Customer Reviews

Masterpieces of Chinese Traditional Music

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a truly beautiful work. I've bought some CDs at the local record store and was very disappointed before I wised up and started looking through the reviews here at Amazon for some better material. This looks not like a Western collection, but like an actual Chinese CD. The liner notes have a rather melancholy feel to them, and this is reflected in some of the music showcased here -- piece number 4, Parting and Yang Guan, is particularly moving. The instruments evoke deep emotions; one in particular (I don't know what it is called, but it sounds like a violin) literally does not "play" but rather "sings" these sweet, expressive, minor-keyed melodies. The haunting voice of this instrument weaves itself all throughout the pieces, narrating stories that are foreign and yet very, very real to a western listener. This collection really deserve the title "Masterpieces". I only wish I knew where to find other works of this high quality.

If you prefer easy listening music or music with a minimum of high and low pitches and a minimum of loud and soft passages, much like music played in lounges, this album should please you. If you like Beethoven symphonies or Mingus jazz you would probably be happier with these albums: "Phases of the Moon"(full orchestra), "Classical Chinese Folk Music" or even "Music from the People's Republic".

I dissapointed in quality of album, songs too modern, not tradition enough. For real fan of chinese classical, sound not enough Chinese!!! Much song too westernized. You should like to try album of the title "Rain Dropping On The Banana Tree". It has the old songs actually record in old time, not much western influence, is more traditional opera and chamber music. Earliest date for song recorded on that album is 1903!!!!

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This CD is everything you could hope to find in an example of traditional Chinese music. It soothes, exites, and stirs the imagination. Buy this one first.

Except for the insertion of the cello which is obviously not a chinese trad instrument, the ensemble plays all pieces masterfully. Even with the cello the emotion of these chinese masterpieces are most beautifully performed on this cd. The sound quality is superb. I feel nauseated when listen to mixmatched traditional instruments with modern big sound westernized electrically special effected symphonized performance. There's places for improvisation and places for masterpieces. For oriental musics, art is a (only) way to express mood and emotion (culturally those people don't express their feelings in any other way). When listen to these musics I would suggest the listener let their feeling go with the music. Better yet if the story behind the music is understood. This is another aspect of the beauty of this cd, you could even feel the whole ensemble move as one unified sound from serene to excitement to lamentation to joy to sorrow to nostalgic to strength. Yet, true to its oriental tradition, each individual instrument clearly expresses its own beauty in each piece. It is not lounge music. It is not symphonic music. It is traditional chinese masterpiece.

ps. imagine people in asia would say the same thing about western symphonic music: that they are for elevator, oh no, elevator is not that popular in those poor third world countries so, they are for sleepy time :)

Those songs reminded me of my young schooling days sitting next to a musical hall, where beautiful trad Chinese music was practiced non-stop. Little did I know that those days influenced me well into my adulthood, was I lucky to have day dreamed away in my math class, being carried away with those fabulous musical pieces. Thank heavens.

Eight years ago I turned all of my property into oriental gardens. This is the music that I always heard in the background.

A great introduction to Chinese Music. Very beautiful orchestrations. I bought this cd because I am learning the Chinese language and wanted to absorb the culture. It paints beautiful mental imagery of China in my mind whenever I listen to it.

i love love love instrumental music and im really fasinated with the asian culture i loved the cd its soothing beautiful and when you hear it you can feel yourself unwinding and relaxing after a long hard day...bravo!

I ordered this album to play while practicing TaiChi and QiGong, and found it quite appropriate for the moment. It is rather accessible, as some know it is not always easy to relate to the eastern culture. I felt transported to another world and time. I would definitely recommend it.