Composed by Chinese Traditional
with Pui-yuen Lui
2. Fei ha dian cui (Floating Petals Decorating the Green Leaves)
Composed by Chinese Traditional
with Pui-yuen Lui
3. Ping sha luo yan (Wild Geese Descend on the Smooth Sand)
Composed by Chinese Traditional
with Pui-yuen Lui
4. Gao shan liu shui (High Mountain, Flowing Streams)
Composed by Chinese Traditional
with Pui-yuen Lui
5. Yang chun bai xue (Snow on a Sunny Spring Day)
Composed by Chinese Traditional
with Pui-yuen Lui
6. Yue er gao (The Moon on High)
Composed by Chinese Traditional
with Pui-yuen Lui
7. Yi dance
Composed by Huiran Wang
with Pui-yuen Lui
China: Music of the Pipa,Chinese Traditional,Huiran Wang,Nonesuch,Asia,China,Chinese,Int'l & World Music,Miscellaneous,Miscellaneous Music,Pipa,Pop,Traditional,Traditional Chinese,World Music
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Pipa from a Distance
Wu Man Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00008RV0E Release Date: 2003-04-15 |
Tracks:
- Invocation
- Dancing!
- Ancient Shadows
- Journey
- Hangzhou Blues
- Vincent's Tune
- Crescent Moon Over The Mountain
- Ambushed Again
- Full Circle
- From A Distance
- Bonus Track
Customer Reviews:
Long Road to China.......2006-11-14
Flash ahead 17 years.
I was walking through the Xavier University Library near the magazine section and happened upon an issue of World Literature Today. Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma was on the cover and there was a blurb about his Silk Road Project. Being a fan of Ma, I decided to pull the mag and check out the article. On one of the pages there was a picture of Yo-Yo Ma, and two other musicians, one of them, a woman, playing a pipa. When I saw the instrument I immediately flashed back to the closing of the documentary 17 years before. The woman playing the pipa was Wu Man. Later, I came here to seek the Silk Road recordings for samples, then on a whim clicked on the link to Wu Man, saw pipa: from a distance, listened to samples and was instantly hooked.
Pipa from a distance is a remarkable recording. Wu Man manages to give the listener a taste of tradition and the contemporary, and at times the surreal. The pipa is the lute of China, with a history spanning two millennia. Its unique voice is not unlike the American banjo at times, but the pipa's dynamic range is far greater. Wearing artificial nails taped on all fingers of the right hand, a master pipa player can coax all manner of sounds from the instrument; individual notes can burst from the instrument in a staccato cascade, picking patterns that sound like rainfall, strings are sometimes trilled as in Blues, chords can be either delicate or thunderous. In capable hands, the pipa can be a formidable means of self expression, and Wu Man conjures the magical on this breathtaking recording.
The blend of musical forms is adventurous and amazing. There is the tranquil first track, "Invocation". Man wafts over the sounds of bells and e-bowed electric guitar, with the use of sound manipulation, the piece is both meditatively traditional, yet bordering on the mildly psychedelic.
"Dancing" is a joyous tune. This piece includes banjo and it compliments the pipa well. Their voices are similar, yet so different, as they call back and forth. The didgeridoo is used to good effect here and elsewhere on the recording.
"Journey" displays the lyrical side of the pipa. Lilting and graceful, yet powerful, Wu Man glides through the piece like a bird in flight. Tabla samples, shaker and didgeridoo provide gentle accompaniment. This is one of my favorites on the CD. I often leave it looped to bask in the beauty of it.
"Hangzhou Blues" was quite a surprise. Wu Man plugs in, connecting her pipa to a wah wah pedal and into an amp. I had this image of her sitting next to a Marshall stack, pipa induced feedback rising behind her. You'd think this wouldn't work, but it exceeded my expectations. The sound is otherworldly, and massive. I had to remind myself she was playing a pipa. This track stands out from the others in sheer daring. She doesn't overplay her hand, and her technique transferred well to the electric context. Hendrix would have loved it (of course, the pipa acoustically would have stunned him).
"Vincent's Tune" is another favorite. The piece slowly builds to a climax that made me think of Meredith Monk, the screeching "toy" used at the end comes very close to sounding like a human voice. The piece exudes an almost overwhelming exuberance.
The last track I'd like to comment on is one of the solo pipa pieces, "Ambushed Again" The pipa alone is incredible. As a solo instrument one can hear how versatile the pipa can be in the right hands. Wu Man bears down on the instrument, drawing out its subtleties and its thunder. Any rock guitarist could appreciate the edgy chordal passage of "Ambushed Again". Man's rhythmic sense shines through on this piece; darting back and forth like a boxer, until the pipa sounds like its being shaken to pieces.
This recording is a great place to start for the novice to pipa music. Here it is very accessible and beautifully produced. Still, one should not overlook the classical pipa music of China. Wu Man has a two disk set of this traditional music. "From A Distance" clearly shows how well she works in collaboration, but alone she is a wonder to behold. I can only hope I get the chance to see her live.
East meets modern.......2006-11-10
Magnificent.......2005-02-15
I usually stick with classical music (Mozart, Stamitz etc) but this CD,has opened up a whole new dimension. I just play it over and over. Never get tired of it.
great music!.......2004-08-23
The Best World Music CD in Decades has Arrived.......2003-04-25
Not since King Crimson's "Discipline" have I been so thoroughly amazed and inspired by a sustained effort throughout an entire CD. This is not to say that Wu Man is replicating Fripp's Bartok meets Hendrix in style, but certainly in spirit.The opening "Invocation" is as quietly spiritual a piece as you are likely to hear. A bit like Fripp's Soundscapes before the roar of Crimson. "Dancing" is almost Beatle-like and absolutely inspiring. All through I kept expecting to hear McCartney, Lennon and Harrison chime in, and if you're sitting all through this number, you have serious enjoyment issues. "Ancient Spirit" and "Walking to the East" begin an hypnotic, polyrhythmic journey into another culture. Surely Wu Man's participation in Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble has given her a sense of adventure, and this sublimely sets the tone for the adventurous and blistering "Shanghai Blues", and here is where Fripp meets his match. The intensity of Wu Man's electric pipa is scorchingly awe-inspiring. This is as brilliant a display of electric blues as Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile, Slight Return." Stevie Ray, Jimi, and the remarkable Fripp would all pay homage to such protean fretwork. And it has a deep blues groove that is just fantastic. If you have ever seen Wu Man in concert, you know this girl can cook, and cook she does!
"Vincent's Tune" returns a sense of innocence to the proceeedings as it opens and closes with a sample from her young son on toy piano and voice. Very reminiscent of Yes's "Circus of Heaven." "White Crane Flying" is a zen like mesmerizing piece worthy of Takemitsu in its subtle complexities. "Ambushed Again" turns up an incendiary heat once more that is resolved in "Bamboo Dreams." Again, I would draw the analogy to Crimson's "Sheltering Sky", a polyrhythmic meditation.
As for the title track, I had steered clear of this disc for a few weeks because I dreaded the prospect that so intrepid a performer as Wu Man might have recorded the treacly pop tune of the same title. Imagine the overwhelming relief when I discovered that this is an original, as is the entire CD, composition setting a certain distance of reflection on the preceeding 50 minutes, before it closes with the hidden track that is just Wu Man singing, and her voice is gorgeous!
All in all, Wu Man has done that rare thing of advancing the art of a tradition with inspired new compositions. There are many wonderful interpreters of the canons of culture. There are few who take that culture on to an inspired new plane. Wu Man has done just that. I hope you will pick this CD up. I hope Amazon will promote it visibly on its site. This is worth the attention. All praise to Naxos for releasing it so affordably. This is the best 10 bucks you'll ever spend on music. Thank you deeply to Wu Man for sharing her vision and her art.
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Chinese Traditional Pipa Music
Liu Fang Manufacturer: Oliver Sudden Prod ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00000JFPM Release Date: 1997-05-15 |
Tracks:
- The Great Wave Washes the Beach
- Flying Snow Decorating the Green
- Melody From A Bamboo House
- The Love of the Wei River
- The Dance of the Yi People
- Spring Rain
- The Romance of the Red River Valley
- The Moon Is High
- The Flower Festival
Album Description
Solo performer Liu Fang plays authentic instrumental pieces for the pipa, a 2000-year-old four-stringed Chinese lute. This extraordinary collection od digitally-recorded traditional compositions captures the pipa's unique and meditative sound. Complete with detailed liner notes in English, French and Chinese.Customer Reviews:
Beautiful music to listen to while reading, painting..........2002-01-04
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China: Music of the Pipa
Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000005IWR Release Date: 1991-04-17 |
Tracks:
- Shi Mian Mai Fu (Ambuscade From Ten Sides)
- Fei Hua Dian Cui (Floating Petals Decorating The Green Leaves)
- Ping Sha Luo Yan (Wild Geese Descend On The Smooth Sand)
- Gao Shan Liu Shui (High Mountain, Flowing Streams)
- Yang Chun Bai Xue (Snow On A Sunny Spring Day)
- Yue Er Gao (The Moon On High)
- Yi Zu Wu Qu (Dance Of The Yi Tribe)
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful and Soothing..........2003-03-04
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Zhou Long: The Book of Songs
Manufacturer: Cala ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00030EEVS Release Date: 2006-11-20 |
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Chinese Music for the Pipa
Wu Man Manufacturer: Nimbus Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000037F1 Release Date: 1995-04-16 |
Tracks:
- Dengyue Jiaohui (Lanterns And Moon Competing In Brilliance)
- Wulin Yiyun (Ancient Melodies Of Wuliin)
- Bawang Xie (The Tyrant Removes His Armour)
- Chen Sui (Chen And Sui Dynasties)
- Xu Lai (Sounds Of Nature, By LIU Tianhua, 1929)
- Yue'er Gao (The Moon On High)
- Dian (The Points, By CHEN Yi, 1991)
Customer Reviews:
Sparkling, Shimmering, Passionate!.......2003-03-06
This is a blend of traditional pieces and 20th Century pieces and it is a stunner top to bottom. Wu Man is an exquisitely beautiful woman who is regarded as a master of the Pudong school of pipa playing. I know nothing about that. What I can tell you is that her fretwork and absorption into the soul of the music is compelling!
In concert, she played pieces by contemporary Chinese composers Zhou Long, May-Tchi Chen, and Tan Dun. This disc includes a masterpiece by Chen Yi, "Dian", written in 1999. Wu Man takes this piece and flies with it. It is breathtaking. In the course of the entire disc, you'll find yourself swept away, exhilarating and seduced by her uncompromising command and devoted passion to this music. Supremely sublime, intensely performed, the music crosses all cultural boundaries and gets inside you, all as a result of Wu Man's commitment to the music. Nimbus did a great job recording her. You owe it to yourself to check this out and to catch her in performance. If you thought Michelle Kwon was amazing in "Crouching Tiger," wait til you see Wu Man command a concert audience. When she finished at Swarthmore, the crowd would not let her leave! Her encores included 2 traditional pieces, "White Snow in Spring", exhilaratingly passionate, and "Bright Moon," sublimely sensual and soothing, and in the afterglow of that spellbinding moment, she disappeared. Go, purchase this, catch her live!
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Works of Akira Ifukube: 25-String Koto
Manufacturer: Camerata ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004RJ3Y Release Date: 2000-03-28 |
Tracks:
- Pipa Xing
- Chant de la Serinde
- Kugo-Ka
Customer Reviews:
Akira Ifukube & Keiko Nosaka at their best.......2002-09-05
The first piece, Pipa Xing, is inspired by a poem by Bo Ju-Yi, from the Tang Dynasty, telling of the shared misfortune of the poet and a "pipa" (lute) performer, both of whom had been relegated from prominent positions in the imperial court. "The composition borrows some aspects of the form of the poem, and has a free three-part structure." (Quotes are from the liner notes.) It is particularly fitting to use the 25-string koto for such a subject because a 25-stringed zither, called the "se", used to be performed in ancient China.
The second piece, Chant de la Serinde, is the shortest of the three and "is built up from an interplay between a slow, exotic melody in West-Asian style...and a section in rapid toccata style." The subject is the peoples who dwelled west of China in the days when the Silk Road was at its peak.
The final piece is Kugo-Ka. The title refers to the "konghou", a harp-like instrument that was played in West Asia, China and Japan until around the 8th century, and was included at one time in the "gagaku" (Japanese court music) tradition. Interestingly, the piece was composed for the guitar in 1969, and the score was unmodified for performance on the koto. This must have presented many technical challenges for Nosaka, as traditional koto technique involves predominantly the thumb of the right hand, but she rises to them effortlessly. "The piece is in ternary form (ABA'), with a stately introduction. Section A is an allegretto dominated by elegant wave-like figures composed of groups of thirty seconds. B is an adagio in a broad, ancient lyrical style."
If you have a vague knowledge of the traditional 13-string koto from "Melodies from Japan" style compilation CDs, often performed by former stars who have lost the power of their younger days, this CD may surprise you with its power, the range of the now 13-year-old 25-stringed version of the instrument, and the virtuosity of Nosaka, still the only prominent solo exponent of the instrument.
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Tales From the Cave
Manufacturer: Delos Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0002IQB1C Release Date: 2004-08-03 |
Tracks:
- Tales from the Cave
- Secluded Orchid
- Heng (Eternity)
- Five Elements: Metal
- Five Elements: Wood
- Five Elements: Water
- Five Elements: Fire
- Five Elements: Earth
- Valley Stream
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Classical Folk Music from China
Manufacturer: Arc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B0007D0AEQ Release Date: 2005-01-01 |
Tracks:
- Ninety-Nine Days Bright
- Dynasty
- Little Boat
- Happy Maid
- Waves and Sands
- Dream Till Tomorrow
- Golden Snake Dance
- Liang Xiao
- Bamboo Dance
- Gong Wu
- Beautiful Africa
- Nan Ni Village
- Return of the Fishing Boats
- Xiao Baicai
- Xiao Music at Midnight
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China: Contemporary Classical Music
Manufacturer: Ocora ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000068MNL Release Date: 2002-11-12 |
Tracks:
- Yu da Ba Jiao (The Rain Hits the Leaves of the Banana-Tree) - The Circle for Popular Art
- Hantian Lei (Thunder During a Drought) - The Circle for Popular Art
- Wujian Huange (The River Wu's Song of Joy) - The Circle for Popular Art, Zhan Yongming
- Hua Bangzi - The Circle for Popular Art, Meng Xiande
- Qi Ban - The Circle for Popular Art, Meng Xiande
- Wu Bangzi - Su Ruilin, Zhan Yongming
- Jindiao (Jin's Song) - Su Ruilin
- Zhao Jun Yan (The Lamentations of Zhao Jun)
- Xiao Yuer Gao (The Moon Is High)
- Han Que Zheng Mei (In Winter the Magpie Searches Desperately for ...)
- Long Chuan (Dragon-Boats)
- Ting Quan (Listening to the Brook) - Zhan Yongming
- Yangguan San Die (Three Variations on the Yangguan Pass) - Zhan Yongming
- Ahuangtai Qiu Si (Autumnal Dream Before the Dressing-Table) - Zhan Yongming
- San Wu Qi (Three-Five-Seven) - Zhan Yongming
- Xingjie (Passacaglia) - The Circle for Popular Art
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Sheng: Orchestral Works
Sheng , Gondek , Qiang , Wong , and Hong Kong Po Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00008IHVY Release Date: 2003-03-18 |
Tracks:
- Prelude
- Fanfare
- The Stream Flows
- The Three Gorges Of The Long River
- Chai Tou Feng
- Sheng Sheng Man
- Nanking! Nanking! A Threnody For Orchestra And Pipa
Customer Reviews:
Great Introduction to a Chinese Classical Composer.......2003-04-26
Sheng is sort of a Chinese version of a neo-romantic. The three works on this disc are all for large orchestra. All of the hallmarks of the younger generation of neo-romantics are there, infectious rhythm, dazzling orchestration, expansive statements, a dissonant harmonic language that borrows equally from Bartok and Stravinsky with occasional hints of even wilder influences such as Varese. Grafted onto this is a melodic idiom taken from Chinese sources and you have a vibrant, muscular but pleasing music indeed.
The first work on the album is China Dreams. The genesis of this work was in a number of different commissions that the composer recieved over the years 1992-95. The work is brilliantly scored and is a lot of fun to listen to. Though in passages it is quite dissonant, it is always tonal and extremely lyrical or rhythmic. The work does have the feeling of an occasional work though...in some ways it sounds like four separate overtures collected together in one piece. Given the style of commissioning in major American orchestras currently, this isn't surprising. A composer of Sheng's stature in the 90s would have been more likely to build a career through small "program openers" than through a major work...he's now graduated to the major work stage!
The Two Poems are much more modernist in flavor. The vocal line is definately influenced by Chinese vocal traditions, and you can hear some elements of traditional techniques in the orchestration, but for the most part this sounds like music one would expect from a young Columbia student in the 80s...dissonant, atonal and in many ways quite violent. In this work you can definately hear the influence of Sheng's teachers Chou Wen Chung, and Mario Davidovsky.
The third work is the prize of the CD. Nanking, Nanking is an extremely moving work. It is a personal response to the 1937 Nanking massacre. The work is not light, as it shouldn't be. The idiom is heavy with dissonance and tragedy. The work features a pipa soloist. The pipa is a traditional Chinese lute, very difficult to play. Normally, I find such mixtures of western and eastern instruments gimmicky or at least problematic, but in this work the pipa is beautifully integrated into the texture, neither clashing with, nor subordinating itself to the primarily western idiom of the orchestra.
So this is a great CD to use as an introduction to the composer. As far as I can tell the performances are terrific and the sound is full. Keep in mind, the work of this composer is not New Age (as Tan Dun can sometimes be.) He is modern, studied with arch modernists and still has much of that aesthetic in his work. Nanking particularly is not an easy listen. It is harrowing. But the work will stretch your ears and I believe it is well worth hearing.
World Music:
- Coisas de Rodeio [Import]
- Comportamento Geral [Import]
- Cuba: The Charanga
- Debout Sur Le Zinc [Import]
- Deluxe [Import]
- Deluxe [Import]
- Deluxe [Import]
- Double Fond [Import]
- Dub Meltdown
- Eden
World Music
Paul Robeson Voice of the People (best of)
Pimp Of The Century [Clean] [Enhanced]
Open Arms [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]
Robyn Hitchcock - Greatest Hits [Original recording remastered]