Oriental Film Music Cue [2'00"]

‘The Young Emperor’ uses several interesting orchestrational combinations that paint a complete picturesque scene of the Far East from its delicate start to its conclusion. The harp opens the movement evoking the Japanese instrument of the Koto, while soft, high tremolos in the strings provide the perfect counterpoint as glockenspiel and Tam-Tam give a rounded texture and solemnity to the unique sound world. Solo Zheng and Erhu also are featured prominently in the opening, as low strings quietly enter and later French horns are added that combine to bring the necessary crescendo to the full orchestra tutti section that marks a restatement of the first main theme. This theme, again in minor, is now exquisitely sweeping in its grandeur, with flourishes in the clarinet, piano, and glockenspiel that give the necessary figurations to an otherwise cinematic expansiveness. Key changes and trombone pulsating chords combine to move this theme forward with rising intensity and ultimately ritards to a climactic moment when suddenly nothing but soft high chords in the strings leave glissandos in the harp exposed. Violins on their lowest G string then play the theme a third time accompanied by low strings and clarinets in their chalumeau register. Finally, trills in the high strings leave a gossamer, veiled sound as solo celesta plays the sixteenth-note figurations and ritard to a high bassoon and low clarinet’s final solos, with low string pizzicatos giving the final needed touch to round the story of this movement to its quiet, sensual repose.