Traditional Chinese Music:
The Han Tang Ensemble

Han Tang Ensemble

Li Qun Li, yangqin (hammered dulcimer)
Yi Min Miao, dizi and xiao (bamboo flutes)
Bao Li Zhang, erhu (fiddle)
Wei Zhang, sheng (mouth organ)
Yi Zhou, pipa (lute) and qin (zither)

This performance was recorded live in concert at the Meyer Auditorium of the Freer Gallery of Art in conjunction with the exhibition Music in the Age of Confucius at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

The Moon of Guanshan

(關山月 Guan shan yue)

This music is based on the melody of an eighteenth-century piece for the qin (classical zither) called Dragon Roar Pavilion. The title could be translated more generally as “Moon over a Mountain Pass.” A source from the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) lists Guan shan yue as a song accompanied by flute, while a famous Han dynasty poem with the same title was written by poet Li Bai. Qin handbooks possibly dating to 1799 and 1830 include melodic notation for Guan shan yue, but the only confirmed source is a handbook from 1930.

The Ballad of Chu

(楚歌 Chu ge)
Ming dynasty (1368–1636)

This martial piece depicts the warlord Xiang Yu of Cu after his defeat at the hands of Liu Bang, founder of the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Chu ge is first mentioned as a melody for the qin during in the northern Song dynasty and was very popular during the Ming dynasty, appearing in fourteen qin handbooks.

Sunny Spring and White Snow

(陽春白雪 Yang chun bai xue)

This traditional piece was created by an anonymous composer of the Wang School (Wang Yuting 1872–1951).

The Moon Reflected in the Erquan

(二泉映月 Er quan ying yue)

This work was composed in 1949 by the blind beggar-musician Hua Yanjun, popularly known as A’bing (1893–1950). His fame was such that a statue of him playing the sanxian (fiddle) was erected in his hometown, Wuxi, in Jiangsu province. The title of this piece literally means “Moon Reflected in the Second Spring.”

The Grief of the Beauty Zhao Jun

(昭君怨 Zhao Jun yuan)

This piece is based on traditional string music from the city of Chaozhou in eastern Guangdong province, famous for its unique genre of Chinese opera.

The Three Farewells of Yang Guan

(陽關三疊 Yang Guan san die)

This piece comes from the handbook for qin called Qinxue Rumen (琴學入門), compiled in 1864 by Zhang He.

Three Variations of Plum Blossom

(梅花三弄 Mei hua san long)

This classic piece is traditionally attributed to Huan Yi (d. 391), a military general and musician of the Jin dynasty (266–420). His famous performances on the bamboo flute generated long-standing legends of his prowess and integrity. As noted by qin specialist Marilyn Wong Gleysteen, “While snow still covers the ground, the plum is the first to bloom in the chill of late winter, a tribute to its stalwart spirit and vigor. Along with pine and bamboo, the plum is known in Chinese painting and poetry as one of the ‘Three Friends of Winter.’ This is a musical ode to the blossoming plum, which blooms only from new shoots growing from the old tree trunk—an analogy to the fresh but hardy spirit of the scholar. The tune of the refrain was adapted for the guqin in the eighth century and first published in the early fifteenth century. This version after master Wu Zhaoji is also known as ‘Old Plum Blossom’ and differs from a later more embellished version.” The piece is heard here in an arrangement by the two performers, Miao Yi Min and Zhou Yi.

The Peacock Spreads Its Tail

(孔雀開屏 Kong que kai ping)

This piece was composed in 1957 by Yan Haideng (1930–2004), a prominent performer on the sheng (mouth organ) as well as a prolific composer.

Moonlit Spring Night over a River with Flowers

(春江花月夜 Chun jiang hua yue ye)

This music is meant to depict the beautiful scenery along the Yangtze River. The piece, by an unknown composer, first appeared around 1820. This version is based on an arrangement from 1925 by the Datong Music Club.

Higher Step by Step

(步步高 Bu bu gao)

Long a popular Cantonese melody, this piece was composed in 1938 by Lü Wencheng (1898–1981) and implies a wish for continuing success.

Notes adapted from those provided by the artists with additional material from John Thompson and the Silk String Guqin (http://www.silkqin.com/index.html) and Marilyn Wong Gleysteen, concert notes to Music from the Spiritual Mists of China: The Qin (New York Qin Society, 2006) (http://newyorkqin.org/events/2006/event06_2.html).

Li Qun Li, yangqin (hammered dulcimer), is a former member of the Central Traditional Music Orchestra in Beijing and is a graduate of the Tianjin Conservatory of Music. Ms. Li earned awards in the First Traditional Music Competition for National Minorities in 1986 and at the Fulitong Cup International Chinese Traditional Music Competition. She has toured as a soloist with the Central Traditional Music Orchestra in Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia. She appeared at the CityFolk Festival (Ohio) and shared a concert with American hammered dulcimer artist Dan Duggan.

Yi Min Miao, xiao and dizi (bamboo flutes), has earned prizes at the Chinese Young Musicians’ Competition, the National Flute Competition, and the International Jiangnan Sizhu competition. He is also winner of the 1998 Gold Record from the China Recording Company and the 1997 Chun Sheng Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Fine Arts. He has performed as a soloist with the Jinan Qianwei Traditional Orchestra of Shandong province and toured with the Shanghai Traditional Orchestra to Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Bahamas, and Europe. In the United States, he has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, John Hancock Hall, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has lectured and conducted workshops at Yale University, Cornell University, and New York University.

Bao Li Zhang, erhu (fiddle), graduated from the Central Music Conservatory and became principal erhu player for the Asian Music and Dance Performing Company, a post that he held for ten years and with which he toured internationally. Since coming to the United States in 1987, he has made a series of audio recordings, performed for television and motion picture soundtracks, and accompanied western theatrical and dance productions. Mr. Zhang has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. He has recorded for UNESCO and, as a member of the Jade Bridge Ensemble, for Rounder Records.

Wei Zhang, sheng (mouth organ) soloist and composer, earned an advanced degree from the Tianjin Conservatory of Music. He is an elected member of the Chinese Musicians Association and the Chinese Folk Woodwind Instruments Music Association. Mr. Zhang was a soloist with the Orchestra of Inner Mongolia and the Tianjin Municipal Blue Shield Troupe. He is an active composer for the instrument and his “Festival at the Frontier” for sheng earned the solo prize at the Fourth Annual Artistic Festival. Two of his original songs have been aired on Tianjin radio and his music for dance drama was performed nationally. Since arriving in the United States in 1997, Mr. Zhang has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center and for the United Nations General Assembly.

Yi Zhou, pipa (lute), is a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She is the winner of top prizes at the Shanghai Spring Music Festival and the Art Cup International Chinese Traditional Instrument Contest. She has toured as a soloist with the Chinese National Music Group to Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Italy. Since coming to the United States, she has performed at Merkin Concert Hall, John Hancock Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, New York University, the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and the Eastman School of Music. She is an active performer of both traditional and contemporary music and has been a guest lecturer at New York University. Her music has been recorded on the Moon in Sky label and published by the New Era Sound and Video Company.

This podcast was coordinated by Michael Wilpers, manager of performing arts. Audio recording and editing by Andy Finch and Suraya Mohamed. Photographs are courtesy of the Ba Ban Chinese Music Society (NY). Web production by Gio Camozzi. Copyediting by Ian Fry. Thanks to the New York Chinese Cultural Center for their assistance in arranging this performance. Special thanks to the artists (who subsequently formed the Ba Ban Chinese Music Society) for granting permission to share their performances at the Freer and Sackler Galleries.