* I have
performed and recorded different versions of
this in the classical side of my double life.
The Bach Street Prelude in its other life is
the opening movement of J.S. Bach's Partita
in E, which I recorded in its entirely of 6
movements (mostly dances) on The Classical Album
1. In Bach's original version, or more honestly,
in what we believe to be closest to Bach's original
version. the violin is played unaccompanied
throughout and any violinist is free to 'decorate'
the music to each individual taste, as we thimk
our predecessors also did, (albeit they would
have done so on a violin which is physically
different to the modern violinist's classical
instrument). On The Classical Album1, I performed
the Partita, including the Prelude, in accordance
with this 'classical' tradition, which I go
along with and like my fellow classical violinists,
arbitrarily and with faith in our 'educated'
convictions.
On this
album, however, I have chosen to take a different
approach. Abandoning the 'academic' restraints
of how far I can decorate and individualise
within the 'classical' tradition, Andy and I
have completely re-structured the Prelude so
that it tracks along in a fantastical journey
with voices and rhythms supplied on electronic
instuments and dustbins even! Anyone who thinks
this is plasphemy is umlikely to be musically,
intellectually or spiritually up there in the
good company of a genius such as the pianist/composer
Rachmaninov, who performed and recorded his
own 'untraditional' version of violin piece
on piano. Who knows - if had dustbins at hand,
he may very well have used them too! Which version
do I prefer? I love them both and choose which
to play, according to my mood.
** Happy
Valley in its original version was commissioned
for the Re-unification of Hong Kong and released
on The Classical Album2. Because Andy and I
wrote it only recently and for the most historic
event of this year, possibly this era, we feel
that although it is classical, it is a contemporary
piece of music because of what it represents.
On The Classical Album 2, there are also two
other works which were written and arranged
very recently. The difference between them and
Happy Valley is the subject matter. The other
works relate legends, fables, things past and
ancient; Happy Valley is different - it is about
things happening now to China, to Hong Kong
and it is about us, people living in this modern
world who are witnessing these changes. Storm
is a pop album, it is music for now and it should
therefore include this piece, even if its musical
idiom of expression and style is somewhat different
from the other tracks.
*** I'm
a Doun for Lack O'Johnnie is a Robby Burns poem,
very sentimental and touching. The melody that
is best known to accompany it is not by a classical
composer. In fact, it is a folk melody. On The
Classical Album1, I performed one of the most
beautiful pieces of music ever written for violin
and orchestra called Scottish Fantasy for Violin
and Orchestra. The four movements of the piece
were all based on Scottish folk songs, hence
its title. One of the song which inspired Max
Bruch back then in the 19th century was 'I'm
A Doun'. Researching and discovering the poem
gave me more imagination when performing Bruch's
version. Singing it made me imagine even more
and hence this new version, which I hope conveys
the purity of love and affection which the singer
feels, as well as the adventurous spirit that
has overtaken her loved one travelling to exotic
and far away lands.
