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Bach to China with Yu

This is volume 3 of Julian Yu's clarinet music performed by Robert Schubert and ensemble.

This release brings together Chinese folk melodies and classical arrangements, performed by an ensemble of outstanding Australian and international musicians. Yu’s arrangements for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano showcase his remarkable ability to weave Eastern and Western musical traditions into a cohesive and evocative soundworld.

The album opens with Yu’s arrangement of Bach’s monumental Chaconne for clarinet, cello, and piano, followed by 24 Chinese folk songs adapted for clarinet, violin, and cello. Drawing on influences from Bach and Brahms, these arrangements maintain the unique melodic character and storytelling of each regional folk song.

Performing on this album are distinguished musicians Robert Schubert (clarinet), Wang Yi (violin), Josephine Vains (cello), Virginia Kable (cello), and Akemi Schubert (piano). Together they bring exceptional artistry, precision, and expressive depth to Yu’s imaginative reinterpretations of familiar and rarely heard melodies alike. Their performances capture the essence of Yu’s musical vision, one that unites tradition and innovation across cultures.

"These arrangements are my tribute to both the classical masters and the folk traditions that have shaped me, bridging cultures through music.” - Julian Yu

Artists

Robert Schubert

Robert Schubert is a Melbourne-based clarinettist and teaches woodwind at the Victorian College of the Arts.

Josephine Vains

Josephine Vains is an Australian cellist, chamber musician and educator, with a performance career encompassing modern and historical ‘cello.

Wang Yi

Wang Yi has been a prize winner in both the Chinese National Violin Competition and the Rudolf Lipizer International Competition, held in Italy. After completing his undergraduate study at the Beijing Central Conservatory with Professor Zhi Long Wang, Yi travelled to London to continue his postgraduate study with world-renowned violinist and educator, Yfrah Neaman.

Akemi Schubert

Akemi Schubert is a sought after teacher, chamber musician and accompanist and is an official accompanist at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne University.

Virginia Kable

Virginia Kable is an established Melbourne-based orchestral and chamber musician, having played with the Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, the Adelaide Chamber Orchestra, Academy of Melbourne and as a regular guest over many years with the Melbourne Symphony and Orchestra Victoria.


Audio previews

Track Listing

  1. Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 [Arranged for Clarinet] Johann Sebastian Bach

    2. 24 Chinese Folksongs arranged for clarinet, violin and cello Julian Yu

  2. i. Jiaocheng Mountain
  3. ii. Gada Meilin
  4. iii. The Little Lover
  5. iv. Picking Flowers
  6. v. Little Cabbage
  7. vi. Lan Huahua
  8. vii. Su Wu Tends the Sheep
  9. viii. Jasmine (Hebei)
  10. ix. Jasmine (John Barrow)
  11. x. Jagged Mountain
  12. xi. Wind Rustles the Bamboo Leaves
  13. xii. Going West
  14. xiii. Wild Lily
  15. xiv. A Pair of Ducks and a Pair of Geese
  16. xv. Mountain Song of the Horseman
  17. xvii. Taihang Mountains
  18. xvii. Thirty-Mile Village
  19. xviii. A Rainy Day
  20. xix. Man Jiang Hong
  21. xx. Bitter and Alone
  22. xxi. Willows are New
  23. xxii. Three Folk Songs
  24. xxiii. Willows are Green
  25. xxiv. Thunder a Thousand Miles Away

    26. Dances from the XII Muqam, arranged for clarinet, violin and cello Julian Yu

  26. i. Dance
  27. ii. Two Dances
  28. Passacaglia “Bach at the Peking Opera” for clarinet, violin and cello Julian Yu

Performers

Composers

Julian Yu

The multi-award winning Australian composer Julian Yu employs a musical language imbued with a high degree of elegance and expressiveness, which are both enhanced by an impeccable craft and special attention to detail.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity.


Where to buy

Bach to China with Yu is available as as CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer secure online ordering.

Move CDs can be ordered through music retailers across Australia including Readings.

Product details

List price
$25.00 AUD
Release date
September 2025
Copyright
© 2025 Move Records
Phonogram
℗ 2025 Move Records
Category
Classical
Catalogue number
MD 3474
Alternate catalogue number
MD3474
Barcode
EAN 8721416165924