By Shin-Yi Yang, Director of Boston Guzheng Ensemble
Join our Winter Concert presented at the Maxwell Auditorium at National Heritage Museum on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 7:30 PM. Our concert theme “Journey” features music of China from different regions which takes you travel from the northeast to southwest of China. The program also includes the music from Taiwan. Here are some program selections:
Three Six (San Liu, 三六) is a well-known traditional piece for which belongs to one of the six masterpieces of Jiangnan sizhu. The Jiangnan sizhu is an important genre of the traditional Chinese instrumental music which was originated in the Jiangnan region of China. The earliest version of this piece can be dated back to 1895.
The title of the piece Full Moon Blossom (hua hao yue yuan, 花好月圓) is a line written in Magnolia Flowers (木蘭花), by Song Dynasty poet Zhang Xian (張先). In the traditional thoughts of the Chinese “blooming flowers and full moon” represents perfect conjugal bliss.
Hoche (赫哲族) is one of the minorities in China that scatter in the northeast region of China where around Heilongjiang, Ussuri, and the border of Russia, and make their living as fishermen. Fishermen Song (漁歌) is a lyrical piece that was written by Liu Xijin. The music depicts the fishermen of Hoche return to shore safely and pleasantly after a day of catching fish.
An Old Train Song (丟丟銅仔) is a famous Taiwanese nursery rhyme which was originated in Ilan. It describes the train coming through a tunnel in which water is dripping down on the train.
Reminiscence of An Old Town (古城之憶) is a piece that was based on the folk song, remembering from Hengchun. There are three motives in the music which represent the old town, yueqin, and the old singer. The last section of the music is reminiscence that recalls the memory of the past.