- Spring Festival Overture was composed between 1955-1956 and was strongly influenced by the works of Xian Xinghai. Xian’s music interpreted Chinese folk music in classical mediums.
- Fun fact – Xian was director of the music program at Lu Xun College of the Arts while Li was studying there.
- The “spring festival” refers to the Chinese New Year, and the themes come from folk music from the Shanbei region.1
- This overture is part of a larger suite of music composed for Lunar New Year celebrations.
- The folk music used expresses New Year greetings, and prayers for good luck and peace: “…a beautiful year will come; a beautiful year is coming.”2
Sources
- John Henken, “Spring Festival Overture,” L. A. Phil, accessed May 6, 2024, https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/678/spring-festival-overture.
- Carolyn Talarr, “PROGRAM NOTES: Li Huanzhi’s ‘Spring Festival’ Overture,” Portland Youth Philharmonic (2020), accessed May 6, 2024, https://portlandyouthphil.org/blog/blog/program-notes-li-huanzhis-spring-festival-overture/573/.
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