Jolin Jiang Shanghai Streets: Sinan Road

 

Pavle Cajic piano

 

This piece is from a piano suite, Shanghai Streets, which I have had the honour to be working on under the mentorship of Dr Daniel Rojas at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

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Sinan Road is a tree-lined avenue in the former French Concession (FFC) area in Shanghai. Nowadays, Sinan Road, and the FFC in general, are known for their quiet beauty during the day, and the vibrant vibe at night, with a huge variety of cool restaurants, concept bars, boutiques and galleries. Twenty years ago, however, it was where I would walk from my primary school to “home” (my parents’ office), and to/from my piano and singing teachers’ places.

 

Setting a nostalgic yet appreciative mood in the French impressionist aesthetic, this piece incorporates some non-conventional harmonies, a skill that I have, gratefully, started to develop during my learning with Dr Rojas. The entire piece paints an imagery of me walking on the Sinan Road reflecting on my childhood and growth, and my love and gratitude towards this street. The instrumentation and the singable melody symbolise my own musical education growing up, whereas the middle section of the piece, which features a melody in the minor pentatonic scale, hints at my Chinese upbringing in this area.

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Jolin Jiang