In Foreign Lands was inspired by "Lotus Cup," a poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Wai Zhuang (836-910).  The poem eloquently evokes the tangled emotions of lovers who, after pledging their love, journey to different countries.  Feeling powerless, and resigned to the fact that they must go on living in separate worlds, they wistfully reflect upon their past love.  

Written for my father's birthday.  He left to Taiwan from China in 1948.  He was never able to return to his homeland.   

This version of interpretation appeared 2001 in a CD entitled In Foreign Lands by Kandinsky Trio, with Benedict Goodfriend on violin, Alan Weinstein on cello, and Elizabeth Bachelder on piano.


Composer - citynoah

In Foreign Lands

Famous for his original music compositions in America, Taiwan-born composer Chien-Tai Chen, aka citynoah, is a celebrity composer living in the States. His major works include Journey to the West (1987 opera, by NSO in Taipei's National Theater; Far Horizon (2004 piano concerto, played 2006 in Kennedy Center Concert Hall by Brian Ganz and maestro Yoel Levi);  and Hakka-Wanderer (2005 violin concerto by Cho-Liang Lin and the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra). He often let his music interweave with ancient, aboriginal, traditional, contemporary, and popular elements.  His intriguing angelic innovations are universally accessible, capturing the essence of internally meaningful and externally passionate music, shown in his symphony entitled City of Wind (2011 premiered by NSO at Taipei for its centennial celebration of ROC).