Search - et al Gang Chen (Composer) :: Chinasong

A true work of art.

L. C | 10/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once in a while, one leaves the performance in complete awe and is unable to find the words to laud it to the extent it deserves. The Shanghai Quartet's recent new CD titled "ChinaSong" arranged by its violinist Yi-Wen Jiang was a true work of art. Each piece was played to perfection. Classics in the Chinese folk music repertoire, they are recognizable from the first strains of each piece. I am certain the Quartet's performance of these classics evoked compelling emotions in many listeners. It would have been difficult not to have felt something stir within. There is no way I can overstate the brilliance of these showings. Shanghai Quartet is technically flawless. However, to me, that accounted for only part of the sheer wonder of its performance. The Quartet distinguishes itself with its sound, which is mellifluous, intimate and at the same time, immensely passionate. It has the rare ability to sound like one whole while retaining the individuality of each performer and his instrument. Four distinct sounds as one, I was completely enthralled."

Excellent Disc.

JJ Johnson | 02/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...this is an album by the Shanghai Quartet. All of the folk tunes on it were arranged by one of the two violinists in the group, Yiwen Jiang. The tunes are masterfully arranged, beautifully recorded, and expertly performed by this group of supreme expressive calibur. It's a great disc! ..."

Beautiful songs is what we have here.

Paul Shoemaker | UK | 09/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For generations we had been taught that the oriental people are fundamentally different from Europeans, so much so that any attempts to understand them or their culture would be futile. In particular, for many of us the words Chinese music still suggest the sounds of someone trying to kill a tomcat in a junkyard with a baseball bat. If this has been your perception, then this disk will come as a very pleasant surprise. It should have been obvious all along that folksongs tend to be folksongs wherever encountered, and the human desire to sing beautiful tunes should be, and is, a universal. Beautiful songs is what we have here, and, even with a Chinese pentatonal harmony here and there, it sounds no more strange to modern ears than much European modal folk music (Tracks 2 and 18). The violinist and arranger describes these songs as those he enjoyed hearing as a child, songs that have had deep personal meaning during difficult times. His desire to share this music with a wider audience gives these performances a particular urgency and beauty. Many songs have been transcribed and arranged several times for different instruments before Jiang produced his string quartet version heard here. In some cases arrangement virtually amounts to composition based on fragments and authentic styles (Track 7), yet I read nothing here which suggests that the musical aesthetic has been radically altered to appeal to a foreign audience, and I hear nothing here to suggest that the music has been commercialised."