Search Pytheas   use Pytheas SiteSearch   need help searching?  

Tan Dun (1957-    )

Tan Dun composerThe conceptual and multifaceted composer Tan Dun has made an indelible mark on the world's music scene with a creative repertoire that spans the boundaries of classical, multimedia, Eastern and Western musical systems. Central to his body of work, Tan Dun has composed distinct series of works which reflect his individual compositional concepts and personal ideas - among them a series which brings his childhood memories of shamanistic ritual into symphonic performances; works which incorporate elements from the natural world; and multimedia concerti. Opera has a significant role in his creative output and of his many works for film, the score for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, received an Oscar for best original score.

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Tan Dun  Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre
String Quartet: Feng Ya Song (1982)
Self Portrait – from "Death and Fire", string orchestra (1983, rev.1992)
Hou bu dui yuan (The Candidate), film score (1983)
On Taoism. voice, bass clarinet, contrabassoon and orchestra (1985)
In Distance, piccolo, harp, and bass drum (1987)
Out of Peking Opera (Violin Concerto No. 1) (1987, rev. 1994)
Eight Colors for String Quartet (1986-88)
Nine Songs, 3 Chinese instrumentalists, 20 singers, 9 musicians, 3 perc, 2 cbn (1989)
Silk Road, soprano and percussion (1989)
Orchestral Theatre I: Origin, orchestra (1990, rev. 2002)
Soundshape, ceramics, voice and movement (1990)
Elegy: Snow in June, cello and four percussionists (1991)
Death and Fire: Dialogue with Paul Klee, orchestra (1992)
Circle with Four Trios, Conductor, and Audience (1992)
Orchestral Theatre II: Re, orchestra (1992)                                                                                 ~ top of page ~
Lament: Autumn Wind, any six instruments and any voice (1993)
Yi1: The Intercourse of Fire and Water, cello and orchestra (1993)
Paper Music - The Pink, acoustic music for paper (an erotic ritual in sound and movement) (1993)
Ghost Opera, string quartet and pipa, with stone, water, paper, and metal (1994)
Aktion K (Operation K), film score (1994)
Fire Ritual for Huqin and Chinese Orchestra (1995)
Concerto for Pizzicato Piano and Ten Instruments (1995)
Marco Polo, opera (1995)
A Sinking Love, soprano and viol consort or string quartet (1995)
Nanjing 1937 (Don't Cry, Nanking), film score (1995)
Broken Silence (De Oogst van de stilte), film score (1995)
Orchestral Theatre III: Red Forecast, orchestra (1996)
Yi2: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (1996)
Concerto for Six, bass clarinet, elec gtr, prepared piano, percussion, cello and double bass (1997)
Heaven Earth Mankind (Symphony 1997), orchestra (1997)
Overture: Dragon and Phoenix, orchestra [from Heaven Earth Mankind (Symphony 1997)]
Song of Peace, orchestra [from Heaven Earth Mankind (Symphony 1997)]
Water Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra (1998)
Peony Pavilion, opera (1998)
In the Name of the Emperor, film score (1998)
Fallen, film score (1998)
Orchestral Theatre IV: The Gate, orchestra (1999)
2000 Today: A World Symphony for the Millennium, orchestra (1999)
Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra (1999)
Music for Pipa and String Quartet (1999)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long), film score (2000)
Crouching Tiger Concerto, cello, chamber orchestra and video (2000)
Water Passion after St. Matthew, soprano (doubling Xun), bass baritone (doubling Xun),
        chorus (doubling Tibetan percussion) and orchestra (2000)
Tea: A Mirror of Soul, opera (2002)                                                                                                ~ top of page ~
Yi0: Concerto for Orchestra (2002)
Seven Desires for Guitar – From Yi2 (2002)
Hero (Ying xiong), film score (2002)
The Map: Concerto for Cello, Video and Orchestra (2002)
Eight Memories in Watercolor, piano (2003)
Paper Concerto for Paper Percussion and Orchestra (2003)
Secret Land: for Orchestra and 12 Violoncelli (2004)
The First Emperor, opera (2006)
Legend of the Black Scorpion (The Banquet) (Ye yan), film score (2006)


WORKS BY GENRE                                                            Tan Dun  Links     ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
Soundshape, ceramics, voice and movement (1990)
Paper Music - The Pink, acoustic music for paper (an erotic ritual in sound and movement) (1993)
Marco Polo, opera (1995)
Peony Pavilion, opera (1998)
Tea: A Mirror of Soul, opera (2002)
The First Emperor, opera (2006)

Orchestra
Self Portrait – from "Death and Fire", string orchestra (1983, rev.1992)
Orchestral Theatre I: Origin, orchestra (1990, rev. 2002)
Death and Fire: Dialogue with Paul Klee, orchestra (1992)
Circle with Four Trios, Conductor, and Audience (1992)
Orchestral Theatre II: Re, orchestra (1992)
Orchestral Theatre III: Red Forecast, orchestra (1996)
Heaven Earth Mankind (Symphony 1997), orchestra (1997)
    - Overture: Dragon and Phoenix, orchestra [from Heaven Earth Mankind (Symphony 1997)]
    - Song of Peace, orchestra [from Heaven Earth Mankind (Symphony 1997)]
Orchestral Theatre IV: The Gate, orchestra (1999)
2000 Today: A World Symphony for the Millennium, orchestra (1999)
Yi0: Concerto for Orchestra (2002)
Secret Land: for Orchestra and 12 Violoncelli (2004)

Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
On Taoism. voice, bass clarinet, contrabassoon and orchestra (1985)
Out of Peking Opera (Violin Concerto No. 1) (1987, rev. 1994)
Yi1: The Intercourse of Fire and Water, cello and orchestra (1993)
Fire Ritual for Huqin and Chinese Orchestra (1995)
Yi2: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (1996)
Water Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra (1998)
Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra (1999)
Crouching Tiger Concerto, cello, chamber orchestra and video (2000)
The Map: Concerto for Cello, Video and Orchestra (2002)
Paper Concerto for Paper Percussion and Orchestra (2003)                                                   ~ top of page ~
Secret Land: for Orchestra and 12 Violoncelli (2004)

Chorus w/Orchestra
Water Passion after St. Matthew, soprano (doubling Xun), bass baritone (doubling Xun),
        chorus (doubling Tibetan percussion) and orchestra (2000)

Chamber
String Quartet: Feng Ya Song (1982)
In Distance, piccolo, harp, and bass drum (1987)
Eight Colors for String Quartet (1986-88)
Nine Songs, 3 Chinese instrumentalists, 20 singers, 9 musicians, 3 perc, 2 cbn (1989)
Elegy: Snow in June, cello and four percussionists (1991)
Lament: Autumn Wind, any six instruments and any voice (1993)
Ghost Opera, string quartet and pipa, with stone, water, paper, and metal (1994)
Concerto for Pizzicato Piano and Ten Instruments (1995)
Concerto for Six, bass clarinet, elec gtr, prepared piano, percussion, cello and double bass (1997)
Music for Pipa and String Quartet (1999)

Solo Instrument
Seven Desires for Guitar – From Yi2 (2002)

Piano
Eight Memories in Watercolor, piano (2003)

Vocal
Nine Songs, 3 Chinese instrumentalists, 20 singers, 9 musicians, 3 perc, 2 cbn (1989)
Silk Road, soprano and percussion (1989)
Lament: Autumn Wind, any six instruments and any voice (1993)
A Sinking Love, soprano and viol consort or string quartet (1995)

Incidental/Film                                                                                                                                    ~ top of page ~
Hou bu dui yuan (The Candidate), film score (1983)
Aktion K (Operation K), film score (1994)
Nanjing 1937 (Don't Cry, Nanking), film score (1995)
Broken Silence (De Oogst van de stilte), film score (1995)
In the Name of the Emperor, film score (1998)
Fallen, film score (1998)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long), film score (2000)
Hero (Ying xiong), film score (2002)
Legend of the Black Scorpion (The Banquet) (Ye yan), film score (2006)


TAN DUN  LINKS                                                            Works by Genre     ~ top of page ~
Tan Dun Interview (SoundtrackNet)
Tan Dun Talks on Water (Brett Campbell, Andante.com)
Tan Dun's Music for the Beijing Olympics

Composer's website

Tan Dun @ Wikipedia
Tan Dun @ Answers.com
Tan Dun @ ArtLinkArt
Tan Dun @ Art of the States
Tan Dun @ CAMI Music (Columbia Artists Management, Inc.)
Tan Dun @ CITWF / Complete Index to World Film
Tan Dun @ Classical Archives
Tan Dun @ Classical Composers Database
Tan Dun @ Classical Net
Tan Dun @ ClassicsToday
Tan Dun @ composition:today
Tan Dun @ Facebook
Tan Dun @ Fandango
Tan Dun @ Filmbug    (via google)
Tan Dun @ Filmtracks    (via google)
Tan Dun @ Grawemeyer Awards
Tan Dun @ IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Tan Dun @ Los Angeles Philharmonic
Tan Dun @ mfiles
Tan Dun @ Movie Music UK
Tan Dun @ MSN Movies
Tan Dun @ musicianguide.com
Tan Dun @ MusicWeb International
Tan Dun @ MySpaceMusic
Tan Dun @ Naxos
Tan Dun @ The New York Times
Tan Dun @ W.W. Norton/The Enjoyment of Music
Tan Dun @ The Oscar Site
Tan Dun @ G. Schirmer
Tan Dun @ SoundtrackCollector
Tan Dun @ Soundtrack Express
Tan Dun @ SoundtrackNet
Tan Dun @ Sony Classical
Tan Dun @ SoundUnwound
Tan Dun @ Starpulse.com

Check also - Music Sage   http://www.musicsage.org/

Streaming Audio
Tan Dun @ Art of the States
Tan Dun @ Classical Archives
Tan Dun @ last.fm
Tan Dun @ NPRmusic - "Tan Dun's Cultural Evolution"  or  "First Emperor"
Tan Dun @ PRX (Public Radio Exchange)
Tan Dun @ Rhapsody

Recordings
Tan Dun @ ArkivMusic
Tan Dun @ ClassicsOnline
Tan Dun @ Discogs

Tan Dun @ YouTube
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOME           ABOUT           RESOURCES           COMPOSERS           PERFORMANCES           20/21 ENSEMBLE           CONTACT US