La’i

From Wind Repertory Project
Bright Sheng

Bright Sheng


Subtitle: Love Song. For Orchestra without Strings


General Info

Year: 2005
Duration: c. 5:10
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: G. Schirmer
Cost: Score and Parts - Rental


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo I-II
Flute
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
C Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Tuba
String Bass
Harp
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV:

  • Bass Drums (high and low)
  • Cowbells (4)
  • Tam-Tam, large
  • Triangle
  • Wind Gong
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

La’i is a form of Tibetan love song. It is most popular in eastern Tibet where I lived for seven years in my teens. I watched men and women approach each other singing La’i while herding, working in the fields, or especially in festival settings. If things went well, they would exchange memorabilia and set a new date to meet again. The character of the music is lyrical, slow in a free tempo, with quick moving throaty grace-notes decorating an overall simple melody. The decoration forms a special notation to the melody, a unique feature of La’i.

When I first heard the singing, I was struck by the beauty and overtly romantic feeling, as well as by the natural unruly wild emotion the music generated. This work is loosely based on the impression of the La’i singing.

- Program Note by composer


This work was commissioned jointly in 2004 by the Philharmonisches Orchester Dortmund (conductor Arthur Fagen) and the University of Michigan Symphony Band (Michael Haithcock, conductor).

- Program Note from Teaching Music through Performance in Band


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

  • Bright Sheng website Accessed 29 August 2017
  • The Horizon Leans Forward…, compiled and edited by Erik Kar Jun Leung, GIA Publications, 2021, p. 471.
  • Sheng, Bright (2004). La'i : Love Song : For Orchestra without Strings (2004) [score]. G. Schirmer: New York.
  • Threinen, Emily L.. "La'i (Love Song) for Orchestra without Strings." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 6, edit. & comp. by Richard Miles, 836-843. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2007.