Concert at Yuen Long

After the Ping Shan Heritage Trail we went to the Yuen Long Theater for an afternoon concert by the Hong Kong City Chinese Orchestra.

The concert was very nice with a selection of 10 pieces over about 90 min.  The program notes were very interesting and presented in English as well as Chinese.   Afterwards I enjoyed looking up the Chinese places and stories that had inspired the pieces.   Below are some notes about the pieces I enjoyed most.

Flying Apsaras   "Flying Apsaras is a kind of mural painting found int he Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu, Northwest China.  It symbolizes the deities of freedom and joy.  The piece opens with a mysterious melody that conjures up a scene of Apsaras coming to life and flying out of the murals...  as the piece dance develops the graceful dance of the goddess becomes increasingly ebullient and reaches it climax...  the music gradually subsides as thought the dancing deities recede into the walls"

"Carved into the cliffs above the Dachuan River, the Mogao Caves south-east of the Dunhuang oasis, Gansu Province, comprise the largest, most richly endowed, and longest used treasure house of Buddhist art in the world. It was first constructed in 366AD and represents the great achievement of Buddhist art from the 4th to the 14th century. 492 caves are presently preserved, housing about 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2,000 painted sculptures.  (UNESCO link)

Mogao Caves

Listening to the Pines.    "One of the masterpieces of folk musician Hua Yanjun borrows inspiration from a rock engraved with he words 'listening to the pines' at the bottom of Huishan in Wuxi."

Xihui Park is located in the west of Wuxi City , named after Mountians Xi an Hui.   Mt Hui abounds with scenic spots and historical sites. Among them the most famous are Chunshen Ravine, Huishan Temple, and Pleasure Garden.   Huishan Temple is 1500 years old, built in the first years of Northern and Southern Dynasty.  The major relics preserved in the Huishan Temple are Ancient Huishan Gate, Imperial Tablet Pavilion, Stone House of Listening to Pines.

picture link

According to the historic records, Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong often came to the Xihui Park while they were traveling in south China.   Emperor Qianlong was so fond of the scenery in Pleasure Garden that he ordered to build an identical garden in Summer Palace named Garden of Harmonious Interests so that he could visit it in Beijing.   (source).   More recently I note that Wuxi city is sister-city to Hamilton NZ.

"Huishan tea party" by wen depicts Wen Zhengming and a few friends in Wuxi Huishan tea. Two people sit on the ground in chating well, Wen Zhengming unrolling odes, friends in the listening pines...  picture source

Lady Yangs Heavenly Dress.     "A Zheng concerto inspired by a traditional piece carrying characteristics of regional Shanxi opera with haunting expansive phrases and meandering lilt.  The drama of Lady Yangs life and how it ended in tragedy are told with emotive nuances..."

Poster for the 1955 Japanese film Princess Yang Kwei-Fei

"Yang Yuhuan 26 June 719 — 15 July 756, often known as Yang Guifei (literally: 'Imperial Consort Yang') was known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China.  She was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years....    During the An Lushan Rebellion, as Emperor Xuanzong and his cortege were fleeing from the capital Chang'an to Chengdu, the emperor's guards demanded that he put Yang to death because they blamed the rebellion on her cousin Yang Guozhong and the rest of her family. The emperor capitulated and reluctantly ordered his attendant Gao Lishi to strangle Yang to death".  (wiki link)

Lady Yang Guifei

'Honghu Capricco'.  This was a lovely Erhu arrangement based on Aria 'To See to it that All People in the World be Liberated' from the modern opera 'The Red Guards of Hong Lake' (1953, link).  According to the program notes "this piece poignantly portrays the Red Guards' vow to liberate the poor suffering people of Hong Lake from the feudal system".

Red Guards of Hong Lake - original opera

I find it interesting to note that at the time the Red Guards opera was written, about 100,000 refugees per month were fleeing to Hong Kong from the 'liberated' mainland (wiki link),  which more than doubled the territory's population from 1.2m in 1946 to 2.5 million in 1955!   (source).   I wonder if  mainland composers are now working on inspirational songs to support The Party's latest policies -  perhaps 'To see All the People are Liberated from Corruption!'.

In the foyer of the Yueng Long Theatre was an exhibition of students art work.  I was particularly struck by the painting below.  

If the iconography seems unclear, please refer to my earlier post (blog link).