Listen & tracks

3 of 19 tracks have a preview · 18 works · 52:57

1 Wiegenlied (Lullaby) Johannes Brahms 1:58
2 Plaisir d’amour (Pleasure of Love) Jean-Paul-Égide Martini 3:39
3 Mille cherubini in coro Franz Schubert 4:05
4 The Gentle Flowing Brook Chinese Folk Song 3:26
5 Londonderry Air (Danny Boy) Irish Folk Song 3:51
6 Ave Maria Johann Sebastian Bach 2:50
7 Amarilli, mia bella Giulio Caccini 2:32
8 Le violette Alessandro Scarlatti 2:42
9 Ridente la calma Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 4:31
10 An Chloë Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 2:35
11 Stänchen Franz Schubert 3:57
12 Die Vögel Franz Schubert 1:07
13 Frühlingsglaube Franz Schubert 3:46
14 Auf Flügeln des Gesanges (On Wings of Song) Felix Mendelssohn 3:19
15 Vergebliches Ständchen Johannes Brahms 1:47
16 Si mes vers avaient des ailes Reynaldo Hahn 1:58
17 Zueignung Richard Strauss 2:06
18 An die Musik Franz Schubert 2:48

Born into a musical family in Shanxi, Yu first met Western song through Brahms’ Lullaby, Schubert’s An die Musik and Danny Boy. After a career as a leading Chinese folk singer she settled in Australia in 1987 and trained in Western classical voice.

Lotus Dreams gathers the pieces that have stayed with her: Schubert, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Strauss and Hahn beside Caccini, Scarlatti, Bach–Gounod and the Yunnan folk song The Gentle Flowing Brook. Day’s piano partnership keeps the focus on line, text and quiet intimacy.

In the artist’s words

It is my great pleasure and absolute delight to see Lotus Dreams come to reality.

Since I recorded Lotus Moon, Willow Spirit Song and Serenade with ABC Classics, many music lovers have suggested that they would like to hear me sing Lieder and other styles of repertoire. This CD is a collection of my favourite songs and ballads.

Interestingly, my love affair with art songs started at a very early age. I was born into a musical family and both of my parents were involved with local opera companies in Shanxi Province. My father was a fine musician. He was broadminded and he wanted me to learn Western music notations and solfege (do-re-mi…) to expose me to a different music style.

Some of the first Western songs I heard were Brahms’ Lullaby, Schubert’s An die Musik (Ode to Music) and Danny Boy, the Irish air. During the Cultural Revolution period, Western music was banned in China. But these peaceful, haunting and beautiful tunes stayed with me always.

After the Cultural Revolution, following my graduation from Shanxi Province Conservatorium of Music in Peking Opera Art & Performance, I became a Chinese and Oriental folk song specialist. I was a principal artist with the prestigious China National Oriental Song and Dance Company and was widely regarded as one of the best folk singers in China. As a result I performed regularly on China’s top radio and TV programs. In addition I entertained visiting Heads of State and foreign dignitaries.

Whilst I was very busy with Oriental folk music, the haunting tunes of Western art songs were never far from me. They keep appearing in my head from here and there, now and then. They were like a lovely neighbour: I would hear them occasionally but I did not live with them.

In 1987, I came to Australia and finally had the wonderful privilege of learning Western style of singing at the Opera Studio of Sydney University. The rest is history.

The beautiful songs on this CD are a reflection of my artistic journey. They have all played an important part in my life. Each of them means so much to me and is so dear to my heart.

Through music like this we celebrate humanity and the great world cultural heritage that we enjoy. We are fortunate indeed to have such a breadth of musical activities to appreciate and experience so freely today.

Thank you for your interest in Lotus Dreams and thank you too for allowing me to share my gratitude with you. May this divine music give us all much peace and joy.

With blessings!

— Shu-Cheen Yu

Reviews

The trouble with this one is that once I had started playing it, I could not find anywhere to stop without running it right through and starting again. The reason being that all 18 songs sound too good to want to cut any of them off. They represent Shu-Cheen Yu’s own pick out of the world of songs and ballads, ranging in length from Franz Schubert’s Die Vögel (The Bird) up to Mozart’s Ridente la calma (Smiling Calmness is My Essence). Chinese folk song is presented by The Gentle Flowing Brook, and to cut a long story shorter than it deserves, there is also Mendelssohn’s On Wings of Song, Richard Strauss’ Dedication, Scarlatti’s The Violets, and Danny Boy. Not a dud track anywhere, and a simply exquisite treatment that has to be heard all the way through. An edge of maturity in this singer’s voice that every note sounds full and clear, even the highest register. The only technical enhancement comes in the form of an occasional touch of double tracking, the piano always remaining respectfully muted. The cover picture is as close as it comes to anything explicitly oriental. You would hardly expect Shu-Cheen Yu to select anything that she was not comfortable with, so there are no signs of her being daring, which is why I kept half a star off the full set of five that is otherwise thoroughly deserved. No question that this is beautifully done, and quite irresistible. ★★★★½

— Phil Vendy, Fine Music Magazine

Artists

Shu-Cheen Yu

vocals

Born in China, Shu-Cheen Yu began her career as a child star in Chinese traditional opera. Her early career in China, and for the last 15 years in Australia have been equally successful.

Katherine Day

piano

One of the most versatile pianists of her generation, pianist Katherine Day is in demand as a soloist, orchestral pianist, chamber musician, arranger, repetiteur, and art song collaborator.

Johann Sebastian Bach

composer

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) was a German composer and organist of the late Baroque. His sacred and secular music for choir, orchestra, organ and solo instruments remains among the foundations of the Western concert and church repertory.

Johannes Brahms

composer

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) was a German composer and pianist of the Romantic period. His music for piano, chamber ensemble, orchestra, and voice remains central to the concert repertoire.

Charles Gounod

composer

Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, conductor and organist of the Romantic era. His operas include the enduringly popular Faust, and his sacred and salon pieces remain staples of the repertoire.

Felix Mendelssohn

composer

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847) was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. His works include symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano music and chamber music.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

composer

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He wrote over 600 works, many of them pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic and choral music, and remains among the most enduringly popular of classical composers.

Franz Schubert

composer

Franz Schubert (1797–1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. In only thirty-one years he left a vast body of work, including over six hundred Lieder, and remains among the most frequently performed composers.

Giulio Caccini

composer

Giulio Caccini shaped early Baroque solo song through monody: an expressive vocal line over simple chordal harmony, meant to move the listener as speech does. His Le nuove musiche collections codified the style that fed operatic recitative.

Reynaldo Hahn

composer

Reynaldo Hahn is best known for mélodies whose limpid lines and restrained lyricism sit at the heart of French art song. His settings favour clear phrasing, intimate piano writing and a quiet union of music with verse.

Jean-Paul-Égide Martini

composer

Alessandro Scarlatti

composer

Richard Strauss

composer

Richard Strauss wrote Lieder of lyrical sweep and romantic intensity: songs that bloom with wide vocal lines, shifting moods and the glow of late-Romantic harmony. His pages ask for firm shape, fine tonal control and real expressive colour.

Digital booklet

Digital booklet Notes, texts and credits — read online or download the PDF Download the PDF

Buy now

$25.00 AUD

Compact disc

Buywell Music Australian Music Centre

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Apple Music

Also available to download from the iTunes Store.

Performers

Shu-Cheen Yu · vocals
Katherine Day · piano

Technical credits

Recording Engineer Doug Brady
Vaughan McAlley
Editing Engineer Doug Brady
Mastering Engineer Martin Pullan

Details

List price: $25.00 AUD
Total playing time: 52 minutes 57 seconds
Release date: Jan 2014
Categories: Classical, Vocal
Genres: Vocal & Opera, Romantic & Impressionist
Catalogue: MCD 501
EAN: 9314574050127

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