Plaisir d’amour — Songs of Love
Ying Huang × Yingjia Xue
Shanghai · Shenzhen · Xiamen · 2022–2023
Overview
Between 2022 and 2023, renowned soprano Ying Huang and pianist Yingjia Xue presented the recital series Plaisir d’amour — Songs of Love across China, including performances in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Xiamen.
Taking its title from Martini’s beloved art song Plaisir d’amour, the program explored the theme of love in its many forms — from the divine to the human, from Western Baroque purity to Chinese lyrical sentiment. Traversing languages and centuries, it offered a poetic dialogue between East and West, featuring masterpieces by Handel, Cesti, Martini, Poulenc, Debussy, Puccini, Delibes, and leading Chinese composers such as Qing Zhu, Ding Shande, Liu Qing, and Chen Tianhe.
Praised for its elegant design and emotional depth, the series revealed Huang’s exquisite artistry and crystalline tone, while Xue’s sensitive accompaniment provided refined balance and expression.
Program
Part I
George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) — Endless Pleasure, Endless Love (from Semele)
Pietro Antonio Cesti (1623–1669) — Intorno all’idol mio (from Orontea)
Jean-Paul-Égide Martini (1741–1816) — Plaisir d’amour
Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) — Les Chemins de l’amour
Claude Debussy (1862–1918) — Arabesque No.1 in E Major, L.66 (Piano Solo)
Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) — Un bel dì vedremo (from Madama Butterfly)
Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) — Quando me’n vo (from La Bohème)
Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) — Chi il bel sogno di Doretta (from La Rondine)
Léo Delibes (1836–1891) — Les filles de Cadix
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Part II
Qing Zhu (1893–1959) — I Live at the Head of the Yangtze River (Wo Zhu Chang Jiang Tou)
Chen Tianhe (1911–1955) — In the Mountains (Shan Zhong)
Huang Yongxi (1919–2004) — Melancholy (Huai Nian Qu)
Ding Shande (1911–1995) — My Lover Sent Me Sunflowers (Ai Ren Song Wo Xiang Ri Kui)
Ding Shande (1911–1995) — Mayila (Ma Yi La)
Ding Shande (1911–1995) — Piano Suite “Spring Journey,” Op.1 (Chun Zhi Lü) — Piano Solo
Zhang Rui (b. 1981) — Song (Ge)
Xi Qiming (b. 1949) — The Wutong Tree (Wu Tong Shu)
Liu Qing (b. 1946) — Song of the Yue Boatman (Yue Ren Ge)
Uyghur Folk Song — A Cup of Wine (Yi Bei Mei Jiu)
Gallery
Artists
Soprano — Ying Huang
Internationally renowned lyric coloratura soprano, acclaimed as “The Nightingale from China.” Huang was the first Chinese singer to star in an opera film (Madama Butterfly), gaining worldwide recognition. She has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Musikverein, Royal Opera of Belgium, Danish National Opera, and National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, performing leading roles in Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, The Merry Widow, The Magic Flute, Rosenkavalier, The Peony Pavilion, and The White Snake.
As a Sony Classical recording artist, she has released several internationally distributed albums and continues to champion both Western operatic repertoire and Chinese art songs on the global stage.
Piano — Yingjia Xue
One of China’s most accomplished pianists, Yingjia Xue is the First Prize Winner of the 2004 Paris Scriabin International Piano Competition. He has performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, appearing at major festivals and with orchestras including the Paris Chamber Orchestra and Shanghai Philharmonic.
A graduate of the Imola International Piano Academy, he studied with Michel Dalberto and Louis Lortie, and currently teaches at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Central Conservatory of Music Xiamen Campus.
Venue
Shanghai Oriental Art Center (Music Hall) — Shanghai
Minnan Grand Theatre — Xiamen
Guangming Culture & Arts Center — Shenzhen
Tour Performances
September 24, 2022 — Guangming Culture & Arts Center, Shenzhen
October 3, 2022 — Minnan Grand Theatre, Xiamen
November 5, 2022 — Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Shanghai
February 4, 2023 — Guangming Culture & Arts Center, Shenzhen