ALAN CHAN - Compositions

Printable list of compositions (PDF format)
* To obtain score and parts, please email me at info@alanchanmusic.com.

Orchestral music
Jazz Big Band / Ensemble
Chamber Music
Vocal music
Solo Instruments
Electronic music
Ethnic instruments
Works in progress

 

Orchestral Music

Daughter's Lullaby (2006/07) for chamber orchestra (2.2.2.2;2.1.1.0;t+2p;str.)

Daughter's Lullaby (2006/07) for voice and orchestra (voice;2.2.2.2;2.1.1.0;t+2p;hp;str.)
5'
MP3 (reading session, from the beginning)
Courtney Huffman, voice; Joshua Roach, conductor; USC Thornton Symphony
- Chosen for the 2008 University of Southern California New Music for Orchestra Concert

Performance history

March 30, 2008

Classical KUSC (FM91.5) of Los Angeles
8-9pm Thornton Center Stage program #248
Host: Alan Chapman
USC Thornton Symphony Orchestra
Courtney Huffman / voice; Donald Crockett / conductor

Feb 17, 2008

Fort Worth Symphony Composer Workshop
3-9 p.m., Van Cliburn Recital Hall, Fort Worth, TX

Feb 7, 2008

New Music for Orchestra Concert
USC Thornton Symphony Orchestra
Courtney Huffman / voice; Donald Crockett / conductor
7:30pm, Bovard Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA

Burlesque (2004) for orchestra  12' MP3 (premiere performance, excerpt)
- Winner, 2004 Concerto Aria Competition, University of Missouri - Kansas City
Burlesque is a form of cabaret show, complete with underdressed dancers and strip-tease elements, and was popular from the 1860s through the 1950s.  Burlesque is currently undergoing a bit of a revival, and the composer was intrigued with the humorous skits, fancy costumes and the frank, corny jokes (mostly about sex). 
The spirit of burlesque ˇV a fast-moving panorama of entertaining events ˇV is at the heart of this musical work, which features multi-ethnic and vernacular elements. Various forms of the scale are used to weave together such diverse musics as ancient Chinese ritual music and exotic gypsy circus fanfare, creating a modern burlesque, or an anarchical postmodern collage.

Performance history:
3/16 University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory Orchestra
at the Concerto-Aria Competition Winners Concert
** World premiere
Jason Reinhardt / conductor

Composition (2) (Etenraku) (2000) for orchestra MP3  
Not long ago I began to be aware of music of my own heritage and for the first time, I incorporated it, as well as my recently discovered uses of color, into my own music.  Composition (2) is an orchestral adaptation of a piece of Gagaku music called Etenraku, Japanese ancient court music adopted from China during the Tang Dynasty (6-8th Century). It was read by University of Miami Symphony Orchestra.

Île de feu (2005, Olivier Messiaen, Orch. Alan Chan) for orchestra

 

Jazz Big Band / Ensemble

Shrimp Tale (2005-07) for Jazz orchestra 8' MP3 (premiere performance, climax)
Ryan Lerman, guitar; Matt Rubin, trumpet; USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra (director: Shelly Berg)

I dedicated this uplifting piece to my cousin, in hope of making her feel better while she was recovering from a difficult divorce. Shrimp Tale is a recollection of life in Miami, where I lived for three years, and the diverse and vibrant culture there. It has a curvy narrative structure that includes two contrasting thematic elements: a groove-based 5/4-meter passage and a Salsa tune that are first exposed in short passages and are juxtaposed against each other. Various thematic transformations bring out different meanings for each element, often with a sense of humor or irony.The tensions created by this dichotomy begin to ease in the later part of the piece, when the previous ideas start to relate to each other in a series of events, and ultimately bring the piece to a happy ending.

Performance history:
June 14, 2007

International Jazz Composers' Symposium, new music reading session
Co-soponsored by the University of South Florida Center for Jazz Composition and the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) in partnership with BMI
with Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge

Feb 5, 2007

Alan Chan Jazz Composition Recital at USC
7:30pm, Alfred Newman Recital Hall, Los Angeles, CA
Alan Chan / conductor; TJO - USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra (music director: Shelly Berg)

Moving to a New Capital (2006/07) for Jazz orhcestra 12' MP3 (premiere performance, towards the end)
Kari Harris, Trombone; Alan Chan, conductor; USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra (director: Shelly Berg)

The original Chinese title of this work, Qian Dao Yuan*, literally means ˇ§Moving-Capital-Blues.ˇ¨? This piece is a composerˇ¦s reflection on the severe pollution in Beijing, the capital of China. The number of infamous dust storms has increased and intensified in recent years, due to soil erosion and desert expansion created by over-harvesting during the Cultural Revolution (1968-78).? In addition, industrial and urban pollutants from factories and cars have worsened the air quality.? Over-population and industrialization have also caused water shortages in the region.? In 2002, the former prime minister of China, Zhu Yong Ji, warned that moving to a new capital may be the only option if no action is taken soon.
* It is also a pun on a title of a famous novel Chin Gong Yuan, which talks about the political conflicts in the imperial household of the late Chin dynasty.

Performance history:
Feb 5, 2007

Alan Chan Jazz Composition Recital at USC
7:30pm, Alfred Newman Recital Hall, Los Angeles, CA
Alan Chan / conductor; TJO - USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra (music director: Shelly Berg)

Peanut Noir (2005) for Jazz ensemble 6'

Nica's Dream (Horace Silver, Arr. Alan Chan) (2001) for Jazz Big Band   MP3
Final project of Jazz arranging class, read by Concert Jazz Band of the University of Miami School of Music.

Midnight Mood (Joe Zawinul, Arr. Alan Chan) (2001) for 5 Saxs MP3
Mid-term project of Jazz arranging class, read by students from the University of Miami School of Music.

 

Chamber Music

Sweet Bach for five percussion players 15'
(Commissioned by Lien Percussion Ensemble, Taiwan, dedicated to Sam Lee)
We knew a great deal about Bachˇ¦s language and his wisdom by learning his music. This piece is an attempt to bring our Bach lovers to a different angle of understanding of Bach ˇV by fusing his works to the contemporary language and medium (in this case, percussion). This is similar to the Marilyn Monroeˇ¦s portrait by Andy Warhol, or opera Einstein On the Beach by Philip Glass. This is a new experience of Bachˇ¦s music, with or without the connotation about the culture or time that he came from.

The first movement is called Fugue Islands. I was fascinated by the contrapuntal writing in the form of fugue and decided to take themes from Bach ˇV the ostinati in the prelude of the G major Cello Suite and the Aria from the Goldberg Variations in a different tempo, and play simultaneously to contrast the tranquil and majestic feelings that these themes represent respectively ˇV a kaleidoscope so-to-speak. Gavotte and Salsa are both folk dances in a fast tempo. The former came from the seventeenth-century France, the other from modern day Cuba. To have both in the same movement is truly a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Badinerie from Bachˇ¦s Orchestral Suite No.1 is widely known, and it originally means ˇ§to jest.ˇ¨ When it combines join force with the chant of Dies Irae, it marks the creation of the Skeleton Dance, and it also brings the piece to an end.

Des Voeux (2007) for violin and cello 10' MP3 (premiere performance, from the beginning)
(Commissioned by Arts and Culture Development Fund with the support of Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong)
David Leung, Violin; Letty Poon, Cello

This work is a tribute to Ravelˇ¦s Duo for violin and cello.? Like Ravelˇ¦s Duo, it is a piece with a heavy emotional content, and includes many advance writings for both instruments.? Des VČúux was the governor of colonial Hong Kong (1887-1891) and the name of a street in memory of him, which now located in the center of the financial district in Hong Kong.? A French surname, Des VČúux can be translated as ˇ§wishes.ˇ¨? The piece starts with a somber fugal subject on cello.? With the violin joining, the intensity gradually increases until a repetitive and aggressive motive abruptly takes over in the middle of the movement.? After a dream-like transition, it closes with a peaceful hymn and with the returning fugue subject at the very end.

Q (2006) for wind quintet 7' MP3 (ending of 5th mvt.)
(Commissioned by Composers' Forum of the East)

metal...stone...being...cracked (2001/02) for five percussion players  12'
(Commissioned by Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong)
- Honorable Mentioned, 2002 ASCAP Morton Gould Composer Awards
- Winner, 2006 Louisiana State University Percussion Composition Competition

University of Memphis Percussion Ensemble MP3 (excerpt)

Jin Shi Wei Kai (literally translated as metalˇKstoneˇKbeingˇKcracked) is an ancient Chinese idiom, dates back to the 5th century B.C., which tells about a famous archer and the struggle between his will and the unruly force of nature. It implies that if we have faith and effort, we can accomplish any difficult task. Similar proverbs can be found in the Bible such as ˇ§Moving Mountainsˇ¨ from Saint Paulˇ¦s letters.

Performance history:
Oct 21, 2007

Luisiana State University (LSU) Percussion Ensemble Concert
7pm, LSU Recital Hall
!Winner of LSU Percussion Ensemble Composition Competition!

Dec 23, 2006 "metal...stone...being...cracked" Alan Chan Composition Recital (multimedia presentation with Gino Ng)
Feb 24-26, 2005 University of Texas - San Antonio Percussion Ensemble, at the SCI Region VI conference (Director: Sherry Rubins)
Oct 18, 2004 University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory Percussion Ensemble (Director: James Snell)
Nov 4, 2003

Eastman School of Music Percussion Ensemble, Eastman Theatre, Rochester, New York
John Beck / director

May 1, 2003 St. Olaf College Percussion Ensemble, Urness Recital Hall, Northfield, Minnesota
Apr 11-12, 2003 at the SCI Region VIII conference, Ellensburg, Washington
Mar 8, 2003 St. Olaf Percussion Ensemble, at the SCI Region V conference, St. Paul, Minnesota
Nov 6, 2002 STOP Percussion Ensemble, at the MUSICA DANUBIANA Festival, Ljubljana, Slovenia
** Europe premiere
Oct 21, 2002 University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory Percussion Ensemble (Director: James Snell)
May 23, 2002 Received "Honorable Mention" from Morton Gould Young Composer Competition
ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Concert Music Awards Ceremony
New York City, New York
Mar 21, 2002 Imagine 2002, University of Memphis, Tennessee; U of M Percussion Ensemble
** World premiere

Composition 1 (2000) for string quintet and harp MP3
The idea of this piece came from the Adagietto from Mahlerˇ¦s Symphony No.5.  The make up of the String Quintet, which consists of two violins, a viola and two cellos, was used in Franz Schubertˇ¦s String Quintet in C major.  Two cellos are used instead of one, which darkens the overall sound quality of the piece.

Composition 0 (2000) for woodwind quintet and percussion MP3
This is the first piece I have ever written, which involves a great deal of planning in terms of forms, texture, pitch organizations and timbre control.In this piece, I applied a lot of techniques that I learned during my stay in Vienna studying with Michael Jarrell.Through working with the members of the Other Music Ensemble, much potential in this combination was discovered and used in this piece.The sounds of each individual instrument are merged together and transformed from one color to another.

OPEN (1999) for 3 percussionist MP3
It was originally composed for a student theater production called Open, directed by Gino Ng in Lehigh University.  This music appears in the beginning of the play as an overture.  The idea came from the methods of communication between humans in prehistoric time using drums.  A contrast would be the way we communicate using the Internet by typing into the computer.

 

Vocal Music

Beautiful Rebirth (2008) for voice and piano (text: Ho Wen-Hsiung) 6'
(Commissioned by Lin-lin Chang Bel Canto Theatre)

A Spirit's Dream (2006) for voice and piano (text: Ho Wen-Hsiung) 6'MP3 (interlude)
(Commissioned by Lin-lin Chang Bel Canto Theatre)

Courtney Huffman, voice; Alan Chan, piano

Without a Trail to Lace (Mother's Lament / Daughter's Lullaby) (2006-8) for voice and vibe 4'
- First place, 2008 Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest
MP3 (Daughter's Lullaby - towards the end)

Courtney Huffman, voice; Ben Phelps, vibes


Mother's Lament

I would buy a pair of red shoes for your feet,
so when you glide across the floor of the world,

no one will feel the rupture of your heartbeat.

I would buy a red scarf for your fragrant hair
that frames the elegant face that echoes mine,

so no one will feel the radiance of your desert heat.

I would buy a red dress for your final dance
that flares around your waist like flames,

and catch you in my arms, the daughter Iˇ¦ll never meet.


Daughter's Lullaby

I never heard you trill a lullaby so softly
above my crib where a paper star driftsˇX
you were tilting the ground below me,

shaking the roots free from yellow weeds,
and watching the sun sink into the marsh.

You were singing to my fatherˇ¦s shape
beside you, even though his ears were missing
and his beard was jagged with gray.

You shouted anyway, clear as the horns
that were faraway on the ships sailing on glass.

You mourned for the life youˇ¦d given
away, every fragment of my moon-sliced

eyes, chiseled tongue that would always cry
for the shape of you hurrying toward the dark.

~ Nicky Schildkraut (2006)

California Plate I (2006) for voice and piano (text: Victoria Chang) 4'

December Light (2006/8) for bass voice, clarinet, cello and piano (text: Andrew Allport) 8'

December Light (2006) for voice and piano (text: Andrew Allport) 6'

Haikus (2006) for voice and piano (text: Nicky Schildkraut) 5'

Two songs for sporano and piano (1999) 6'
I am Nobody, Who Are You? (Dickinson) / Gretel in Darkness (Gluck)

 

Solo Instruments

Waltz (2005) for solo bass clarinet 11'

Performance history:
May 19

Miguel Duran DMA Clarinet Recital
**New version premiere

7:30pm, Alfred Newman Recital Hall, USC, Los Angeles, CA

Mar 26, 2005

USC Composers' Showcase
** World premiere
Miguel Duran / bass clarinet

Floes (2002) for vibraphone solo 7'  MP3 (excerpt)
- Second place, 2004 Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest
available for purchase at HoneyRock Publishing

Performance history:
Dec 23, 2006 "metal...stone...being...cracked" Alan Chan Composition Recital (video presentation)
Mar 26, 2005

USC Composers' Showcase
Andrea Moore / vibraphone

6/4/2004 Floes (2002) was awarded second place at the Percussive Arts Society Composition Competition
6/3/2003 at the June in Buffalo festival (Vibraphone: Rin Ozaki)
** World premiere

 

Electronic Music

Untitled 6 (2002) for tape and cello 9'

Composition 4 (Good) (2001) for tape MP3

 

Ethnic Instruments

Acala (2007) for quartet of Chinese instruments (sheng, zheng, yangqin, erhu) 12' MP3 (premiere performance, from the beginning)
(Commissioned by Melody of China)

In Vajrayana Biddhism, Acala is the best known of the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm.? Acala means ˇ§The Immovable Oneˇ¨ in Sanskrit.? In Japan he is also worshiped in the form of the fierce Fudo Myo-o, whose duty it is to combat evil and to take charge of the soul after death.? His immovability refers to his ability to remain unmoved by carnal temptations. Despite his fearsome appearance, his role is to aid all beings by showing them the teachings of the Buddha, leading them into self-control.? He is also seen as a protector and aide in attaining goals. Temples dedicated to Acala perform a periodic fire ritual in devotion to him.
This one-movement piece uses erhu, yangqin, sheng and guzheng to represents his fearsome image.? It is done by a reoccurring tutti theme, characterized by rapid passages.? The tutti sections are often intervened by expressive solo passages, which represent the different temptations of the human kind.

Performance history:
July 7, 2007 Melody of China - Young Composers Series
7pm, Tateuchi Hall, Community School of Music and Arts, Mountain View, CA
May 25, 2007

Melody of China - Young Composers Series
8pm, Old First Church, San Francisco
** World Premiere
Wang Hong / erhu; Gou Wanpeng / sheng; Zhao Gangqin / zheng; Zhao Yangqin / yangqin

Chanson (2005) for sheng solo 7' MP3 (climax)
Loo Sze Wang, Sheng

Performance history:
Feb 21, 2008

Radio Television Hong Kong Channel 4 (RTHK4), "Silk and Bamboo" program
Chanson ˛Ćşq (2004-6) for 21-pipe sheng
** World Broadcasting Premiere
Loo Sze- Wang / sheng
Link:
http://www.rthk.org.hk/asx/rthk/radio4/Silk_And_Bamboo/20080221.asx

Chanson is featured between [16:15] and [24:05] (Duration: 8 mins. 50 sec.)

 

Works in progress

Three Poems from Tang (text: Bai Juyi, Li Bai) for voice and percussion
Peanut Noir for Jazz orchestra
Victoria Dispensary
for ensemble