Apparently the story of
Si Yeou Ki
("
The Journey to the West
") is well enough known in France that composer
Laurent Petitgirard
could receive it in book form as a 16th-birthday present from his brother and, more than 50 years later, fulfill the creative impulse thus set in motion by writing a ballet setting events from the tale. Elsewhere, the story is less familiar, and the notes might have benefited from a bit more historical background. In brief, the
-- more often spelled
Si-Yu-Ki
in English -- tells of a Chinese Buddhist monk named Xuanzang who travels to India (not to the Western world) to examine Buddhist texts firsthand, encountering various obstacles along the way. The story, a kind of travelogue, is told in 100 stages, furnishing an ideal structure for a ballet;
Petitgirard
sets 16 of them. The musical language is rooted in
Rimsky-Korsakov
and early
Stravinsky
, just slightly expanded in more modern directions.
avoids Chinese and Indian musical stereotypes, perhaps even more than his models would have. Instead, there is a sequence of often action-packed scenes whose apprehension is greatly aided by the included synopsis.
has been active as a film composer; though his symphonies have also been recorded, this medium perhaps puts his talents in the best light. He conducts the music, and the
Hungarian Symphony Orchestra Budapest
, which has worked with him before, turns in crisp performances that render the scenes vividly. Fans of music from the golden age of ballet may be delighted to discover this work. ~ James Manheim