Lesson 12f - Tan Dun: Internet Symphony "Eroica"

Listening Activity (LO12.2 & 12.3)

This activity will help you to prepare for Assignment 4 - Part II

Internet Symphony "Eroica" was composed by Chinese composer Tan Dun. The live premiere was held in the Carnegie Hall, New York in 2009. It was performed by the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, whose members were selected by an internet competition. This four-minute symphony has four movements: Allegretto - Dolce Molto - Allegro - Allegro Vivace. The third movement quoted a theme from Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, hence this symphony nicknamed "Eroica".

Ludwig van Beethoven: opening theme from Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major "Eroica", Op. 55
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Sir Georg Solti (London 430087).

The layout of a Chinese Orchestra.

An orchestral version for Chinese instruments including percussion instruments of the Beijing opera and ancient Chinese instruments Bianzhong and guqin was arranged by Chew Hee-Chiat. Chinese Orchestra, similar to Western European Orchestra consists of four sections: bowed-string, plucked-string, wind, and percussion.

Bowed-string instruments (chordophones), which generally refer to huqins. Most of them are two-stringed including Erhu, Gaohu, and Zhonghu. Only a few are four-stringed, such as Gehu and Bass Gehu. Bowed-string instruments have no frets. Special playing techniques include portamento (a slide from one note to another), and vibrato.
Plucked-string instruments produce sounds by plucking the strings with a plectrum or plectra on the fingers, or by striking the strings with a stick. The instruments are either horizontal such as Yangqin and Guzheng, or vertical like Liuqin, Pipa, Zhongruan, Daruan, and Sanxian.
Wind instruments produce sounds through pipes vibrated by air. Instruments are grouped by their ways of producing sound. Dizi including Bangdi, Dongxiao, Dadi and Qudi produce sounds by blowing across a hole. Sheng has a single-reed mouthpiece while Suona and Guan are double-reed instruments.
Percussion instruments with indefinite pitch include idiophone such as gong, cymbal, and clappers, and membranophone such as Dagu, Paigu, Bangu, and timpani. Percussions with definite pitch are Yunluo, chimes, and marimba.

Watch the following videos, begins with composer Tan Dun talking about the inspiration for writing his Internet Symphony "Eroica". Then continues to watch two performances of the third movement of the Symphony. First performance is the symphony orchestra version, follows by the Chinese orchestral version. Listen actively to the two performances:

Can you hear the theme of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony?
Can you tell the differences in orchestration, the use of instruments between the two orchestral versions? Which instruments are used in both versions? Do those instruments play the same musical parts in both versions?
Can you describe the different timbres of each ensemble?
How many musical instruments you can identify?
Are the dynamics different in each performance?
Can you identify various musical texture in this composition?

Tan Dun: Internet Symphony "Eroica" (LO12.3)

Transcript of the video.

Symphony Orchestra version (LO12.3)

Chinese Orchestra version (LO12.2)

Quick Check (LO12.3)

In the third movement of Tan Dun's Internet Symphony "Eroica", he quoted a theme from which Beethoven's Symphony?

Symphony No. 9

That's not correct. Try again.

Symphony No. 5

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Symphony No. 3

That's correct. Good job!

Symphony No. 6

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Symphony No. 1

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Check Answer

What's Next?

Click Next to work on Assignment 4 - Part II.

References
Tan Dun on the YouTube Symphony project interview. YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8ZnfRtV04M
The videos were created by the instructor to illustrate the content of the lesson from videos of Tan Dun: Internet Symphony "Eroica with London Symphony Orchestra. YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Tqiro1kdRlw&lc&t=16s and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QW5BW6pyY8