# Chinese Traditional Music



## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

Anyone else listen? Can't say I've heard that much (though I first became interested in it 10-ish years ago, long before my fascination with western classical), but I absolutely love it.

Pieces for various instruments 
http://www.sinohits.net/music/index.htm

A very famous piece for the Guqin, Flowing Water (also known as Flowing Streams)


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

I listen. And even thinking to learn at least Guzheng or Erhu or Pipa . I can do the Dizi and Xiao but only the basic thing. Not very familiar with famous piece on the repertoire, the only Chinese classical music I have now is a vocal work of Chinese folksongs, with mix of classical chinese instrument and modern.

And I think Singapore Chinese Orchestra do a lot of work to bring Chinese music to modern scene. the website http://sco.com.sg/english/index.1.html


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

It's pretty pleasant. At worst it reminds me of the background music in Chinese restaurants, but traditional music is pretty unidiomatic and nonconfrontational by definition, isn't it? I've got a Lei Qiang CD somewhere as a gift, he plays some pretty mean erhu.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I haven't heard any Chinese music, but I have a couple of traditional Vietnamese music CDs. My long time partner is Vietnamese, but she can't bear to listen to much of this stuff because she says it's so sad. I like the melodies, and I love Vietnamese singing. It's really beautiful. Very romantic too!


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## Head_case (Feb 5, 2010)

Hmmm...I don't really understand the idiom of the guqin - when I worked in China for the British government, most of the nationals I'd met didn't even know what it was, so it must be a very rarefied instrument, and maybe even harder to play.

I find it slower (to the point of dreary). One of the first concerts of chinese music I heard when I had a free afternoon, was to go and see this piece being played:











It's a solo guzheng piece - the girl playing it wasn't as good as this person but it was absolutely electrifying! The zither was amplified and she had wowed the whole concert hall like you wouldn't believe. A completely packed hall of old aged pensioners and me, screaming with ecstasy - whoops and hollers! like we were at our very first Take That concert.

I love the guzheng! This is the instrument which should wipe out all of those flippin' plonkety plonk pianos.

Jurianbai - cool to hear you play dizi and xiao. I love playing woodwind instruments more than people love hearing me play them.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

if only I could do the mysticism of circular breathing ....

It is interesting to see that music is traditonally already part of ancient "curriculum", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Arts_of_the_Chinese_Scholar, four arts for gentleman are : Music, Chess, Calligraphy and Painting.


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## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

I'm absolutely amazed by some Chinese folk music vocal technique. I was recently listening to a bunch of dudes from northern China singing Hua'er (I think?) folk songs. Any European classical tenor would kill to have a high head voice extension like these chaps! Some of them were soaring up to the F above tenor high C with no strain and sustaining notes up there with controlled vibrato. Madness.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

I like Chinese traditional/classical music. I don't know much about the pieces (who the composers were, when they wrote it etc.) but I enjoy it.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

one of my favorite instrument also, the Pipa. Here a piece from Yo yo Ma project Silk Road. this project consist of many "Silk Road" region instruments (for other videos by Silk Road Ensemble). Enjoy:


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

starthrower said:


> I haven't heard any Chinese music, but I have a couple of traditional Vietnamese music CDs. My long time partner is Vietnamese, but she can't bear to listen to much of this stuff because she says it's so sad. I like the melodies, and I love Vietnamese singing. It's really beautiful. Very romantic too!


Do you have the names of the CDs you have? I'm very interested


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