China Meets Europe

China’s mysterious culture has fascinated Enjott Schneider for a long time. Its thousands of years of tradition overshadow the dimensions of European history, as do the very size of the country, the complex richness of its language, and the diverse range of its science, philosophy, and spirituality: The harmonious model of its yin-yang thinking, the analogies of its Five Elements theory, the psychological zodiac of the Chinese year, Confucianism, Taoism, its natural philosophy, and its traditional medicine – all these have become important building blocks for Schneider’s concept of life.

The CD “China Meets Europe” presents two works which, though they owe their sound primarily to western symphonic ideas, in spirit however have many Chinese characteristics:

“Changes” employs material which corresponds to some of the famous eight trigrams of the “I Ching” (the Book of Changes). The composition does not attempt to imitate the rhythm or melodic gestures of Asian models, but rather in its musical material retains the linguistic conventions of Western music. The connection to Chinese music is primarily due to the use of the sheng, a Chinese mouth organ.

In the symphony “Chinesische Jahreszeiten” [Chinese Seasons] it is most notably the marvellous adaptations of Chinese poetry by Hans Bethge that act as connecting elements between German and Chinese cultures. The psychological typology of the Chinese year is surprising. It begins with summer and its rich abundance. Autumn follows with its melancholy of farewell. This is followed by the rigours of winter, representing motionlessness. The climax comes with spring: an ecstatic rediscovery of life, the thrill of existence, and beauty. In this way, all the archetypal stations of human life are passed through and experienced.