Episódios

  • Melody of Ancient Chinese Wisdom: The Ruan

    Melody of Ancient Chinese Wisdom: The Ruan
    Dec 20 2018
    Explore the instrument that carries ancient Chinese wisdom dating back to over 9000 years in the past. The plucked instrument ruan has the capacity to convey the core cultural values of the Chinese people, purify the soul and inspire those who open themselves to its charm.
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    27 minutos
  • A Wider Range of Musical Capability: The Guzheng

    A Wider Range of Musical Capability: The Guzheng
    Feb 1 2019
    Having over 2500-years of history, the guzheng is never too archaic to integrate into modern society. In fact, it has marvelous musical capability that it can establish a musical intercourse with western opera; it works well with ancestral and new-age genres, and it symbolizes the quintessence of eastern civilization.
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    28 minutos
  • Ancestor of the Piano: the Yangqin

    Ancestor of the Piano: the Yangqin
    Jun 2 2019
    What does the ancestor of the piano sound and look like? Find out on Chords of China.
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    28 minutos
  • The Commander of an Ensemble: The Drum

    The Commander of an Ensemble: The Drum
    Jun 5 2019
    The drum might be as old as the Chinese history itself. According to recorded legend, ceramic drums appeared in the farthest reaches of antiquity. Drums have been part of almost every aspect of Chinese social life, including life at court, in religious ceremonies, in farming, and during war. The percussionist Zhu Jianping from the China National Traditional Orchestra joined us to talk about how he's combining the traditional sound of the Chinese drums with modern elements to keep it vibrant and relevant today.
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    25 minutos
  • The Sound of Common People: The Huqin

    The Sound of Common People: The Huqin
    Mar 12 2019
    Erhu is a daily accompaniment to the lives of a great many Chinese people. It is the most common member of the huqin, which is a family of Chinese bowed string instruments. In this episode, you will hear heartbreaking erhu music “The Moon over a Fountain” and the story behind this famous piece. Huqin instrumentalist Zhang Xuguang will lead us to the music world of huqin.
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    26 minutos
  • Humble but Beautiful: the Sheng

    Humble but Beautiful: the Sheng
    Feb 22 2019
    The sheng is a multi-reed mouth organ that consists of numerous bamboo pipes, varying in length. Some believe that the first shengs were brought to Europe in the 18th century, and enlightened the invention of western reed instruments. In this episode, you will hear heartwarming sounds and music from the famous sheng master, Wu Tong. He will lead us on a journey toward an enlightened understanding of not only the sheng’s history but also its uniqueness as an instrument of China’s ancient royalty.
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    28 minutos
  • Dizi, the Unique Sound of Nature

    Dizi, the Unique Sound of Nature
    Jan 30 2019
    The Dizi is a distinctive wind instrument, which is a kind of flute, expressive and capable of imitating the sounds of nature. The secret of its unique timbre lies in a tiny piece of reed membrane.
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    33 minutos
  • A Grand Story-teller: The Chinese Lute

    A Grand Story-teller: The Chinese Lute
    Jan 17 2019
    The pipa is a Chinese lute with a history dating back more than 2,000 years. It is reputed as 'the king of traditional Chinese instruments'. Its sounds can be aggressive and powerful, but also tender and romantic.
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    27 minutos