Spring, River, Flower, Moon, Night

Amazon.com
The 12,000 year-old pipa is an exhilarating instrument to hear in the solo context, and Nanjing, China-born Min Xiao Fen is one of the instrument's finest artists. Her debut CD features music from both the Wen and Wu schools, the former a lyrical, sublime tradition, and the latter more flairing and intense in scope and nature. Like the progression of natural phenomena of Min's CD title, the music here contracts and expands, moving from large, lush runs across the pipa to slow, methodically minute plucks and single notes. Min mesmerizes both with the grand gesture and the telescoped precision of her every note, giving this CD a crystalline clarity that retains powerful warmth. There aren't many playing the difficult pipa with Min's dexterity and intellectual energy, and she makes these aged repertory classics shine with new life. --Andrew Bartlett

Tracks:

Jackdaws Playing In The Water
King Chu Sheds His Armor
Sounds From The Chen And Sui Dynasties
Han Palace Autumn Moon
Song Of The Northern Frontier (Nostagia For...)
Zhao Jun Crosses The Frontier Pass
Spring, River, Flower, Moon, Night

Amazon.com

The 12,000 year-old pipa is an exhilarating instrument to hear in the solo context, and Nanjing, China-born Min Xiao Fen is one of the instrument's finest artists. Her debut CD features music from both the Wen and Wu schools, the former a lyrical, sublime tradition, and the latter more flairing and intense in scope and nature. Like the progression of natural phenomena of Min's CD title, the music here contracts and expands, moving from large, lush runs across the pipa to slow, methodically minute plucks and single notes. Min mesmerizes both with the grand gesture and the telescoped precision of her every note, giving this CD a crystalline clarity that retains powerful warmth. There aren't many playing the difficult pipa with Min's dexterity and intellectual energy, and she makes these aged repertory classics shine with new life. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Powerful.......2007-05-07

The instrument of pipa is very effective in telling stories. Scenes and emotion in the music are so vivid that it makes you feel that you are part of the story. Listen to "King Chu sheds his armor" and you will understand. I would provide some Chinese translation of the song titles but apparently amazon doesn't support Chinese character input. "Zhao Ju crosses the frontier" and "spring, river, flower, moon, night" are well known Chinese classics.

Personally I felt that she over stressed the powerfulness of the instrument at times. As a result, the melody of some of the pieces are not as smooth as it was written to be. If you are looking for "easy-listening" this is not the album you want to buy.

Just buy it. You'll love it =).......2004-11-20

I should be flogged for not reviewing this disc years earlier. Hearing Min on this disc was one reason I bought (and reviewed 3 or 4 years ago) her great Viper disc with Derek Bailey. I don't know why I didn't get around to this one, as it is a treasure chest of fantastic playing and tone, as well as engaging melodies.

I personally tend to favor the WEN style over the WU. The WEN style stuff is just flat-out gorgeous more often than not. The WU has more of an explosive, in-your-faceness to it that I enjoy, but it doesn't move me as deeply as the WEN.

If you have heard the Viper disc, these are 2 very different discs. Viper being all free-improvisation, while here you get a mini, sonic history of China. Sometimes gorgeous and gentle, sometimes violent and overwhelming... it's all here.

Then again, if you've never heard the pipa, or Min in particular, this is the perfect place to begin.

Average customer rating:

The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004SSJR
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

The Mikado: Overture
The Mikado: A Wandering Minstrel I
The Mikado: Our Great Mikado, Virtuous Man
The Mikado: Young Man, Despair
The Mikado: Behold The Lord High Executioner!...Taken From The County Jail
The Mikado: As Some Day It May Happen
The Mikado: Three Little Maids From School Are We
The Mikado: Were You Not To Ko-Ko Plighted
The Mikado: I Am So Proud
The Mikado: The Sun, Whose Rays
The Mikado: Here's A How-De-Do!
The Mikado: Miya Sama (Entrance Of The Mikado)
The Mikado: A More Humane Mikado Never
The Mikado: The Criminal Cried
The Mikado: See How The Fates Their Gifts Allot
The Mikado: The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring
The Mikado: Alone, And Yet Alive!...Hearts Do Not Break!
The Mikado: On A Tree By A River
The Mikado: There Is Beauty In The Bellow Of The Blast
The Mikado: For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum
Trail By Jury: The Learned Jungle
H.M.S. Pinafore: I'm Called Litttle Buttercup
H.M.S. Pinafore: My Gallant Crew...I Am The Captain Of The Pinafore
Sorry Her Lot Who Loves Too Well
H.M.S. Pinafore: When I Was A Lad I Served A Term

Tracks:

H.M.S. Pinafore: Fair Moon, To Thee I Sing
H.M.S. Pinafore: Things Are Seldom What They Seem
H.M.S. Pinafore: The Hours Creep On Apace
H.M.S. Pinafore: Never Mind The Why And Wherefore
The Pirates Of Penzance: Oh, Better Far To Live And Die
The Pirates Of Penzance: Oh, Is There Not One Maiden Breast
The Pirates Of Penzance: Poor Wandering One!
The Pirates Of Penzance: I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
The Pirates Of Penzance: When The Foeman Bears His Steel
The Pirates Of Penzance: Ah, Leave Me Not To Pine
The Pirates Of Penzance: When A Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment
The Pirates Of Penzance: With Cat-Like Tread
Patience: The Soldiers Of Our Queen...If You Want A Receipt For That Popular Mystery
Patience: Am I Alone And Unobserved...If You're Anxious For To Shine
Patience: Sad Is That Woman's Lot...Silvered Is The Raven Hair
Patience: A Magnet Hung In A Hardware Shop
Patience: Love Is A Plaintive Song
Patience: So Go To Him And Say To Him
Patience: When I Go Out Of Door
Patience: After Much Debate (Finale Act 2)
Iolanthe: When I Went To The Bar As A Very Young Man
The Lady Of My Love...(Finale Act 1)