Saibei Suite No. 2 - Saibei Dance

An-lun Huang
Piece Duration: 4:02

About this Piece

Program Note: "Saibei is a region of northern China, including part of Mongolia. This dance is from the Saibei Suite No. 2, composed in 1975. It does not quote actual folk tunes, but the leaping melody and brash winds and percussion reflect traditional music of the area, albeit in a bright and vigorously jazzy Gershwinesque mode." - John Henken

Form / Dynamics Listening Map: (Also view the Notable Passages, below!)
A Section:
-0:00 p, flute solo
-0:15 ff, main theme
-0:21 mp < f, mp < f
-0:31 f, full orchestra
-0:41 p, clarinet solo, mf transition

B Section:
-0:58 mp, woodwind trio
-1:18 f strings
-1:30 p < f, bassoon solo, then full orchestra
-1:41 mp, brass instruments featured
-2:14 mf, strings enter
-2:39 mp < ff, largest crescendo in the piece!

A' Section:
-3:08 ff, main theme
-3:14 mp < f, mp < f
-3:22 mf, strings, trombones, and a gradual crescendo
-3:40 ff, closing section
-4:02 end

Notable Passages

Time Stamp: 0:01 — 0:15
Description:

Listen to the triplets in the flute's opening melody!


Keywords: Triplet

Time Stamp: 0:08 — 0:21
Description:

Hold onto your hats! After this opening flute solo, the orchestra changes abruptly from a piano dynamic to a raucous fortissimo! Huang didn't call this movement a "dance" for nothing!


Keywords: Contrast , Dynamics - Composition Technique , Dynamics - Expressive Elements

Time Stamp: 0:21 — 0:31
Description:

The ensemble crescendos twice in this section, from mezzo-piano to forte!


Keywords: Dynamics - Composition Technique , Dynamics - Expressive Elements

Time Stamp: 0:31 — 0:58
Description:

To close out the A Section, the full orchestra plays at a forte, before dropping down to piano underneath the solo clarinet!


Keywords: Contrast , Dynamics - Composition Technique , Dynamics - Expressive Elements , Symphony Orchestra

Time Stamp: 0:31 — 3:13
Description:

This section of the piece features many instruments of the Symphony Orchestra:

-0:31 full orchestra, percussion / timpani are shown
-0:41 clarinet solo
-0:58 woodwind trio
-1:18 strings
-1:30 bassoon solo, then full orchestra
-1:41 brass instruments featured
-2:14 strings enter
-2:39 large crescendo
-3:08 full orchestra, percussion is shown


Keywords: Symphony Orchestra

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