Art of the Chinese Flute (Eng)

by Miao Xiaoyun

Overview

An album focusing on the lutes of China, with nice works on the ruan and the pipa. Art of the Chinese Lute is a mix of ancient and more contemporary compositions. The ancient compositions work well, though the use of the bass ruan for some, and a heavy hand on the pipa in others may make them somewhat more forceful than one might normally hear in Chinese classical music. A highlight of these is "The Tyrant Took Off His Armour," a sister-work to the better-known "Great Ambush." Miao Xiaoyun takes the opportunity to show off her chops on the pipa quite well, but focuses somewhat on the emotional content of the scene rather than the usual battle focus. The contemporary pieces are centered around the Yunnan province, and are essentially a sophisticated medley of the many musical forms of the various ethnic groups in the region. The manner in which they're put together though is the key here, and Miao is able to take full advantage of the composition to show a much lighter side, and some melodic abilities in addition to the heavier ancient works. Between the old and new, she covers a good bit of ground, and with worthwhile ability. Worth a listen as a basic lute primer, though there are other, larger compilations out there to be heard as well. ~ Adam Greenberg

Product Details

Release Date:	05/11/2004
Label:	Arc Music
UPC:	0743037186421
Rank:	255438

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Miao Xiaoyun   Primary Artist,Tenor Ruan,Bass Ruan,Drums,Pipa
Professor Xu Pingxin   Yang Chin

Technical Credits

Liu Xing   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Pablo Carcamo   Engineer,Mixing
Miao Xiaoyun   Mixing
Barbara Papadopoulos   Layout Design,Typesetting
Jesse Reuben Wilson   Cover Design
Professor Xu Pingxin   Arranger,Mixing
Diz Heller   Pre-Mastering,Liner Notes