Search - Wu Man :: Music for Chinese Pipa & Traditional Contemporary

COMPILATION THAT ABSOLUTELY DAZZLES

o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 04/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All of these tracks are culled from recordings made from 1993 through 1996 and are rooted in the traditional repertoire of Chinese Pipa music or are recent commissions from the emerging young Chinese composers. In the person of Wu Man, they have an extraordinary champion. She will forever be regarded as one who has elevated her tradition with a prowess and finesse that is the benchmark for excellence. By acheiving such heights, she effectively challenges composers to push themselves with their own disicipline, and the results are sublime, sensual and imaginative.

The sad thing is, you can only listen to these performances. Having seen Wu Man perform many of these sides, I can tell you it is something that will live with you forever. This marvellously creative artists responds to this music with her whole body and that delicate and supple shidt in her touch brings forth from the pipa such extraordinary music! Her passion and commitment are infectious. She is an emotional, spiritual and intelligent artist who inspires audience and colleagues.

This is a fantastic survey of the more classical side of her endeavours, and I highly recommend it. She currently has a CD out entitled WU MAN AND FRIENDS, which brings together Chinese, Ugandan, Ukrainian and Appalachian songs in a wonderful cross-cultural program that should not work, but does to exceptional effect. And she is very much the focal point of Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble. I don't doubt for a second that she pushes all of them to do what they do not know how to do, as Fripp would say.

So, pick this up, and pick up any disc to which she devotes her talents. Wu Man is amazing!"