Xuefei Yang – Sketches of China (2020) [FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz]

Acclaimed Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yangreleases a new double-album -Sketches of China -featuring a unique collection of works ranging from the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) to the 21st Century, many of which are world premiere recordings. For this album, Xuefei has sought out and arranged poignantly beautiful traditional melodies, commissioned new works from leading Chinese composers and collaborated with colleagues who are the musical superstars in her native land.The first single from the album, A Lovely Rose arranged by Renchang Fu, is available to buy and stream now. The album pairs orchestral works (RenchangFu conducting the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra) with duets featuring traditional Chinese instruments (Weiliang Zhang on xiao and Sha Yuan on guzheng), in addition to solo guitar tracks. Through this album, Xuefei aims to share the rich sound world of Chinese classical music with audiences all over the world.

Xuefei Yang’s Sketches of China was released on the Decca label’s Chinese branch but has become a commercial success in the West (as well as, presumably, in China). No doubt this is partly because Yang has already released several well-received albums of Western music, but it’s more than that. The album, in spite of the fact that it comprises exclusively Chinese selections and is presented as a return to the artist’s roots (as a professional classical guitarist Yang is virtually a pioneer in her homeland), occupies a space between East and West that will exert fascination over listeners from both regions. Yang’s program takes a synoptic approach, drawing selections from Chinese traditional music dating back centuries and includes contemporary works as well; Tan Dun’s Seven Desires is an accessible work that will certainly appeal to lovers of the composer’s film scores. Moreover, she draws on the music of China’s ethnic minorities, including that of the persecuted Uighur culture of the far west. Yang uses her own guitar arrangements as well as those of others, and she plays not only solo guitar but duets with Chinese traditional instruments and a few guitar-and-orchestra pieces, joined by the Xiamen Philharmonic under Renchang Fu. Thus, there are two separate forms of fusion happening here: first, there is the act of rendering Chinese tradition on an instrument external to it, and second is the large variety of music being presented. The result is a kaleidoscopic procession in which Yang’s guitar, by turns, stays close to its usual Western sounds and imitates such Chinese instruments as the qin, pipa, and liuqin. The range of sounds coming out of the guitar is startling, and Decca’s engineering team does them justice. A landmark release, not only of guitar music but of the growing interaction between Chinese and Western musical cultures. – James Manheim

Tracklist

1. Xuefei Yang – A Lovely Rose (Arr. Renchang Fu)
2. Xuefei Yang – Flower Drum(Arr. Xuefei Yang)
3. Xuefei Yang – A Moonlit Night on the Spring River(Arr. Xuefei Yang)
4. Xuefei Yang – Silver Clouds Chasing the Moon(Arr. Xuefei Yang)
5. Xuefei Yang – Hujia(Arr. Weiliang Zhang)
6. Xuefei Yang – White Snow in the Spring Sunlight(Arr. Xuefei Yang)
7. Xuefei Yang – Yao Dance(Arr. Xuefei Yang)
8. Xuefei Yang – Everlasting Longing(Arr. Sha Yuan)
9. Xuefei Yang – Three Variations on Plum Blossom(Arr. Xuefei Yang)
10 Xuefei Yang – Fisherman’s Song by Moonlight(Arr. Sha Yuan&Xuefei Yang)
11. Xuefei Yang – Sword Dance(Arr. Xuefei Yang)
12. Xuefei Yang – Camel Bells Along the Silk Road(Arr. Xuefei Yang)
13. Xuefei Yang – Shuo Chang
14. Xuefei Yang – Three Folk Songs(Arr. Kenneth Kwan & Xuefei Yang)
15. Xuefei Yang – Dreams of Gulangyu Island
16. Xuefei Yang – 1
17. Xuefei Yang – 2
18. Xuefei Yang – 3
19. Xuefei Yang – 4
20. Xuefei Yang – 5
21. Xuefei Yang – 6
22. Xuefei Yang – 7
23. Xuefei Yang – The Moon Represents My Heart(Arr. Roland Dyens)

Download:

mqs.link_XuefeiYangSketches0fChina202024882.part1.rar
mqs.link_XuefeiYangSketches0fChina202024882.part2.rar

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