Jin Xiang

Jin Xiang (金湘 1935–2015) was a Chinese composer and conductor. He studied composition at the China Central Conservatory under Chen Peixun.^[1] In 1959 he received his Bachelor of Arts in Composition.^[2] Soon after, he was labelled a rightist and sent to work in Tibet leading a folk music local ensemble, and then on to Ürümqi in Xinjiang for twenty years doing farm labor. After the Cultural Revolution he returned to Beijing and was conductor and composer in residence of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra from 1979–1984.^[3] Jin Xiang came to the United States in 1988 and was a visiting scholar at The Juillard School in 1998 and the University of Washington and the composer-in-residence at the Washington National Opera.^[4] From 1994-1995 he was the Art Director of the China Performing Administration Centre of the Ministry of Culture.^[5] In 1996, he founded and was the president of the East-West Music Exchange Association, a non-profit that promoted the exchange of eastern and western music.^[6]

He died on 24 December 2015, aged 80.^[7]

Works

Operas

• A Warm Breeze Outside 1980.^[8]
• The Savage Land (《原野》yuanye^[9]) 1987 after Cao Yu's 1937 play The Wilderness
• Sunrise 1990.
• The King of Chu (《楚霸王》) 1994.^[10]
• Native Fatal Woman 1996.
• Beautiful Warrior 2001. Written with Barbara Zinn Krieger.
• Taxiwayi — The Beloved Troubadour 2003.
• Yang Guifei 2004.
• Eight Women Jump Into the River 2005.

Chamber, vocal, and solo compositions

• Four Seasons Songs of Zi-Ye 1981.
• An Album of Chinese Painting: Pine, Bamboo, Plum 1985.
• String Quartet No. 1 1990.
• Chamber Concerto for 14 Instruments 1991.
• The Shape and the Spirit 1991.
• The Cooling Moon 1995.
• Si 1995.
• Nanjing Lament 1997.
• A Desert Ship 1998.
• Instant 1998.
• Sacrificing to Heaven 1999.
• Chinese Calligraphy 1999.
• Bloody Azaleas 2000.
• The Du Jian Bird Chirps Blood 2000.
• From Ancient Style Into New Metre 2000.
• Song of the New Century 2000.
• The Cold Water of Yi River 2001.
• The Reticent Orchid 2001.
• Blood Over The Mountain 2003.
• Midnight Dialogue 2005.

Television and film scores

• Fascinating Band
• Hut in Moonlight
• The Stars are Sparkling Tonight

Choral compositions

• Song of Green 1999.
• Hello, Forest 1999.
• Songhua River (Arrangement) 2001.
• Yunnan 2001.

Orchestral compositions

• Taxiwayi 1978.
• Snow Lotus 1982.
• Illusion 1983.
• Five Songs from Shi-Jin Book 1985.
• A Glimpse of Taklamagan Desert 1987.
• Cao Xiu-Qing 1989.
• The Dream of Red Mansions 1989.
• Nu-Wa 1989.
• Asking the Sky 1993.
• Ming 1994.
• Se 1994.
• So 1995.
• Hero of the Huge Desert 1996.
• Flower Season 1996.
• New Beginning Sounds 1996.
• Symphonic Overture 1997 1996.
• Wu: A Symphonietta 1997.
• Spring 1998.
• "Oh Macao, My Macao" 1999.
• The Love of Dragon and Phoenix 2000.
• Li Sao 2005.
• Nanjing Lament 2005.

References

1. Barbara Mittler -Dangerous tunes: the politics of Chinese music in Hong Kong 1997 Page 163 "Jin Xiang studied composition at the Central Conservatory under Chen Peixun Chan ... His opera Yuanye (The Savage Land) of 1987, depicts a dark and brutal atmosphere, a Chinese verismo that is ..."
2. Edna Ehrlich Papers; AR 25639; Box 16; Folder 29; Leo Baeck Institute
3. Edward L. Davis - Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture Page 420 2012 "He was branded a 'rightist' and sent to work in Tibet, where he led a local ensemble, and then on to Urumqi in Xinjiang where ... He was conductor and composer-in-residence at the Beijing Symphony Orchestra (1979–84) and at the same time ... Jin Xiang's style is characterized by a particular sensibility for musical colouring. His opera The Savage Land (Yuanye, 1987) features a Chinese-style verismo, reminiscent of Russian opera but at the same time permuted by distinctly Chinese ..."
4. Edna Ehrlich Papers; AR 25639; Box 16; Folder 29; Leo Baeck Institute
5. Edna Ehrlich Papers; AR 25639; Box 16; Folder 29; Leo Baeck Institute
6. Edna Ehrlich Papers; AR 25639; Box 15; Folder 22; Leo Baeck Institute
7. 作曲家金湘病逝享年80岁 坚持创作拒绝手术 (Chinese)
8. Archived Webpage of Jin Xiang's website
9. Shanghai Opera House description (Chinese)
10. 《楚霸王》