It is always a great affair, the Bandu’s irregular concert salon, for Chinese traditional and ethnic minorities’ music enthusiasts. Bandu was an independent music workshop sited in 50 Moganshan Road that I heard several years ago. The plan for a visit was made long time ago, but it never got realized till last Saturday.
“If you have never been to 50 Moganshan Road, you are out of Shanghai’s art loop” reads from an article of Shanghai Daily. True enough, among Shanghai’s white-collar, being artsy is labeled as one of the criterion of “in fashion”, or otherwise, you have announced to discard the advantage of enjoying the modern life.
On Saturday, I wrapped up early at Shanghai museum and headed directly to the art zone. Along Suzhou creek, everything has been modified to keep pace with China’s economic evolution, new apartments erect like after-rain’s bamboo shouts, taxies and private cars traverse across the city. But walking past a modern residential area and turn left, a row of former factories and warehouses suddenly brought you back to the Mao times.
Of course, people have good reason to spend a day to feel the flair reminiscent of the scene. They may come here to capture an art exhibition’s opening ceremony, or buy a painting for their new decorated house, or share ideas with the artists in residence, or even dating. Outside a half-discarded bar, two girls were taking photos with an old-style bicycle sitting under the window, trying to freeze the interesting spot they found and a good memory.
To be convenient, I inquired the destination from a complex guard standing at the gate; he nicely pointed the way with a strong Shanghainese accent, “Walk along the lane, Bandu music is located right at the opposite of the tallest building in the zone”.
A wood-board carved with four Chinese characters “半度音乐” (Bandu music) confirmed me of the place for tonight’s live concert. I arrived two hours before the starting time and the staffs were still busy setting things up. Without disturbing them, I began to study the small cozy venue.
It is of a normal primary-school classroom size, and the owner divides the room into two function areas, the office and the bar. On two sides of the bar wall, CDs that are hardly seen in other music shops were displayed on the wall racks with prices labels of “BANDU 70RMB” and “BANDU 80RMB”, most are from the founder Liu Xing and the musicians it wants to promote. Under the rack, there are a few Chinese traditional music instruments for visitors to touch and feel.
Without spending too much effort had I finished peering around, I decided to sit at the corner and read Agatha Christy’s The Bartram's Hotel while listening to pure traditional music. In Shanghai nowadays, a place of tranquility is expensive, or in the other words, I was temporarily enjoying a place of plain luxury with lots of content going on in the atmosphere.
Only after a few pages, the tenders started to move chairs and benches into a triangle-shaped back pantry. It suddenly drew on me with a haven of peace and happiness. Old as they were, the bamboos and wood pillars had gone off in splendid style, as long as anyone could remember. The performance area can merely be called a stage, only a stool was served with a cement background at the back. Peeling up over the pillar, a glass ceiling protects you from bad weather while doesn’t disconnect you from the outside world. The real beauty I found out later was that, the performers’ movements could be reflected on the glass during the night for the back-row audiences to appreciate.
The night finally came down and the small pantry was occupied as it always has been. All attention was drawn to the 2 square-meter stage with two beams of dim lights crossing over to Lu Shasha, one of the three musicians. Everyone is expecting.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
q-bic: Design from life
“One’s eyes must be open to everything, whether it is architecture, technology, nature, art, travel or film, everything can be an inspiration.” says Markus Denstädt. The young and productive German designer started his journey in furniture design early in his career. His design solutions, whether formally or functionally, are from all areas of life. It is also true of q-bic, one of his early designs for art.collection which was acquired by Haworth.Denstädt considers his q-bic sofa to be an example of cubist furniture design, which has a simple, comprehensible language of form but still with its own, distinctive character. Specifically, the legs were designed to make a counterpoint against the heavy body, thus the sofa appears to be floating above the ground. Though every detail is elaborate, q-bic is nonetheless committed to result in a timeless and durable product.
In q-bic, explore two different forms interposed together - a strong three-dimensional curved surface on the inside to compress dimensions and concise lines on the outside. You can sink into the curves and feel protected within the hard geometric exterior and safe in the soft, warm inside, says Denstädt.
“Certainly, the rounded edge in the front contributes to ergonomics and prevents pressure against the knees. The design is relatively low in elevation so that the furniture is more communicative. The constant-height seat back and armrest allows users to sit dynamically,” adds Denstädt.
It is classical modernism. Applied to different environments, q-bic changes its interpretation with its surroundings. The restrained and timeless design fits in office facilities as well as private homes. Product is not overly conspicuous so it remains compatible with various styles.
“Designing is the search for optimal and lasting solutions. Always take the aspects of the current, the sensual and the modern into consideration, never the aspect of fashionable style fads,” says Denstädt. He creates his own design interpretation. Whenever he creates, he picks up styles from classical modernism, the 60s and from subsequent decades but he does not overvalue those influences. Instead, functionality, timeliness, sensuality and modernity are the essentials immersed in his design language. Denstädt wants his design to be understandable and comprehensible.
Besides being a successful designer, Denstädt is also big on experiencing life. For inspiration, he likes taking strolls at the endless sandy beaches of Portugal and then settle down to a nice beach-side café with a view to the sea and witness the sun going down.
When asked about his favorite weekend activities, he found it hard to find a simple answer, but came to a poetic conclusion. “To meet whom I like. Eat what I love. Read what captivates me. See what fascinates me. Experience what surprises me.”
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Discovering Fritz Hansen’s birthplace
It might be too ambitious to claim that I know Copenhagen from a mere three-day stay, but the excitement started six months ago and built up even as we grew our sales of elegant Danish designed Fritz Hansen furniture. The contest announced in March 1st allowed our top FH sales – and myself as partnership liaison – to receive brand training in Fritz Hansen’s birthplace.
Haworth appreciates Fritz Hansen’s design philosophies and see it a very significant partner within the AP regions. Adding Fritz Hansen accents to tenders can be and have been the differentiation from our competitors to win sales of Haworth systems and seating.
None among our party of five had landed in Europe before and our nerves were enlightened by the curiosity that we seem not to even remember the tiring and fully-packed ten-hour flight or the time lag when we arrive at Frankfurt for a changeover. As a curiosity, we spot a random display of the Series 7 chairs which make our surroundings seem less alien.
The plane to Copenhagen is not as much as packed, indicating that we are going to a kingdom with only one-quarter the population of Shanghai. Two hours later, Copenhagen airport strikes us with the first impression – This really is a design kingdom!
Once we arrived at the renowned Radisson SAS Royal hotel, the receptionist recognized us right away and gave us a friendly greeting, “We are waiting for you to check in as Fritz Hansen has already booked the rooms for you.” As carefully as Fritz Hansen treated their products, we were arranged into three corner rooms to have better views. On our first night in Copenhagen, it took us long time to fall asleep contemplating our discoveries yet to come.
I woke up at 5:00am in the morning, listening to the traffic rhythm. Leaning on the window sill, I started to enjoy every minute in the Nordic land and wait for the brightening up of the sky. It is too great a luxury to let the time pass without experiencing every aspect of the place.
The hotel was designed entirely by Arne Jacobsen 50 years ago when the life style was fully interpreted by his famous Egg, Swan and other design details. Later, we learnt that each standard room was decorated by two Swan chairs, one Series 7 and one PK product.
Lily and Seven bar stools dominated the cafeteria when we went to breakfast. Unlike other high-end hotel cafeterias, this one has more academic feelings, even onto the food; we thought it was due to the exclusive interior design and Arne Jacobsen’s classic furniture.
Taking taxi in Copenhagen is also an expensive experience; but the cabby was very friendly and explained a lot on the reasons for the high price such as taxes and reselling policy. It was quite a pleasant way to Fritz Hansen’s Vassingerod factory since there were so many interesting views. Everything here shows the seamless combination of nature and human activities. Even the birds seem to walk freely on the sidewalks and show they are proud of being Copenhagen citizens.
The ride was so cozy the 30km ride passed really fast and our hearts were deeply touched by seeing a Chinese flag, hanging paralleled to the Danish one. We felt extremely honored as it was Fritz Hansen’s tradition of welcoming guests from countries all over the world and see what they understand providing great customer experience. We had arrived at Fritz Hansen’s newer factory which was established at the beginning of the new millennium.
Leaving the taxi, we were received by Kit, our Fritz Hansen tour guide. After a brief and warm introduction, she brought us to Fritz Hansen’s grand showroom. This is an exquisitely designed space in which every portion was fully utilized to express powerful brand feelings and stories behind. Kit told us that every time she enters the place, she could feel new things even though she’s come hundreds of times. We couldn’t agree more and were astonished by the stunning display. We felt regret at having such a short stay yet more surprises were waiting for us.
We traversed a colorful room and then arrived at a high-tech factory. This is the birthplace of Ant, Series 7 and other products which involve plywood technology and processing. Our guide stopped at each key step which lead up to the final product. I find similar production criteria between Fritz Hansen’s furniture and Chinese Ming and Qing porcelain wares.
There aren’t many menial workers in the factory since half of the manufacturing is controlled by a pre-programmed system. However, Fritz Hansen design and quality relies on procedures which require skilled workmanship and are managed by experienced artisans. Our colleague Rahul unexpectedly came across an Indian worker who had worked for Fritz Hansen since 1990 which made him rather proud.
The last agenda and the icing on the cake in the Vassingerod factory was to visit the Fritz Hansen museum. The great tale started from a farsighted Danish cabinetmaker Mr. Fritz Hansen 136 years ago and evolved through creative partnerships with visionary designers and architects such as Hans J. Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, and Poul Kjalholm and now has grown into a global brand with great commercial success in the 21st century.
With a great amount of valuable knowledge, we then left for the second stop – Fritz Hansen’s headquarter at Allerod, only 5 minutes drive from Vassingerod.
The building itself is a preserved architectural artifact and the refurbished building houses the factory and administration to make an efficient system. Welcoming us is a set of PK products; the 9999 clothing rack took care of all our belongings.
The administrative offices are arranged with great flexibility and the application of Fritz Hansen furniture adds enjoyment to the day to day work. The office tour involved many different functional departments terminating at the chief executive office. It was simple, outspoken and dedicating of Fritz Hansen’s philosophy of timelessness, pure, original and sculpture.
The most fun part was the meeting with Hans, Fritz Hansen’s passionate professional who mastered all knowledge of leather testing and stitching for Egg and Swan. We even underwent an apprenticeship of to try sewing the leather for Swan chair and deeply realized the difficulty and pure craftsmanship in creating one of the most elegant chairs in the world. On Hans’ exclusive workspace, there was a picture of him with the Danish King some years ago.
With all the beautiful memories of the Fritz Hansen tour, we left the picturesque and well-organized company land.
Following up the agenda, we went to see Louisiana Museum of Modern Art located directly on the shore of the Øresund in Humlebæk 35 kilometers north of Copenhagen. A corner in the entry way of the 1958 established museum was beautifully accented by Poul Kjalholm’s PK31, and the monumental PK80 daybed adorned the exquisite Giacometti room. A group of Series 7 brightened up the children’s play ground on the way to the seashore. We suddenly realized how powerful Fritz Hansen furniture is to add special meaning to the already graceful museum.
On the way to the hotel, a hot discussion took place on how to bring the wonderful design culture to China and India. We’ve already started the journey and will work continuously to bring the stories of the 136 year-old Fritz Hansen to the oriental lands.
Haworth appreciates Fritz Hansen’s design philosophies and see it a very significant partner within the AP regions. Adding Fritz Hansen accents to tenders can be and have been the differentiation from our competitors to win sales of Haworth systems and seating.
None among our party of five had landed in Europe before and our nerves were enlightened by the curiosity that we seem not to even remember the tiring and fully-packed ten-hour flight or the time lag when we arrive at Frankfurt for a changeover. As a curiosity, we spot a random display of the Series 7 chairs which make our surroundings seem less alien.
The plane to Copenhagen is not as much as packed, indicating that we are going to a kingdom with only one-quarter the population of Shanghai. Two hours later, Copenhagen airport strikes us with the first impression – This really is a design kingdom!
Once we arrived at the renowned Radisson SAS Royal hotel, the receptionist recognized us right away and gave us a friendly greeting, “We are waiting for you to check in as Fritz Hansen has already booked the rooms for you.” As carefully as Fritz Hansen treated their products, we were arranged into three corner rooms to have better views. On our first night in Copenhagen, it took us long time to fall asleep contemplating our discoveries yet to come.
I woke up at 5:00am in the morning, listening to the traffic rhythm. Leaning on the window sill, I started to enjoy every minute in the Nordic land and wait for the brightening up of the sky. It is too great a luxury to let the time pass without experiencing every aspect of the place.
The hotel was designed entirely by Arne Jacobsen 50 years ago when the life style was fully interpreted by his famous Egg, Swan and other design details. Later, we learnt that each standard room was decorated by two Swan chairs, one Series 7 and one PK product.
Lily and Seven bar stools dominated the cafeteria when we went to breakfast. Unlike other high-end hotel cafeterias, this one has more academic feelings, even onto the food; we thought it was due to the exclusive interior design and Arne Jacobsen’s classic furniture.
Taking taxi in Copenhagen is also an expensive experience; but the cabby was very friendly and explained a lot on the reasons for the high price such as taxes and reselling policy. It was quite a pleasant way to Fritz Hansen’s Vassingerod factory since there were so many interesting views. Everything here shows the seamless combination of nature and human activities. Even the birds seem to walk freely on the sidewalks and show they are proud of being Copenhagen citizens.
The ride was so cozy the 30km ride passed really fast and our hearts were deeply touched by seeing a Chinese flag, hanging paralleled to the Danish one. We felt extremely honored as it was Fritz Hansen’s tradition of welcoming guests from countries all over the world and see what they understand providing great customer experience. We had arrived at Fritz Hansen’s newer factory which was established at the beginning of the new millennium.
Leaving the taxi, we were received by Kit, our Fritz Hansen tour guide. After a brief and warm introduction, she brought us to Fritz Hansen’s grand showroom. This is an exquisitely designed space in which every portion was fully utilized to express powerful brand feelings and stories behind. Kit told us that every time she enters the place, she could feel new things even though she’s come hundreds of times. We couldn’t agree more and were astonished by the stunning display. We felt regret at having such a short stay yet more surprises were waiting for us.
We traversed a colorful room and then arrived at a high-tech factory. This is the birthplace of Ant, Series 7 and other products which involve plywood technology and processing. Our guide stopped at each key step which lead up to the final product. I find similar production criteria between Fritz Hansen’s furniture and Chinese Ming and Qing porcelain wares.
There aren’t many menial workers in the factory since half of the manufacturing is controlled by a pre-programmed system. However, Fritz Hansen design and quality relies on procedures which require skilled workmanship and are managed by experienced artisans. Our colleague Rahul unexpectedly came across an Indian worker who had worked for Fritz Hansen since 1990 which made him rather proud.
The last agenda and the icing on the cake in the Vassingerod factory was to visit the Fritz Hansen museum. The great tale started from a farsighted Danish cabinetmaker Mr. Fritz Hansen 136 years ago and evolved through creative partnerships with visionary designers and architects such as Hans J. Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, and Poul Kjalholm and now has grown into a global brand with great commercial success in the 21st century.
With a great amount of valuable knowledge, we then left for the second stop – Fritz Hansen’s headquarter at Allerod, only 5 minutes drive from Vassingerod.
The building itself is a preserved architectural artifact and the refurbished building houses the factory and administration to make an efficient system. Welcoming us is a set of PK products; the 9999 clothing rack took care of all our belongings.
The administrative offices are arranged with great flexibility and the application of Fritz Hansen furniture adds enjoyment to the day to day work. The office tour involved many different functional departments terminating at the chief executive office. It was simple, outspoken and dedicating of Fritz Hansen’s philosophy of timelessness, pure, original and sculpture.
The most fun part was the meeting with Hans, Fritz Hansen’s passionate professional who mastered all knowledge of leather testing and stitching for Egg and Swan. We even underwent an apprenticeship of to try sewing the leather for Swan chair and deeply realized the difficulty and pure craftsmanship in creating one of the most elegant chairs in the world. On Hans’ exclusive workspace, there was a picture of him with the Danish King some years ago.
With all the beautiful memories of the Fritz Hansen tour, we left the picturesque and well-organized company land.
Following up the agenda, we went to see Louisiana Museum of Modern Art located directly on the shore of the Øresund in Humlebæk 35 kilometers north of Copenhagen. A corner in the entry way of the 1958 established museum was beautifully accented by Poul Kjalholm’s PK31, and the monumental PK80 daybed adorned the exquisite Giacometti room. A group of Series 7 brightened up the children’s play ground on the way to the seashore. We suddenly realized how powerful Fritz Hansen furniture is to add special meaning to the already graceful museum.
On the way to the hotel, a hot discussion took place on how to bring the wonderful design culture to China and India. We’ve already started the journey and will work continuously to bring the stories of the 136 year-old Fritz Hansen to the oriental lands.
Grand Mountains and Placid Waters: The Guzheng speaks with many voices in China
Music begins where words end, said the famous German romanticism poet Goethe. Though fluent in two languages, I wanted to seek a deeper and more universal form of communication. This inspiration is what spurred my determination to learn an instrument.
Soon after I became financially independent, I bought a Guzheng from a small but pleasant shop, where I eagerly booked my first lessons. The road of Guzheng studying was not always laced with sunshine and flowers, especially in the basic skills training period. The practice was all tedious and tiresome; you could only hear the sound of “tang-tang-tang…” rather than the soulful Guzheng pieces as played by the masters. After a few days practice, my fingers hurt and calluses appeared on my fingertips on my left hand. However difficult the path was, I just had to meet it and live it.
My confidence and interest grew whenever I made progress since it’s always encouraging to imagine that one day I could perform at the center of a stage wearing my favorite Qi Pao, like many other Guzheng masters I adored.
Chief among my Guzheng heroes is Wang Zhongshan, crowned “China’s Guzheng King”. His name, I believe, has hindered his success. If you read the name the other way round, it represents king of the mountain. In China nowadays, when Guzheng is mentioned, people always think about the young master.
From a Zheng friend, I learned that Wang would perform at He Luting Concert Hall in Shanghai Conservatory of Music in the upcoming week. Without thinking, I reserved one ticket at a premium seat. The countdown to the performance day for me was hard as anticipation grew. Finally, it came!
Shanghai Conservatory of Music is one of the very few colleges situated in the French concession. The old Shanghai is well preserved in this region by its art nouveau characters. Within the campus, the buildings formed harmonies with the aged pine trees. They have witnessed China’s musical evolution and the greatest musicians who have cultivated the music flourished in the 20th century, including He Luting. The concert hall is named after him to commemorate his grand contribution to China’s music field.
I arrived twenty minutes before the concert started; the entrance has already been packed with Guzheng enthusiasts. The crowds kept filing into the venue, mothers with children, teachers with students, boyfriends with girlfriends, husbands with wives and, the single ones. After finding my seat, I began to wonder how the legend Guzhengnist looks. The atmosphere was filled with anxiety by the time the clock read seven thirty.
Wang still hadn’t appeared ten minutes after the scheduled starting time. There came some impatient noise from the audience, murmuring and fussing on the causes for the unpunctuality. After a while, the master of ceremony finally showed up in the limelight on the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for presenting at Wang Zhongshan’s solo Guzheng concert. First, I would like to briefly introduce Wang…; now let’s welcome the young master.” Everyone held their breath and the time ceased for a moment until the thunderous welcoming applause broke the stillness. Wang walked out from the left side of the stage, took hold of the microphone and bowed gently to his fans. The Zhongshan suit and western-style pan made him a more academic looking. He greeted the audience with exceptional politeness. We then knew it was because of a group of forty Suzhou students, whose bus got jammed due to a car accident that caused the delay.
His gentleness and amiable personality soon eased the atmosphere and brought people back to the concert itself. The hall dimmed with only a string of light featuring the stage center.
The opening piece was “The rhythm of Han River” (Han Jiang Yun). Like other watershed areas, Han River has nurtured generations of residences living alongside. Composer Qiao Jinwen created the music immix with He Nan’s local opera tone. The bright vivacious strain depicts the happiness and impassioned scene of working people. Wang hails from He Nan, so he has a special affection with this song thus always brings to his concerts home and abroad.
Wang walked to the center again with four female Guzheng accompaniments dressing in red, white, blue and pink Qi Pao separately. It was such a visual feast that almost drove my attention away from the performance itself. When the music started, the energy from the whole space suddenly came to the twenty-one strings. We, like disarmed soldiers, were captured and captivated by his magic music world.
The second small piece “Wine Mad” (Jiu Kuang) is one of the most popular melodies in the modern Guqin repertoire. Wang has successfully adapted it into Guzheng music. With the rhythm of early Chinese music, Wang musically referred the bohemian poet, drinker and recluse Ruan Ji.
Nobody can do everything well, including a concert Guzhengnist. Even though Wang had tried to represent the sadness of “Hometown affection” (Xiang Yun) at full stream, my mind couldn’t give him a full mark, which was preconceived by Yuan Sha, another Guzhengnist’s interpretation.
“When wind starts to blow, the world gets pretty. Tears drop with thankfulness, rather than the scattered rain. Heart, like a vine row, climbs upwards, and I, feel the spring rhythm with the green impulse.” Wang Zhongshan is an outstanding poet besides being the Guzheng king, which was beyond my expectation. However, all art forms have connections. He composed the music of “Heart pulse” out of his thankfulness heart to the world and this night, it deeply affected the audience.
Though the history has brought Chinese people out of the extremely obsessive era for Peking Opera, it is still popular among the nation. As flamenco to Spanish, Peking Opera has been genuinely implanted into Chinese people’s blood. “Deep Night” is such a masterpiece that made everyone so cheerful and all of a sudden, people have forgotten the sadness and museful emotion from the last few pieces.
With heavy applause and flower bouquets, the concert flew into a half-time break. I walked out of the seat and took a small path to breath in flesh air. People were discussing the past performance, everyone was enjoying.
Fifteen minutes was not long, soon we came to the second half of the performance. “Dance of Yi Tribe” (Yi Zu Wu Qu) was his first well-known work. Wang has added more flavor to the original Pi Pa music by his exceptional techniques and expression.
Broken string indicates the encounter of bosom friends. The old Chinese saying unpredictably happened to the piece that Wang wrote to his respectful mentor Li Wanfen who led him into the golden career. As one of the most fruitful teachers himself, his thankfulness to his mentor has affected us as well as the strings.
“The death” built in Tibet music style while the last piece “Yellow River Spirit” represented Chinese people’s admiration to our mother river. The chords move like waves surging in the sea. After Wang’s last note, the audience were cheered up and asked him for one more.
“I haven’t had supper yet”, Wang’s humorous words made everyone laugh, “but to show my appreciation, I’ll play one more. And this time, I’ll play an easy but the most representative Guzheng piece – Yu Zhou Chang Wan (fishing boats in twilight)”. Different from the previous repertoires, this was very relaxing and peaceful.
However, the audiences were still not satisfied, master was also very grateful for the thrilling scene. He exceptionally accepted the request of playing one more, which he did high score at his early career – Hunting tigers in the mountain, which has push the atmosphere to the peak.
Wang has conquered the audience with both his talents and character. With the conclusion of the concert, I was still indulged in after sound of his powerful music.
I walked on Huaihai Road, from the French concession to People’s Square. The neon lights have brightened the night road, while the sound of “Fishing boats in twilight” echoed from a remote area…
Soon after I became financially independent, I bought a Guzheng from a small but pleasant shop, where I eagerly booked my first lessons. The road of Guzheng studying was not always laced with sunshine and flowers, especially in the basic skills training period. The practice was all tedious and tiresome; you could only hear the sound of “tang-tang-tang…” rather than the soulful Guzheng pieces as played by the masters. After a few days practice, my fingers hurt and calluses appeared on my fingertips on my left hand. However difficult the path was, I just had to meet it and live it.
My confidence and interest grew whenever I made progress since it’s always encouraging to imagine that one day I could perform at the center of a stage wearing my favorite Qi Pao, like many other Guzheng masters I adored.
Chief among my Guzheng heroes is Wang Zhongshan, crowned “China’s Guzheng King”. His name, I believe, has hindered his success. If you read the name the other way round, it represents king of the mountain. In China nowadays, when Guzheng is mentioned, people always think about the young master.
From a Zheng friend, I learned that Wang would perform at He Luting Concert Hall in Shanghai Conservatory of Music in the upcoming week. Without thinking, I reserved one ticket at a premium seat. The countdown to the performance day for me was hard as anticipation grew. Finally, it came!
Shanghai Conservatory of Music is one of the very few colleges situated in the French concession. The old Shanghai is well preserved in this region by its art nouveau characters. Within the campus, the buildings formed harmonies with the aged pine trees. They have witnessed China’s musical evolution and the greatest musicians who have cultivated the music flourished in the 20th century, including He Luting. The concert hall is named after him to commemorate his grand contribution to China’s music field.
I arrived twenty minutes before the concert started; the entrance has already been packed with Guzheng enthusiasts. The crowds kept filing into the venue, mothers with children, teachers with students, boyfriends with girlfriends, husbands with wives and, the single ones. After finding my seat, I began to wonder how the legend Guzhengnist looks. The atmosphere was filled with anxiety by the time the clock read seven thirty.
Wang still hadn’t appeared ten minutes after the scheduled starting time. There came some impatient noise from the audience, murmuring and fussing on the causes for the unpunctuality. After a while, the master of ceremony finally showed up in the limelight on the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for presenting at Wang Zhongshan’s solo Guzheng concert. First, I would like to briefly introduce Wang…; now let’s welcome the young master.” Everyone held their breath and the time ceased for a moment until the thunderous welcoming applause broke the stillness. Wang walked out from the left side of the stage, took hold of the microphone and bowed gently to his fans. The Zhongshan suit and western-style pan made him a more academic looking. He greeted the audience with exceptional politeness. We then knew it was because of a group of forty Suzhou students, whose bus got jammed due to a car accident that caused the delay.
His gentleness and amiable personality soon eased the atmosphere and brought people back to the concert itself. The hall dimmed with only a string of light featuring the stage center.
The opening piece was “The rhythm of Han River” (Han Jiang Yun). Like other watershed areas, Han River has nurtured generations of residences living alongside. Composer Qiao Jinwen created the music immix with He Nan’s local opera tone. The bright vivacious strain depicts the happiness and impassioned scene of working people. Wang hails from He Nan, so he has a special affection with this song thus always brings to his concerts home and abroad.
Wang walked to the center again with four female Guzheng accompaniments dressing in red, white, blue and pink Qi Pao separately. It was such a visual feast that almost drove my attention away from the performance itself. When the music started, the energy from the whole space suddenly came to the twenty-one strings. We, like disarmed soldiers, were captured and captivated by his magic music world.
The second small piece “Wine Mad” (Jiu Kuang) is one of the most popular melodies in the modern Guqin repertoire. Wang has successfully adapted it into Guzheng music. With the rhythm of early Chinese music, Wang musically referred the bohemian poet, drinker and recluse Ruan Ji.
Nobody can do everything well, including a concert Guzhengnist. Even though Wang had tried to represent the sadness of “Hometown affection” (Xiang Yun) at full stream, my mind couldn’t give him a full mark, which was preconceived by Yuan Sha, another Guzhengnist’s interpretation.
“When wind starts to blow, the world gets pretty. Tears drop with thankfulness, rather than the scattered rain. Heart, like a vine row, climbs upwards, and I, feel the spring rhythm with the green impulse.” Wang Zhongshan is an outstanding poet besides being the Guzheng king, which was beyond my expectation. However, all art forms have connections. He composed the music of “Heart pulse” out of his thankfulness heart to the world and this night, it deeply affected the audience.
Though the history has brought Chinese people out of the extremely obsessive era for Peking Opera, it is still popular among the nation. As flamenco to Spanish, Peking Opera has been genuinely implanted into Chinese people’s blood. “Deep Night” is such a masterpiece that made everyone so cheerful and all of a sudden, people have forgotten the sadness and museful emotion from the last few pieces.
With heavy applause and flower bouquets, the concert flew into a half-time break. I walked out of the seat and took a small path to breath in flesh air. People were discussing the past performance, everyone was enjoying.
Fifteen minutes was not long, soon we came to the second half of the performance. “Dance of Yi Tribe” (Yi Zu Wu Qu) was his first well-known work. Wang has added more flavor to the original Pi Pa music by his exceptional techniques and expression.
Broken string indicates the encounter of bosom friends. The old Chinese saying unpredictably happened to the piece that Wang wrote to his respectful mentor Li Wanfen who led him into the golden career. As one of the most fruitful teachers himself, his thankfulness to his mentor has affected us as well as the strings.
“The death” built in Tibet music style while the last piece “Yellow River Spirit” represented Chinese people’s admiration to our mother river. The chords move like waves surging in the sea. After Wang’s last note, the audience were cheered up and asked him for one more.
“I haven’t had supper yet”, Wang’s humorous words made everyone laugh, “but to show my appreciation, I’ll play one more. And this time, I’ll play an easy but the most representative Guzheng piece – Yu Zhou Chang Wan (fishing boats in twilight)”. Different from the previous repertoires, this was very relaxing and peaceful.
However, the audiences were still not satisfied, master was also very grateful for the thrilling scene. He exceptionally accepted the request of playing one more, which he did high score at his early career – Hunting tigers in the mountain, which has push the atmosphere to the peak.
Wang has conquered the audience with both his talents and character. With the conclusion of the concert, I was still indulged in after sound of his powerful music.
I walked on Huaihai Road, from the French concession to People’s Square. The neon lights have brightened the night road, while the sound of “Fishing boats in twilight” echoed from a remote area…
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