MORE THAN TWICE THE SOUND
A duo featuring cello and sheng takes inspiration from an ancient monk's epic journey to retrieve scriptures and has been adapted for concerts, Chen Nan reports.
The concert at the NCPA will mark the beginning of a larger tour, which will kick off on June 13 at the Beijing Performing Arts Centre. The Beijing concert will feature organist Shen Yuan, who will perform Symphony No 2 for Chinese Orchestra and Pipe Organ by composer Kuan Nai-chung.
Shen, a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music, describes the unusual pairing of the pipe organ with traditional Chinese instruments, such as the pipa (a four-stringed Chinese lute), guzheng (a Chinese zither) and erhu (a two-stringed fiddle), as an exploration of a unique sonic palette.
"I believe the combination of Chinese instruments and the resonant sound of the pipe organ will create a rich and fascinating texture," Shen says.
The tour's finale will take place on June 18 at Tianjin Concert Hall, where the orchestra will perform such works as New Year's Eve by Liu Tianhua and Song of the General by Peng Xiuwen. These pieces showcase the rhythmic charm of southeastern China's gong and drum traditions.
Yan explains the overarching vision for the orchestra's musical journey: "The orchestra has forged a series of musical dialogues between ancient Chinese instruments, such as the sheng and guqin (a seven-stringed zither), and the Western pipe organ. On one hand, this makes us proud of our cultural heritage; on the other, it highlights how the development of culture requires openness and integration."
The 71-year-old Yan, who led the orchestra to perform globally and commission over 2,400 new works, credits his upbringing in rural Shaanxi with instilling him with a deep love of folk music.
