Mulan by Sérgio Assad

This newly commissioned work for Duo Chinoiserie by Brazilian composer Sergio Assad is a programmatic work inspired by and named after the heroine of a Chinese legend, whose name is well known in mainstream popular culture, her name: Mulan. The story of this brave young woman who chooses to take her father’s place and goes to battle impersonating a man dates back to the 4th- or 5th- centuries AD. Its earliest source is a poem from the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD) titled Ballad of Mulan. This poem was passed down from one generation to the next through oral tradition, eventually being written down during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). In the score, Assad carefully writes the storyline, delineating the start and finish of each vignette. He begins his musical depiction with Mulan weaving on a bright morning, suddenly shifting to news of war and the draft. As the story develops, Assad’s characteristic use of propelling rhythms and vibrant syncopations is at full display when depicting the battles. He finishes the composition with the depiction of Mulan’s triumphant return home.

After this brief introduction about Mulan, here are a few words from the composer:
“The combination of a classical guitar with Chinese Guzheng is quite unusual but has enormous potential as a chamber combination. Lacking the repertoire for this line-up, Duo Chinoiserie began making their first arrangements with great success and a little later the two began to commission composers to write original pieces for them. The two approached me in 2020 and asked me for a work that would be part of their debut CD. It was Jing who suggested that I follow Mulan's story to write this piece.
Mulan's story was told in poems, songs and even in plays. The story is simple: Mulan replaces her old father who supposedly should have left to fight against their country’s invaders. Mulan disguises herself as a man and fights with so much bravery that she becomes an inspiration to other soldiers. Because the story is simple, it becomes a great subject to be turned into program music. The piece was conceived following Mulan's footsteps since she embarked on her victorious journey, returning years later completely transformed by the war and by her victory.
It was a pleasure working with Bin and Jing in bringing this piece to life. Certainly without their support it would have been very difficult to complete such a project. My special thanks to Jing who showed me how to approach her fascinating instrument.”