Xiaogang Ye has been awarded numerous prestigious honours and is regarded as one of China’s leading contemporary composers. His interest in mysterious and beautiful plants has led him to write many pieces inspired by subtropical flora – The Faint Gingko, the oldest tree species in the world, represents an expression of Ye’s care and concern for nature. Heard here in a version without words, Song of Farewell is an opera with exquisite textures, beautiful melodies and refined orchestration, forming a unique work that delves into desire, inspiration in artistic creativity, and death, with extraordinary symphonic originality.