Xiaogang Ye has been awarded numerous prestigious honours and is regarded as one of China’s leading contemporary composers. His interest in mysterious and beautiful plants has led him to write many pieces inspired by subtropical flora – The Faint Gingko, the oldest tree species in the world, represents an expression of Ye’s care and concern for nature. Heard here in a version without words, Song of Farewell is an opera with exquisite textures, beautiful melodies and refined orchestration, forming a unique work that delves into desire, inspiration in artistic creativity, and death, with extraordinary symphonic originality.

We have been enthusiastic about the music of Xiaogang Ye for many years now, and this new pair of world-premiere recordings joins a collection that includes his cantata The Road to the Republic (8579089), considered ‘distinctive and dramatic’ in BBC Music Magazine, and Seven Episodes for Lin’an (8579088), for which the American Record Guide was ‘impressed with the consistent quality and inspiration Ye achieves with his music’. His music has also been recorded by labels such as EMI/Warner Classics, Wergo, Hugo, BIS and Delos, standing as a testament to its wide popularity and international appeal.