
Oboe
Clarinet Bb
Bassoon
Percussion 1:
Percussion 2:
String Orchestra (Vl 1+2, Vla, Vc 1+2, Bass)

Introduction: The content of the suite refers to the historical journey of Marco Polo (1254-1324) along the famous SILK ROAD, who travelled from Venice in Italy via the Central Asian and Mongolian north and discovered the magic of China for himself. The work uses some motifs from my opera "Marco Polo" (Guangzhou 2018), which are freely formed as a new piece of music. Thus the stylistic changes from Central Asian music style with partly Arabic scales in the first movement CROSSING THE TAKLAMAKAN to a more Mongolian style in the second movement MONGOLEAN HORSES, in which one can hear both the slow striding of a caravan and the fast chasing of galloping horses. With TEAHOUSE IN HANGZHOU the classical Chinese idiom is then reached describing this green and mystic old city with the famous Westlake … a kind of paradise for Chinese people. A finale FAREWELL with virtuosity and touching melodies is the endpoint of this concert piece.

Dedication: ...cordially dedicated to Viola Soloist Sheng LI (Shanghai)

Additional remarks: commissioned by Professor Sheng LI (Viola) from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music

World premiere:  01.09.2020 , Shanghai

Performers at world premiere: Worldpremiere: June2021 in Shanghai with Sheng LI (Viola) and Duan Ai'Ai (Erhu)