Masterpieces of Chinese Music: A Musical Performance by Music from China

Learn more about the exhibition Eccentric Visions: The Worlds of Luo Ping (1733—1799), on view at the Met October 6, 2009—January 10, 2010: The rich sonorities and compelling melodies of Chinese music are invoked on string instruments consisting of the erhu and related two-string fiddles, pipa (lute), zheng (long, plucked zither), ruan (moon guitar), and yangqin (hammered dulcimer). The ensemble Music from China performs masterworks from the Chinese classical and folk repertoire with an array of stylistic variations, timbral colors, and musical imagery. The program includes such immortal classical compositions as Ambush on Ten Sides, a powerful re-creation of a third-century battle scene, and the romance with nature of A Moonlit River in Spring. Folk music selections span China’s broad landscape, from the urban sophistication of Shanghai and Guangzhou (Canton) to the vast expanse of the Mongolian steppes.